Download Reddit GIFs as a genuine animated GIF or as the MP4 Reddit stores. Handles both i.redd.it GIFs and v.redd.it conversions. Free, no signup.
Reddit hosts animated content two different ways. Files posted directly to i.redd.it remain genuine GIF images, while anything routed through v.redd.it is converted to MP4. Which one you get depends on how the item was originally posted, which is why some Reddit GIFs download as images and others as video files.
Reddit is unusual in that it hosts animations two different ways, and which one you get is decided by how the item was posted rather than by anything visible on the page. Some are genuine GIF files on i.redd.it; others are MP4 conversions on v.redd.it displayed as loops. This tool works out which you are looking at, and gives you either format regardless.
Tap Share on the post and choose Copy link. Direct i.redd.it and v.redd.it URLs work too, though the post link is more reliable.
We detect whether the item is a real GIF or an MP4 conversion, so you do not need to know in advance.
Take the native format for the smallest file and best quality, or convert if you specifically need the other one.
Real GIFs on i.redd.it and MP4 conversions on v.redd.it behave completely differently. We detect which one a post uses instead of assuming, which is why some tools fail on half of Reddit.
Need an animated GIF from an MP4 post, or a smaller MP4 from a large GIF? Both are offered, with the size and quality trade-off shown before you choose.
GIF supports only 256 colours per frame, so converting from MP4 introduces banding and multiplies the file size. We show both figures rather than hiding the trade.
old.reddit.com, new.reddit.com, np.reddit.com, redd.it short links and direct i.redd.it or v.redd.it URLs all resolve here.
Public posts need no authentication and we never ask for a Reddit login.
Runs on iPhone, Android, Windows and Mac with nothing to install.
| Format | Resolution | Audio | Typical size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native formatWhatever Reddit actually stores. Smallest file, best quality. | as posted | No | 300 KB – 15 MB |
| Converted to GIFRebuilt from MP4. 256 colours per frame, much larger file. | as posted | No | 2–30 MB |
| Converted to MP4From a source GIF. Roughly a tenth the size, full colour. | as posted | No | 200 KB – 4 MB |
| Optimised GIFSmaller output for sharing on mobile. | halved dimensions | No | 0.8–10 MB |
Saved to: Files → Downloads
iOS Photos handles animated GIFs poorly. Keep them in Files and share from there.
Saved to: Internal storage → Download
Most Android keyboards can attach a GIF straight from the Downloads folder.
Saved to: C:\Users\<you>\Downloads
Saved to: ~/Downloads
Reddit is the only major platform in this catalogue that hosts animation two different ways at once, and nothing on the page tells you which you are looking at. An item uploaded directly as an image file can remain a genuine GIF on i.redd.it. Anything routed through Reddit's video pipeline ends up on v.redd.it as an MP4, looping silently so it reads as a GIF to anyone scrolling past. Both look identical in the feed.
The reason for the conversion is size. GIF dates from 1987, compresses poorly, and stores only 256 colours per frame. A few seconds of smooth animation can reach twenty megabytes as a GIF while the same clip as H.264 might be under two, and look noticeably better. At Reddit's scale that difference is enormous, so large uploads get converted automatically.
This explains the confusion people run into. Save one Reddit GIF and you get an animated image; save another and you get a video file, with no obvious reason for the difference. Nothing has gone wrong in either case — you are simply seeing what Reddit actually stored for that particular post.
If you need a specific format, converting is possible in both directions and the trade-offs are worth knowing. Going from MP4 to GIF costs colour depth and multiplies file size several times over, because those are properties of the GIF format itself. Going the other way, from a source GIF to MP4, shrinks the file dramatically and improves gradients. For most uses the MP4 is simply the better file: Slack, Discord and most modern chat applications loop short silent MP4s exactly like a GIF.
| i.redd.it GIF | v.redd.it MP4 | Converted GIF | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native to Reddit | Yes | Yes | No — rebuilt |
| Colours | 256 per frame | Full colour | 256 per frame |
| Typical size | 2–20 MB | 200 KB – 4 MB | 2–30 MB |
| Gradients | Banding | Smooth | Banding |
| Audio | None | None | None |
| Best for | Use as-is | Almost everything | Systems rejecting video |
Because that post lives on v.redd.it, where Reddit stores animation as MP4 and loops it silently so it looks like a GIF. There is no GIF file to retrieve for that post.
Those were uploaded directly as image files to i.redd.it and never went through the video pipeline. Reddit hosts animation both ways, and nothing on the page distinguishes them.
Yes. Be aware it reduces colour to 256 per frame, introduces banding in gradients, and typically produces a file several times larger than the MP4.
No. Reddit strips audio from anything presented as a GIF, in both formats, because source GIFs never carry audio.
The native one, whatever Reddit stored. It is the smallest file at the best quality. Convert only when a specific system refuses the format you have.
Those live on other platforms and follow their own rules. Imgur in particular converts everything to MP4 and calls it gifv — see our Imgur tool for that.
Yes. Every Reddit domain resolves, including old.reddit.com, np.reddit.com, redd.it short links and direct i.redd.it or v.redd.it URLs.
No. Media streams from Reddit to your device, and conversions are discarded once delivered.
We do not host any content. All files are fetched directly from the source platform and streamed to your device — nothing is stored on our servers. Download only content you own or have permission to use. If you believe content has been made available in breach of your rights, see our copyright policy.