Add Text to GIF
Add text to GIF animations in a few seconds: type a caption, choose the font, size, colour and style, and drag it where you want it. The text is drawn crisply on every frame while the animation keeps its timing, and there is no watermark. Your GIF is edited in the browser and never uploaded.
- Runs on your device
- Canvas · GPU
- WASM codecs
- Works offline
Updated
Drop your images here
How to add text to a GIF
Step 1: Drop your GIF on the box above.
Step 2: Type the caption under Text, up to 140 characters. Long captions wrap onto new lines by themselves.
Step 3: Pick a Font, Size, Colour and Style, then drag the caption on the preview. It starts at the bottom centre.
Step 4: Press Apply and download the captioned GIF.
Good to know
Formats
Batch-friendly: add many files and they are processed one after another — if one fails, the rest still finish.
How it runs
- GPU canvas
- Pixels are drawn and composited with the GPU-accelerated canvas.
- WebAssembly codecs
- Images are encoded with Squoosh-grade codecs (MozJPEG, WebP, AVIF, OxiPNG, JPEG XL). Each codec loads only when you use it.
Caption styles: which one reads best
GIFs move and change colour behind the text, so the style matters more than the font. Outline is the safe default; a box is the most readable on busy footage.
| Style | What it draws | Best on |
|---|---|---|
| Outline (default) | A thick contrasting edge around each letter: black around light text, white around dark text | Almost anything; the classic meme look |
| Boxed | A rounded, semi-transparent box behind the text | Busy or bright footage, long sentences |
| Shadow | A soft drop shadow | Calm, darker scenes |
| Plain | Text only | Flat backgrounds and screenshots |
How to make a GIF meme
This page doubles as a GIF meme maker. For the classic look, choose Heavy display as the font, keep Outline and white text, and set Size to about 10 to 14% of the GIF’s height. Short captions in capitals read fastest; the text wraps onto new lines by itself if it is too wide.
Need a top line and a bottom line? Add the first caption, download the GIF, add it again and place the second line. For still pictures with top and bottom text, the meme generator does both in one go.
Fonts for GIF captions
Five font styles are available. The preview shows where the caption goes; the finished GIF is drawn in the font you pick:
- Heavy display: Impact where it is installed (Windows and Mac), otherwise the closest heavy sans-serif. The meme font.
- Sans (Inter): clean and neutral, good for labels and subtitles.
- Serif: Georgia-style, for quotes and a calmer tone.
- Monospace: code-like, for tech jokes and terminal GIFs.
- Rounded: soft and friendly, for stickers and reactions.
Caption a GIF for Discord
When you add a caption to a GIF for Discord, make it big enough to survive small previews: 12% or more of the height on a 480 px GIF. Captions add little to the file size, but if the GIF has to be a server emoji it must stay under 256 KB, so finish with compress GIF for Discord. Posted in a message, a free account can send up to 20 MB.
What the caption tool can and cannot do
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Does the text appear on every frame? | Yes, in the same place for the whole animation |
| Can it appear only for part of the GIF? | No; for timed text, convert the GIF to MP4 and use add text to video |
| Can the text move or animate? | No, it stays still while the GIF plays |
| Can it add a white caption bar above the GIF? | No; the text is drawn over the picture |
| What if the caption is too long? | It wraps to 92% of the width and shrinks if a single word does not fit |
| Is a watermark added? | Never |
Tips & troubleshooting
Text looks tiny on a large GIF? Shrink the GIF first with the GIF resizer and the same caption size becomes easier to read when shared.
Light text on a bright scene? Switch to Boxed; the box turns dark behind light text and light behind dark text automatically.
Making the GIF from a video? Create it with video to GIF first, then caption it here.
Keep important text away from the very edge; the caption is kept inside a small margin so nothing gets cut off.
Add Text to GIF FAQ
How do I add text to a GIF?
Drop the GIF on this page, type your caption, choose a font, size, colour and style, and drag it into place on the preview. Press Apply and the text is drawn on every frame; the animation and its timing stay the same.
How do I caption a GIF for Discord?
Add the caption here at 12% or more of the height so it reads in small previews, then download it. For a server emoji, compress the captioned GIF to under 256 KB with the Discord GIF compressor.
Can I add text to a GIF on iPhone?
Yes, in Safari with no app to install. Choose the GIF when you tap the drop zone, type your caption and move it with your finger on the preview. The captioned file arrives in the Files app; use Share → Save Image if you want it in your photo library as a moving GIF.
How do I make a GIF meme?
Use Heavy display as the font with the Outline style in white, at about 10 to 14% of the height, and keep the line short. For a second line, apply the first caption, then add the result again and place the next line.
Can the text appear only for part of the GIF?
Not here: the caption shows on every frame. For text that appears and disappears, convert the GIF to MP4, add timed text with the video tools and turn it back into a GIF if needed.