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Free GIF Cropper

Crop an animated GIF without losing the animation. Drag the box over the part you want to keep, or type exact pixel values, then download a new .gif with every frame, delay and loop intact. Everything runs in your browser: nothing is uploaded and there is no signup.

Drop a GIF here or click to upload

Animated .gif files up to 30 MB

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I crop an animated GIF?+
Drop the GIF into the cropper above, drag the box over the part you want to keep, then hit Crop GIF and download the result. Every frame is cropped to the same rectangle, so the animation keeps playing exactly as before, just inside a smaller frame.
Does cropping break the animation?+
No. The tool decodes every frame, composites it onto a full size canvas, applies your crop rectangle, then re-encodes a new animated GIF with the original frame delays and loop setting. The output is a normal .gif that plays in any browser, chat app, or email client.
Can I crop a GIF to an exact pixel size?+
Yes. The X, Y, width and height fields under the preview accept exact pixel values and stay in sync with the drag handles. Set the width and height you need, then nudge X and Y until the region lines up.
Is my GIF uploaded to a server?+
No. Decoding, cropping, and re-encoding all run in your browser using Web Workers. The file never leaves your device, so there is no upload wait and no privacy trade off.
Why is my cropped GIF sometimes larger than the original?+
The original may have been optimised with partial frames, where each frame only stores the pixels that changed. Re-encoding writes full frames again, which can offset the savings from a smaller canvas. If size matters, run the result through the GIF compressor afterwards.
What aspect ratios can I crop to?+
Freeform plus 1:1 for profile pictures and Instagram, 4:3 for slides, 16:9 for video thumbnails and widescreen embeds, and 9:16 for Stories, Reels, and TikTok. Picking a preset locks the box so dragging any handle keeps the ratio.

Learn More

Want to get more out of your GIFs and screen recordings? Start here:

How to Crop a GIF Online

Four steps, no software to install and no account required.

  1. Upload your GIF: drag and drop it onto the box above, or click to pick a file. Animated .gif files up to about 30 MB work comfortably.
  2. Set the crop region: drag inside the rectangle to move it, drag a handle to resize, or type exact numbers into the X, Y, width and height fields.
  3. Pick an aspect ratio: leave it freeform, or lock the box to 1:1, 4:3, 16:9 or 9:16 so it stays proportional while you drag.
  4. Crop and download: the tool re-encodes every frame at the new size using Web Workers, then hands you a .gif that still animates.

Why Cropping an Animated GIF Is Harder Than Cropping a Photo

A regular image cropper reads one bitmap and cuts a rectangle out of it. A GIF is a stack of frames with rules attached, and most naive croppers get it wrong:

  • Frames are often partial: an optimised GIF stores only the pixels that changed since the previous frame, plus an offset saying where that patch belongs. Cropping those patches on their own produces torn, flickering output.
  • Disposal methods matter: each frame says whether the previous one should be kept, cleared to the background, or restored. Ignore that and moving objects leave trails.
  • Timing lives per frame: delays are stored frame by frame, so a cropper that rewrites them with a single fixed value changes the speed of the animation.
  • Looping is a separate block: the loop count sits in an application extension, not in the frames, and it is easy to drop during re-encoding so the GIF plays once and stops.

This cropper composites every frame onto a full size canvas first, in frame order and honouring disposal, and only then applies your rectangle. Delays and the loop count are carried over from the source file.

Common Reasons to Crop a GIF

  • Cut the browser chrome: screen recordings usually include a toolbar, a dock, or a stray sidebar that adds nothing.
  • Focus on one region: zoom the viewer straight to the button, chart, or terminal line the GIF is actually about.
  • Fit a placement: square for avatars and Instagram, 16:9 for docs and video thumbnails, 9:16 for Stories, Reels and TikTok.
  • Shrink the file: fewer pixels per frame usually means a smaller GIF, which matters when Discord caps free uploads at 10 MB.
  • Remove sensitive detail: crop out a name, an email address, or an account number that ended up in the recording.

Crop, Compress, or Convert?

Cropping is the right move when the problem is framing. If the problem is weight, reach for a different tool:

Crop when…

  • The edges of the frame are wasted space
  • You need a specific aspect ratio
  • Something in shot should not be shared

Compress or convert when…

  • The framing is fine but the file is too heavy
  • The clip runs longer than about 10 seconds
  • The destination supports HTML5 video

Cropping and compressing stack well: crop first so the compressor has fewer pixels to work with, then lower the scale until the file lands under your limit.

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