Images conversion
Convert JPG to GIF
Updated Jul 2026
JPG is the everyday photo format, and GIF is built for memes, simple graphics, and short animations, with a hard limit of 256 colors. To convert, open the file in a converter and export it as GIF. Doing this on your own computer keeps the photo, and any location data it carries, off other people's servers.
- Extension
- .jpg
- Type
- Images
- Typically
- The universal photo format
- Compression
- Lossy
- Transparency
- None
- Metadata
- Carries EXIF
- Extension
- .gif
- Type
- Images
- Typically
- Animations, memes
- Transparency
- Supported
Convert JPG to GIF on your own computer. Nothing uploads.
How to convert JPG to GIF
- Open Morphjet and drag in the JPG photos you want to convert. Add one file or a whole folder at once.
- Choose GIF as the output format.
- Convert. The GIFs are written next to your originals, and nothing leaves your machine.
JPG vs GIF: what actually changes
| JPG | GIF | |
|---|---|---|
| Color depth | Millions of colors | 256 colors, so photos can show banding or dithering |
| File size | Compact for photos | Often larger for a photo, despite being technically lossless |
| Compatibility | Opens everywhere, the standard photo format | Opens everywhere too, but expected for memes, graphics, and simple animations rather than photos |
| Transparency | No | Yes, but only fully on or off, not partial like some formats |
| Animation | No, single still image | Yes, can hold multiple frames to loop |
| Metadata (EXIF) | Yes, keeps camera, date, location | No, GIF doesn't store EXIF, so it's dropped on conversion |
When to convert, and when not to
Convert JPG to GIF when you want to turn a photo into a meme, a short looping clip, or a simple graphic for a site or forum that expects a GIF.
Keep the JPG if you care about photographic quality, since GIF's 256-color palette will introduce visible banding in skies, skin tones, and other smooth gradients that JPG renders cleanly.
Why not just use an online converter?
JPG photos, especially ones straight off a phone, often carry EXIF metadata including the exact time and GPS location the picture was taken. Run that file through an online converter and the photo, along with everywhere it's been, lands on someone else's server before you get your GIF back. Morphjet converts on your own computer, so the photo and its metadata never leave the machine, and GIF doesn't retain that metadata once the conversion is done anyway.
Questions
Does converting JPG to GIF lose quality?
Yes, for photos. GIF limits images to 256 colors, so gradients like skies or skin tones can show visible banding or dithering that the JPG didn't have. It works fine for memes, graphics, and simple animations, just not for preserving fine photographic detail.
Will the GIF keep my photo's date and location?
No. GIF doesn't support EXIF metadata, so the camera, date, and GPS location stored in the JPG are dropped during conversion. That happens automatically, not because of anything you set.
Can Morphjet combine several JPGs into one animated GIF?
No. Morphjet converts each JPG into its own still GIF. You can convert a whole folder of photos at once, but each one comes out as a separate, single-frame file.
Can I convert JPG to GIF without uploading my photos?
Yes. Morphjet runs the conversion on your own computer, so the files never travel over the internet. You could disconnect from wifi and it would still work.
Morphjet converts JPG, GIF, and 1,800+ other formats, all on your machine. Launching this July.