Images conversion
Convert ICO to GIF
Updated Jul 2026
ICO files hold one or more icon images used for favicons and Windows or app icons, while GIF is a simple, universally supported image format. To convert ICO to GIF, open the file in a converter and export it as a GIF. Doing it on your own computer means the icon, and whatever project it belongs to, never gets uploaded anywhere.
- Extension
- .ico
- Type
- Images
- Typically
- Favicons, app icons
- Transparency
- Supported
- Extension
- .gif
- Type
- Images
- Typically
- Animations, memes
- Transparency
- Supported
Convert ICO to GIF on your own computer. Nothing uploads.
How to convert ICO to GIF
- Open Morphjet and drag in the ICO file, or a whole folder of icons at once.
- Choose GIF as the output format.
- Convert. The GIF is written right next to your original, and nothing leaves your machine.
ICO vs GIF: what actually changes
| ICO | GIF | |
|---|---|---|
| File size | Small, and can hold several sizes in one file | Small, but only one image per file |
| Color depth | Can hold full color with smooth transparency | Limited to 256 colors, so soft gradients can look banded |
| Compatibility | Narrow, mainly Windows icons and browser favicons | Universal, opens on nearly anything |
| Transparency | Yes, with smooth, partial transparency | Yes, but only hard on-or-off transparency |
| Animation | No, always a single static image | Can hold animation, though converting an icon gives you one still frame |
| Multiple sizes in one file | Yes, one .ico can bundle 16x16 up to 256x256 versions | No, one size per file |
When to convert, and when not to
Convert ICO to GIF when you need to show an icon somewhere that expects a plain image, like a webpage, a forum post, a README, or an app that doesn't know how to open ICO files.
Keep the ICO original if it's still doing its job as a favicon or a Windows or app icon, since that's really the one place the format is required.
Why not just use an online converter?
It's just an icon, but it's usually tied to a specific app, product, or project you haven't announced yet. An online converter still means sending that file to a server you don't control. Converting on your own computer keeps the icon, and whatever it's attached to, entirely on your machine.
Questions
Does converting ICO to GIF lose quality?
GIF caps out at 256 colors, so if the icon uses full color with soft, antialiased edges, some subtle shading can flatten out. For simple icons with a small number of colors, the difference is barely noticeable.
Will the GIF be animated?
No. An ICO holds a static icon, even if it stores several sizes inside one file, so converting it gives you a single still image, not an animation.
If the ICO has multiple sizes, which one gets used?
Morphjet uses the largest size embedded in the file, since that keeps the most detail for the GIF.
Does the GIF keep transparency?
Yes, but not in the same way. ICO can have smooth, partial transparency around edges, while GIF transparency is all or nothing per pixel, so soft edges can look slightly harder.
Can I convert ICO to GIF without uploading it anywhere?
Yes. A desktop app like Morphjet converts the file locally, so it never travels over the internet. You can do it with your wifi off.
Morphjet converts ICO, GIF, and 1,800+ other formats, all on your machine. Launching this July.