GIF vs ICO
A quick, plain-English comparison of the GIF and ICO file formats — and how to convert between them, free and in your browser.
| GIF | ICO | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | image | image |
| Extension | .gif | .ico |
| MIME type | image/gif | image/x-icon |
| Converts to | 35 formats | 32 formats |
| Direction here | read & write | read & write |
Convert between GIF and ICO
GIF vs ICO: frequently asked questions
What's the difference between GIF and ICO?
Palette (256-colour) raster supporting simple animation. Windows icon container holding several sizes.
Should I use GIF or ICO?
Both are image formats — the right one depends on compatibility, quality and file size for your use. Whichever you have, you can convert it to the other below in seconds.
How do I convert GIF to ICO?
Open the GIF-to-ICO converter, drop your GIF file in, and download the ICO. We auto-detect the real format from the file's bytes, so a mislabeled file still works.