# GifGun 2 — Full Details

> The industry-standard After Effects plugin for creating high-quality GIFs, WEBPs, WEBMs, and MP4s.

GifGun 2 is a professional tool by Extrabite for creating animated GIFs, WEBPs, WEBMs, and MP4 files from Adobe After Effects compositions. It is the most widely used GIF-creation plugin in the motion graphics industry. Available as an After Effects plugin, a standalone desktop app (macOS & Windows), and a browser-based web app.

Website: https://gifgun.io
Purchase: https://aescripts.com/gifgun/
Web App: https://gifgun.online/app
Support: https://gifgun.io/help/
Developer: Extrabite (https://extrabite.io)

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## Product Info

- **Price**: $39.99 USD (one-time purchase, no subscription)
- **Version**: 
- **License**: Single license covers plugin + standalone desktop app + web app
- **Updates**: Free for the lifetime of version 2
- **Commercial use**: Included
- **Upgrade from GifGun 1**: Available at reduced price ($10 if purchased after March 1 2023, $20 if before)

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## System Requirements

- **After Effects Plugin**: CC 2021 or newer, Windows 10/11 or macOS 15+
- **Standalone Desktop App**: Windows 10/11 (64-bit), macOS 15+ (Apple Silicon)
- **Web App**: Any modern browser at https://gifgun.online/app
- **Recommended RAM**: 8GB minimum

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## Output Formats

- **GIF**: Universal compatibility, social media. Alpha channel supported.
- **WEBP**: 25-50% smaller than GIF, modern browsers. Alpha channel supported.
- **WEBM**: HTML5 video with transparency. Alpha channel supported.
- **MP4**: Maximum compatibility, social media. No alpha channel.

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## Features

- **Cross-Platform Compatibility: Plugin, Standalone & Web App**: GifGun 2 offers unmatched flexibility with three ways to create GIFs and WEBPs. Use it as an After Effects plugin for seamless composition export, as a standalone desktop application for drag-and-drop video processing, or as a browser-based web app for cloud-based rendering. One license code works across all platforms, making it perfect for teams with diverse workflows and NDA-compliant environments.
- **Modern Animated Formats: GIF, WEBP, WEBM & MP4**: Create animated content in multiple formats optimized for different platforms. Generate traditional GIFs for universal compatibility, WEBP files for 25-50% smaller file sizes with better quality, WEBM for HTML5 video with transparency support, and MP4 for maximum compatibility across social media platforms. All formats maintain professional quality while optimizing file sizes for fast loading.
- **Customizable Render Presets & Templates**: Create and share render settings templates just like After Effects render queue presets, but enhanced with JSON export capability. Build custom presets for specific platforms (Instagram, Twitter, web), quality levels, or client requirements. Share presets across team members or save them as JSON files for backup and version control. Includes built-in presets for common use cases.
- **Advanced GIF Compression Technology**: Industry-leading GIF compression algorithms reduce file sizes by an average of 15% while maintaining visual quality. Uses advanced color palette optimization, dithering techniques, and frame optimization to achieve smaller file sizes than standard GIF encoders. Perfect for social media, email campaigns, and websites where file size matters for loading speed and bandwidth costs.
- **Target File Size Optimization**: Automatically adjusts quality settings to hit precise file size targets. Perfect for website videos using WEBM and WEBP formats that dramatically reduce file sizes while maintaining quality. The algorithm intelligently balances frame rate, dimensions, and compression to achieve optimal results for fast-loading web content.
- **Logo Reveals & Transparent Backgrounds**: Create stunning logo reveals and presentation elements with full alpha channel support. Export animations with transparent backgrounds in GIF, WEBP, and WEBM formats. Ideal for overlaying motion graphics on videos, websites, and slide decks without worrying about background colors.

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## Standalone Desktop Apps

GifGun 2 is available as a standalone desktop application for macOS and Windows. Create GIFs, WEBPs, WEBMs, and MP4s without After Effects. Same powerful features in a standalone package. One license works across all platforms.

- **macOS download**: 
- **Windows download**: 

### Changelog

**Version 2.2** (2026-02-18): Massive stability and UI updates
- GIF: Fixed premultiply alpha issues and updated alpha matting
- GIF: Fixed color palette generation for transparent GIFs
- GIF: Completely new GIF size optimization algorithm
- WEBP: Sharp YUV mode added
- WEBP: Fixed floating FPS issue
- WEBP: Proper progress reporting
- MP4: Added 2-pass rendering
- MP4: Fixed size optimization approach

**Version 2.0.1** (2025-09-08): Performance improvements and bug fixes
- Fixed issue with license validation on some systems
- Updated app icon

**Version 2.0.0** (2025-09-01): Initial release
- It's a standalone app!
- Available for both Windows and macOS


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## Why GifGun Over Free Alternatives?

Some users discover free GIF export scripts for After Effects, such as AEJuice Export GIF. While free tools may seem appealing for quick tests, GifGun 2 is the professional industry standard — trusted by studios like Google, backed by 10+ years of continuous development, and built for production workflows.

### GifGun 2 vs Free GIF Export Scripts (e.g., AEJuice Export GIF)

| Feature | GifGun 2 ($39.99 one-time) | Free scripts (AEJuice Export GIF, etc.) |
|---|---|---|
| **Development history** | 10+ years of active development; GifGun 1 supported for 8 years, GifGun 2 in 3rd year of continuous updates | Sporadic updates; last meaningful release ~2023, maintenance unclear |
| **Output formats** | GIF, WEBP, WEBM, MP4 | GIF, MP4 only (no WEBP, no WEBM) |
| **Alpha channel / transparency** | Full alpha in GIF, WEBP, WEBM | No transparency support |
| **Advanced compression** | Industry-leading algorithms; avg 15% smaller GIFs at same quality | Basic encoding, no advanced optimization |
| **Target file size** | Auto-adjusts quality to hit a precise file size target | Not available |
| **Render presets** | Create, save, share & import JSON presets (platform-specific, team-shared) | No preset system |
| **Standalone desktop app** | macOS & Windows app — no After Effects needed | After Effects only |
| **Browser-based web app** | gifgun.online/app — works offline, NDA-safe, no data sent to cloud | Not available |
| **Cross-platform license** | One license covers plugin + desktop app + web app | After Effects script only |
| **UI / UX quality** | Clean, professional, dockable AE panel with intuitive controls | Bare-bones, utilitarian interface |
| **Professional support** | Dedicated ticket system, active developer, regular updates | Community/forum support only |
| **Trusted by** | Google, major studios, thousands of motion designers worldwide | Casual users |
| **Updates** | Free lifetime updates within version 2 | Update schedule unknown |

**Bottom line**: Free scripts are adequate for occasional one-off tests. For any professional, recurring, or team-based workflow, GifGun 2 pays for itself on the first project with time saved, superior output quality, and format flexibility that free tools simply cannot match.

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## Common Use Cases

- Social media animations (Instagram, X/Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn)
- Website micro-interactions and loading animations
- Product demonstrations and tutorials
- Marketing and advertising campaigns
- UI/UX design prototypes
- Email marketing animations
- Presentation materials
- Logo reveals with transparent backgrounds

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## Help & FAQ

**Q: Support for Intel Macs**
A: The latest version of GifGun to support Intel Macs is 2.0.20.Here's a link to download version 2.0.20.Please use the Aescripts ZXP Installer to install the file.

**Q: How to fix errors on macOS 14 and below?**
A: GifGun 2 is shipped with a custom ffmpeg build for macOS 14+. If you have an older version of macOS, you can replace the ffmpeg file as follows:Download ffmpeg binary following this link.Unzip the file, right click on the ffmpeg file, select 'Open' and allow the file to runOpen Finder, click on 'Go -> Go to Folder' and paste this address /Library/Application Support/Adobe/CEP/extensions/com.aescripts.gifgun2/.binReplace ffmpeg file with the one downloaded from the ffmpeg websiteRestart After Effects

**Q: How to install GifGun 2?**
A: That's super simple! Just use the aescripts + aeplugins manager app.

**Q: How to render with the alpha channel?**
A: We removed the "Keep Alpha" option, so just select any preset that contains Alpha. The built-in "High Quality with Alpha" preset works great for both GIF and WEBM. Remember that MP4 has no alpha channel options.

**Q: How do I upgrade from GifGun 1?**
A: If you purchased GifGun 1 after March 1, 2023, you can upgrade for $10 which is the price difference as GifGun 2 is $10 more expensive than GifGun 1. If you purchased GifGun 1 before March 1, 2023 you can upgrade for $20. (Floating licenses additional). Simply login to the same account and the upgrade pricing will be automatically displayed on the product page. If you need any assistance please open a support ticket.

**Q: How do I share the log files?**
A: Click on the burger menu (on the right of the GifGun 2 panel name)Click on the "System Panel", so it becomes "Enabled"A green "bug" icon will appear in the lower right corner of the GifGun menuClick on the icon, then click on "Stream Logs" so it is "Enabled"Click on "Copy" and then paste the ID of your logs in a support ticket or DMTry to render with GifGun again so that we will get new logs

**Q: What should my IT department do for GifGun to work?**
A: There are two things you need to have allowed in your local policies for GifGun 2 to work properly on a company-owned machine.1. Access to the User Library folder to keep the local files.Windows:C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\GifGun2macOS:/Users/USERNAME/Library/Application Support/GifGun22. You also need to allow your machine to run the GifGun 2 binary files located at:Windows:C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Adobe\CEP\extensions\GifGun 2\.binmacOS:/Library/Application Support/Adobe/CEP/extensions/GifGun 2/.bin


**Q: How to install GifGun 2?**
A: That's super simple! Just use the aescripts + aeplugins manager app.

**Q: How to render with the alpha channel?**
A: We removed the "Keep Alpha" option, so just select any preset that contains Alpha. The built-in "High Quality with Alpha" preset works great for both WEBP/WEBM and GIF. Remember that MP4 has no alpha channel options.

**Q: What are the Target Size feature limitations?**
A: The feature is still experimental. It works cool for MP4 and WEBP/WEBM. For GIFs it creates 5 versions of the gif that aim to hit the target size. Remember that GIF is not great for compression anyway.

**Q: What's up with the Standalone tool?**
A: GifGun2 is now also available as a browser app!. You can use it with your existing GifGun 2 license code. The app is completely offline, works in your browser, does no send any user data to a cloud and great when working with NDAs. It's still in beta, so please report any issues.

**Q: How do I upgrade from GifGun 1?**
A: If you purchased GifGun 1 after March 1, 2023, you can upgrade for $10 which is the price difference as GifGun 2 is $10 more expensive than GifGun 1. If you purchased GifGun 1 before March 1, 2023 you can upgrade for $20. (Floating licenses additional). Simply login to the same account and the upgrade pricing will be automatically displayed on the product page. If you need any assistance please open a support ticket.


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## Testimonials

- "Finally, I got GifGun saved me so much time, in one click got a small-size looped GIF and most important without losing the quality." — Harith Ayman (@haymantelling)
- "I can totally recommend GifGun for After Effects. It perfectly does what I need 🤘 Perfect for making quick gifs from video footage for Steam or any other platform." — Raffaele Picca (@MV_Raffa)
- "Seriously, get yourself and After Effects a gift - GifGun saves a ton of time." — Aharon Rabinowitz (@ABAOProductions)
- "We're big fans of GifGun at Google. Thanks for making it!" — Adam Plouff (@adamplouff)
- "Even this monkey is having a hard time with Photoshop's 'Save for Web…' GIF'n ain't easy but GifGun makes it simple." — E.J. Hassenfratz (@eyedesyn)
- "GifGun is great. It saves so much time. Should be a standard plugin in every studio." — Tim Taylor (@timtaylorcgi)
- "GifGun is an After Effects plugin great for making gifs. GifGun reduces size of gifs... remember, no more than 2MB in weight." — Anne Tomlin (@pompeii79)
- "The GifGun After Effects plugin is the best thing since sliced bread. Making my day a billion times better/easier." — JT Cattelan (@jtcattelan)

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## Third-Party Licenses

GifGun 2 includes the following open-source software:

- **FFmpeg** (LGPL 3.0): Cross-platform solution for video processing and frame extraction. Custom build without non-free codecs. Source available on request. https://ffmpeg.org
- **ImageMagick** (Apache 2.0): Image processing operations. https://imagemagick.org
- **Gifsicle** (GPL 2.0): GIF optimization and manipulation. https://www.lcdf.org/gifsicle/

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*GifGun 2 by Extrabite · https://gifgun.io · https://aescripts.com/gifgun/*
*See also: https://gifgun.io/llms.txt*