How do MP4 and GIFcompare? Here's everything you need to know to choose the right format — and how to convert between them.
MPEG-4 Part 14
MP4 is the most widely used video format in the world. It's the default for everything from YouTube to TikTok, smartphones to streaming services. If you need one video format that works everywhere, MP4 is it.
Graphics Interchange Format
GIF is a widely recognized format best known for animated images and short loops. While limited to 256 colors, GIF's animation support and universal compatibility make it a staple of web culture.
| Specification | MP4 | GIF |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | MPEG-4 Part 14 | Graphics Interchange Format |
| Extension | .mp4 | .gif |
| MIME type | video/mp4 | image/gif |
| Category | Video | Image |
| Developer | ISO / Moving Picture Experts Group | CompuServe |
| Year introduced | 2001 | 1987 |
MP4 (video) and GIF (image) serve fundamentally different purposes but are often compared when converting between media types.