GIF to HEIF Converter

Convert GIF images to HEIF high-efficiency format online

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ISO Standard Format

HEIF is standardized by ISO/IEC — your converted image uses a globally recognized specification with growing industry adoption.

Advanced Features

HEIF supports 10-bit color, depth maps, HDR, transparency, and image sequences — capabilities far beyond what GIF offers.

Secure Conversion

Your GIF is deleted from servers immediately after conversion. The HEIF output is removed within 24 hours for complete privacy.

How to convert GIF to HEIF

1

Select files from Computer, Google Drive, Dropbox, URL or by dragging it on the page.

2

Choose heif or any other format you need as a result (more than 200 formats supported)

3

Let the file convert and you can download your heif file right afterwards

About formats

GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) was introduced by CompuServe on June 15, 1987 as a platform-independent image format for transmitting color graphics over the CompuServe online service's modem-speed connections. The format uses LZW (Lempel-Ziv-Welch) lossless compression on indexed-color images with a palette of up to 256 colors selected from a 24-bit RGB color space. GIF's most distinctive capability is animation: multiple image frames can be stored sequentially within a single file, each with independent delay timing, disposal methods, and local color palettes, enabling short looping animations without any video codec or player. The format also supports binary transparency (one palette entry designated as fully transparent) and interlaced display for progressive rendering. GIF became synonymous with web culture — animated GIFs proliferated across early websites, messaging platforms, and social media, evolving into a communication medium in their own right. One advantage is universal animation support — GIF animations play natively in every web browser, email client, messaging app, and social platform without plugins, codecs, or compatibility concerns, a level of ubiquity no other animation format has achieved. The lossless compression on palette-based images provides another strength: graphics with flat colors, text, and sharp edges (logos, diagrams, UI elements) compress efficiently without the artifacts that affect JPEG. Although the LZW patents that once threatened GIF's use expired in 2004, and newer formats like WebP and AVIF offer superior compression with full-color animation, GIF's cultural entrenchment keeps it irreplaceable for casual animated content.
Developer: CompuServe
Initial release: June 15, 1987
HEIF (High Efficiency Image File Format) is a container format for images and image sequences standardized by the Moving Picture Experts Group as ISO/IEC 23008-12, first published in 2015. HEIF is built on the ISO Base Media File Format (ISOBMFF, the same container used for MP4 video), providing a flexible structure that can hold single images, image collections, image sequences (like animations or bursts), and derived images with non-destructive editing operations. The container is codec-agnostic — while the most common implementation pairs HEIF with HEVC/H.265 compression (branded as HEIC by Apple), the standard also accommodates AV1 compression (creating the AVIF variant), H.266/VVC, and other future codecs. HEIF supports features that JPEG lacks: 10-bit and 12-bit color depth, wide color gamuts (Display P3, BT.2020), lossless compression, alpha transparency, depth maps, thumbnail images, and Exif/XMP metadata — all within a single file. Auxiliary image items can store computational photography data like depth maps, HDR gain maps, and semantic segmentation masks. One advantage is the format's future-proof architecture: by separating the container from the codec, HEIF can adopt newer, more efficient compression technologies without changing the file structure, metadata handling, or application-level APIs. The substantial compression improvement over JPEG is another core strength — HEVC-based HEIF typically achieves 40-50% file size reduction compared to JPEG at the same visual quality, beneficial for storage and bandwidth. HEIF is supported by Apple's ecosystem (iOS, macOS), Windows 10/11, Android 10+, GIMP, ImageMagick, and Adobe products.
Initial release: 2015

Frequently Asked Questions

Why convert GIF to HEIF?

HEIF is the ISO standard for high-efficiency images — delivering 40-50% smaller files than JPEG with support for 10-bit color, depth maps, and sequences.

What opens HEIF files?

Apple devices, Windows 10/11 (with HEIF extension), Android 9+, GIMP, Photoshop, and most modern image editors support HEIF natively.

Is HEIF the same as HEIC?

HEIC is a specific HEIF profile using HEVC codec. HEIF is the broader standard that can use different codecs. They are closely related and often interchangeable.

Does HEIF support animation?

Yes — HEIF supports image sequences and burst photos. It can store animated content similarly to GIF but with vastly better compression and quality.

Is HEIF an open standard?

HEIF is an ISO/IEC standard (23008-12). The container is open, though the HEVC codec it commonly uses has licensing considerations.

GIF to HEIF Quality Rating

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