GifLoop

GifLoop is a native iOS app for creating and editing animated GIFs on iPhone and iPad. Projects can start from photos, camera captures, video frames, or a blank canvas. Editing tools include filters, text, drawing, onion skinning, glitch and jitter effects, and background removal. The app offers seven loop modes, including ping-pong, random, fade loop, and play-once; per-frame timing is a Pro feature. Free exports GIF and MP4, while Pro adds MOV, Live Photo, and frame strip. Its custom Swift encoder provides palette, dithering, lossy compression, file-size targeting, and resolution controls. The Free plan is free and allows up to 15 frames per project and two loop modes; a watermark follows three free Pro exports. GifLoop Pro costs $1.99, paid once as a one-time purchase, with up to 50 frames per project, all seven loop modes, and no watermark. The maker says editing and exports run on-device and creative content is not uploaded to its servers. The editor and all five export formats work offline; the app requires iOS 17 or later.

GifLoop offers varied editing and export controls, with a free option for GIF and MP4 output and a one-time Pro upgrade. Before choosing, consider the free frame and loop limits, and the iOS version requirement.

GifLoop suits iPhone and iPad users who want to make GIFs from images or video and adjust their loops and exports. It may appeal to people who prefer editing and exporting on-device, including offline.

GifLoop is an iPhone and iPad editor for building animated GIFs from still images, camera captures, video frames, or a blank canvas. It is best suited to creators who want granular encoding controls and offline work rather than a cloud workflow. The free tier is useful for short experiments, while regular projects make the one-time Pro upgrade the more sensible choice.

Overview

GifLoop takes a frame-by-frame approach, combining visual editing with unusually specific GIF output settings. Filters, text, drawing, onion skinning, glitch and jitter effects, and background removal cover both straightforward cleanup and stylized animation. The custom Swift encoder adds controls for palette selection, dithering, lossy compression, target file size, and resolution, so users can tune an export for a particular file limit instead of accepting a fixed preset.

Processing is local: imports, edits, rendering, and exports run on the device, and creative content is not uploaded to the maker’s servers. The privacy policy says there are no analytics, advertising, crash-reporting, or tracking technologies. Content remains in the app’s device storage, with the trial counter kept in Apple Keychain. Editing and all five export formats work without an internet connection; buying or restoring Pro still goes through the App Store.

Key features

Flexible sources and editing

A project can begin with photos, camera captures, video frames, or a blank canvas, and video import is supported. That makes GifLoop suitable for converting existing clips as well as drawing an animation from scratch. Onion skinning helps align successive drawings, while text, filters, background removal, glitch, and jitter effects provide more control than a basic photo-to-GIF converter.

Loop and timing controls

Seven loop modes include ping-pong, random, fade loop, and play-once. The free plan exposes only two modes, so anyone needing a particular playback behavior will quickly encounter that ceiling. Pro adds per-frame timing, allowing pauses and faster moments within one animation instead of forcing every frame to use the same duration.

Export and encoding

Free users can export GIF and MP4. Pro adds MOV, Live Photo, and frame-strip output, and removes the watermark applied after three free Pro exports. Transparent GIF export is supported. The encoder’s palette, dithering, compression, size-targeting, and resolution options are valuable when file weight matters, although the free frame cap limits how much material can be assembled in a single project.

Pricing

The free plan fits occasional, short animations and lets you assess the editor without a recurring charge. Its 15-frame project limit and two loop modes make it a poor match for longer sequences, and the watermark rule reduces its usefulness for polished sharing once the three free Pro exports are used. At $1.99 once, Pro is aimed at repeat users who need longer projects, precise timing, the complete export set, or clean output; it also avoids monthly renewal.

Platforms

GifLoop requires iOS 17 or later and runs on iPhone and iPad. It is not a desktop, Android, or web editor, so its offline, device-only workflow is a strength only if your projects live in Apple’s ecosystem. Support requests go to [email protected].

Who it's for

Choose GifLoop for personal animation work, social clips, or compact looping graphics when you want to start from video or images and still adjust GIF encoding in detail. It also suits users who prefer local storage and no tracking, or who need exports while offline. It is less appropriate for teams sharing projects across operating systems, for anyone requiring more than 50 frames in one project, or for creators who need a browser-based editor.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Local processing and offline editing keep projects on the device and usable without a connection.
• Pros: Palette, dithering, compression, size, and resolution controls help manage GIF quality and file weight.
• Pros: Pro combines seven loop modes, per-frame timing, multiple export formats, and no watermark for a single $1.99 payment.
• Cons: Free projects stop at 15 frames and two loop modes, which restricts anything beyond short animations.
• Cons: The app is limited to iOS 17-and-later iPhone and iPad devices.
• Cons: Free output is limited to GIF and MP4, and a watermark appears after three free Pro exports.

Alternatives

GIF Maker Software is a useful starting point when you want to compare a broader group of GIF tools.

FlexClip is the better pick for cross-platform, web-based video work: it runs on Android, iOS, web, and Windows and its free plan allows 12 online projects, with videos up to 10 minutes and one stock video and audio item per project.

Brush Ninja suits browser-based drawing animation across Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, Windows, and the web; its free core tools require no account, while Premium costs $7 a month.

GIF Studio is an Android-only free app.

GIPHY Create is a free option that runs on Android, iOS, and the web.

ImgPlay is a cross-platform alternative for Android and iOS with basic editing, speed control, crop and trim, dithering, sketch effects, and zoom-in effects on its free plan; Pro Monthly is $7.99 a month.

Momento runs on iOS and macOS, with a free download and a Premium plan at $9.99 a month.

Spritelove is an iOS drawing-animation app with a free trial and a paid model.

Giffer is another iOS choice, sold once at $1.99 for the standard app and $2.99 for Pro with larger GIFs and double length.

Verdict

GifLoop is a strong fit for iPhone and iPad users who want serious GIF encoding controls, local processing, and a permanent purchase instead of a subscription. Pro is the clear choice for ongoing work because it raises the frame limit, unlocks every loop and export option, and removes watermarks for $1.99 once. Look elsewhere if you need Android, desktop, or web access, collaborative projects, or animations longer than 50 frames.