What is an APNG file?
APNG (Animated Portable Network Graphics) is an extension of the PNG format that adds support for animated images, similar to how GIF supports animation. Introduced by Mozilla in 2004, APNG supports full 24-bit color and 8-bit transparency (alpha channel) per frame — a significant improvement over GIF which is limited to 256 colors and binary transparency.
APNG files use the .apng or .png extension and are fully backwards compatible with PNG — a non-animated fallback frame is displayed by viewers that do not support the animation. Our Online APNG Viewer plays animated PNG files with full animation support directly in your browser.
How to View APNG Files Online
Upload APNG File
Drag and drop your .apng or animated .png file onto the viewer, or click to browse and select it.
Play the Animation
The viewer renders and plays the animated PNG with all frames, loop count, and timing preserved.
Download or Export
Save the image or a specific frame to your device as a PNG or JPG file.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between APNG and GIF?
APNG supports full 24-bit color (16 million colors) and 8-bit alpha transparency per frame, while GIF is limited to 256 colors and binary (on/off) transparency. APNG files are generally higher quality and smaller in size than equivalent GIFs.
What is the difference between APNG and WebP?
Both support animation with full color and transparency. WebP typically achieves better compression than APNG, resulting in smaller file sizes. However, APNG has broader compatibility as it falls back gracefully to a static PNG in unsupported viewers.
Is APNG supported in all browsers?
APNG is supported natively in all modern browsers including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. Internet Explorer was the only major browser that never supported it.
How do I tell if a PNG file is animated?
You cannot tell from the file extension alone since both static and animated PNG files use .png. An APNG file contains an acTL (animation control) chunk in its data. Our viewer will detect and play the animation automatically if present.
Is it safe to upload my APNG files?
Yes. All processing happens locally in your browser. Your files are never uploaded to any server and remain completely private on your device.