Animation Export Calculator
Estimate file size and quality for different export formats.
About this calculator
Exporting an animation means turning every rendered frame into a file, and how big that file gets depends on four things multiplied together: how many pixels are in each frame (Width times Height), and how many frames there are in total (Frame Rate times Duration). All four of those inputs matter roughly equally to the final file size -- doubling any one of them, holding the others fixed, roughly doubles the estimated size, since the underlying math is a straightforward multiplication of pixel count by frame count. What changes dramatically between export formats is the constant applied per pixel per frame: GIF uses simple LZW compression and is capped at 256 total colors, which keeps files smaller at the cost of visible color banding on anything with smooth gradients or photographic detail.
MP4 (H.264) and WebM (VP9) are modern video codecs that support full 24-bit color and use much more sophisticated compression, letting them pack far more visual information into far less space per pixel than GIF -- WebM's VP9 codec is modeled here as somewhat more efficient than H.264 at the same settings, consistent with its generally better compression ratios in real-world encoding benchmarks. PNG Sequence exports every frame as an individual, losslessly compressed image with no color limit and no inter-frame compression at all, which is why it produces by far the largest files of the four options -- useful for archival or further editing, impractical for distribution. Every per-pixel-per-frame constant here is a representative approximation for typical content and default compression settings; actual file sizes vary with compression quality settings, how much detail and motion is in the actual footage, and the specific encoder used.
Inputs
Results
Est. File Size
5.93 MB
≈ 6 ebooks
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter Width, Height, and Frame Rate.
- Set Duration and choose an Export Format (GIF, MP4, WebM, or PNG Sequence).
- Review the Est. File Size (MB) result.
- Use File Size (GB) and Total Frames to inform your decision.
How the result changes with Width
| Width | Est. File Size |
|---|---|
| 960 | 2.97 MB |
| 1,440 | 4.45 MB |
| 2,880 | 8.9 MB |
| 4,800 | 14.83 MB |
What each input means
- Width
- Export width in pixels.
- Height
- Export height in pixels.
- Frame Rate
- Export frame rate.
- Duration
- Animation duration in seconds.
- Export Format
- Export container/codec. GIF is limited to 256 colors; the others support full 24-bit color.
How this is calculated
Worked example, using the default values
- Identify Input Parameters5 parametersWidth = 1920, Height = 1080, Frame Rate = 24, Duration = 10, Format = 1 = 5 input(s) provided
- Calculate Est. File Size5.93 = 5.93
- Calculate File SizeFile Size0.006 = 0.006
- Calculate Total FramesTotal Frames240 = 240
Engine last updated . Checked against 2 independently-derived tests — how we verify calculators. Built by Paul Gunder, a software engineer, not a licensed financial, medical, or legal professional.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is GIF so much smaller than PNG Sequence for the same animation?
GIF applies LZW compression and limits every frame to just 256 total colors, both of which dramatically reduce the data needed per pixel compared to PNG Sequence, which stores every frame as an individual lossless image with full 24-bit color and no limit on how much unique visual information each frame carries. That tradeoff is why GIF is common for quick web previews while PNG Sequence is reserved for archival masters or further compositing work.
Do Width, Height, Frame Rate, and Duration all matter the same amount to file size?
Yes, roughly equally -- the estimate is built by multiplying pixel count (Width times Height) by total frame count (Frame Rate times Duration), so nudging any one of the four by some percentage moves the estimated file size by about that same percentage. Doubling your frame rate has about the same proportional impact as doubling your resolution's width.
Why does WebM produce a smaller estimated file than MP4 at the same settings?
WebM's VP9 codec is modeled here with a lower bits-per-pixel-per-frame constant than MP4's H.264, reflecting VP9's generally better compression efficiency in real-world encoding benchmarks at comparable visual quality. The actual gap between the two varies with encoder settings and content, but VP9 consistently trending more efficient than H.264 is a well-established pattern in video compression.
What does Max Colors mean, and why is GIF stuck at 256?
Max Colors is the largest number of distinct colors a single frame can contain in that format's color palette. GIF's format specification hard-limits every frame to an 8-bit indexed palette of at most 256 colors, which is why smooth gradients or photographic footage exported as GIF often show visible banding -- MP4, WebM, and PNG Sequence all support full 24-bit color with over 16 million possible colors per pixel.
Is the file size estimate exact, or should I expect real exports to differ?
Treat it as a ballpark, not an exact figure -- each format's per-pixel-per-frame constant here represents typical compression at default settings, but actual file size depends heavily on the compression quality level you choose, how much motion and fine detail is actually in your footage (busy, high-motion content compresses less than flat, static scenes), and which specific encoder and settings your export tool uses.
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