Pulsing GIF maker — make a photo pulse

Gifsy's pulsing GIF maker makes one photo swell and settle like a slow heartbeat, looping smoothly. Add a photo or logo, set the speed and download a 480 × 480 GIF. Free, no sign-up, no watermark, and nothing is uploaded.

Want the photo to move in real 3D, not a flat zoom? Try the 3D photo maker

↑ Add a photo to begin.

What the Pulse effect does

The photo grows from 1.02× to 1.14× and back once per loop on a smooth ease — about half the travel of Zoom — so it reads as breathing rather than a camera move.

Made with this tool from one image: Pulse, 20 fps, boomerang off. Download the GIF (1.6 MB)

  • Swell

    1.02× → 1.14× → 1.02×

    One smooth beat per loop.

  • Feel

    Calm

    Slow it to 8–12 fps for a resting pulse.

  • Loop

    30 frames

    About 1.5 s at 20 fps. Boomerang doubles it.

  • Output

    480 × 480 GIF

    Centre crop, one shared palette.

How to make a pulse GIF

  1. 1

    Add a photo

    JPG, PNG or WebP. Keep the subject near the middle — the GIF is a square centre crop.

  2. 2

    Pulse is already picked

    Set the speed (8–30 fps). Boomerang is off; turn it on to play the loop forward, then back.

  3. 3

    Make GIF, then download

    Frames render in your browser in seconds and save as animation.gif.

Photos that suit Pulse

  • Works best
  • Logos and icons with space around them
  • Hearts, flowers, anything that should breathe
  • 'Tap here' or call-to-action images
  • Loading and waiting animations
  • Works worst
  • Logos with a transparent background — it comes out solid
  • Designs that touch the edge, which crop at 1.14×
  • Anything that needs a dramatic move — use Zoom
  • A double-beat heartbeat — this is one smooth swell

Questions

Sending it to Slack, Discord or GitHub? Check the GIF size limits. More on effects, speed and file size in how to animate a photo into a GIF.

How much does the photo grow?

From 1.02× to 1.14× and back, once per loop. It's deliberately smaller than Zoom (up to 1.30×) so it feels like breathing.

Is this a heartbeat GIF?

It's a single smooth swell per loop. A real heartbeat has a double beat ('lub-dub'), which this preset doesn't do.

Can I make a pulsing logo?

Yes, if the logo sits centred with some margin. GIFs from this tool have a solid background, so a transparent logo gets filled in — put it on the background colour you want first.

Pulse or Zoom?

Pulse for something alive or waiting — a heart, a button, a logo. Zoom for a reveal that pushes toward a detail.

Is it free, and is there a watermark?

Free, with no sign-up, no watermark and no limit on how many GIFs you make. The only paid thing on Gifsy is credits for the separate 3D model tool.

Is my photo uploaded?

No. The frames are drawn and the GIF is encoded by JavaScript in your browser tab; this tool has no upload endpoint. You can check in your browser's Network tab, or turn Wi-Fi off after your first GIF (which loads the encoder) and make another.

More GIF makers

Every effect is on the main GIF maker too — these pages just start with one set up. Starting from a clip instead? Try the MP4 and video to GIF maker.

Make it move in real 3D

A GIF effect moves the whole picture. A 3D photo separates the subject from the background and lets a visitor tilt it on your page — real parallax from one photo, with an embed code for any website.