The Gifox Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Gifox in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Gifox
The Insider’s Guide
Mac menu bar app for recording and converting animated GIFs
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among screen recording and video tools, read from Gifox’s own pages.
Made by Bitwild Ltd · checked Oct 9, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Gifox’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Gifox’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 9, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 11 of the 52 other screen recording and video tools we grade
Gifox is a Mac app that lives in the status bar and records part of the screen or a single window as an animated GIF. It also converts dropped videos and image sequences into GIFs, and its editor can crop, cut, trim and rearrange a recording before export. GIFs are created and stored on the Mac itself. Pro is a one-time purchase, and the maker has announced a Gifox 3 with a higher price.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Gifox, taken from its own pages and our grades.
No store rating on record, but there's nothing to set up: it all happens from the menu bar.
- 1
Best for recording GIFs from a Mac's menu bar
Gifox sits in your Mac's menu bar and turns part of your screen, or a single window, into an animated GIF, with settings to shrink the file.
- 2
What it costs
Paid plans start at $14.99 one-time purchase per license, taxes included.
- 3
There is a free plan
Gifox Basic is free forever: screen recordings are limited to 10 seconds and carry a watermark, with unlimited file conversion and the crop, trim, split and clone editing tools.
- 4
It runs on macOS
macOS.
- 5
Free-area and window selection
Free-area mode captures any part of the screen, and window-snap mode records one app window at its exact pixel size.
- 6
Status bar menu
Recording, importing and sharing all run from the menu bar. Videos and image sequences dropped on it become GIFs, which can be dragged into other apps.
- 7
Integrated editor
Crops, cuts, trims, duplicates and rearranges recorded or imported videos, then exports them again without leaving the app.
- 8
A 2.4 GPA, above 11 of 52
That is against the other screen recording and video tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Gifox you would be making a video editor. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Gifox at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $14.99 one-time purchase per license, taxes included
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- macOS
- Made by
- Bitwild Ltd
- Category
- Screen Recording & Video
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for recording GIFs from a Mac's menu bar
Gifox sits in your Mac's menu bar and turns part of your screen, or a single window, into an animated GIF, with settings to shrink the file. Pro is $14.99 once. The free version stops every recording at 10 seconds with a watermark, it's Mac only, Gifox 3 is announced at $24, and App Store and direct-download licenses don't carry over to each other.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | Pro is $14.99 once, taxes included, and the app is yours forever with all minor versions. A one-off that small is a fraction of a year of this category's $10 middle. Gifox 3 is announced at $24, mind. |
| Free plan and trial | C | Free forever, and the file conversion and the crop, trim, split and clone tools are all there. But every screen recording stops at 10 seconds and carries a watermark, so you hit the wall on your first go. |
| Features | C | Record a free area or snap to a window, choose whether the cursor, clicks and key presses show, then tune frame rate, colours and dithering to shrink the file, with an editor to crop and rearrange. It does GIFs fully, and GIFs are a narrow job. |
| Ease of use | B | No store rating on record, but there's nothing to set up: it all happens from the menu bar. Record, or drop a video on it to convert, then drag the GIF straight into another app. |
| Platforms and integrations | D | Mac only, macOS 10.15 or later, so one operating system. It can share to Dropbox, Google Drive and Imgur from inside the app, and that's the lot: no Windows, no phone, no API. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Gifox is for
- Fits if you drop short GIFs into bug reports, support replies and slides
- Works for people who'd rather pay $14.99 once than subscribe
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you're on Windows or Linux, as it's Mac only
- Tight if you're staying free, because recordings stop at 10 seconds and carry a watermark
- Too light for full tutorials and demos, since what it makes is GIFs
- Watch out: Gifox 3 is announced at $24, and only Gifox 2 licenses bought within 12 months of its release switch free
- Watch out: the Mac App Store and direct-download versions use different licenses that don't work with each other
Good to know
Good for
- Short GIFs for bug reports, support replies and presentations
- Mac users who want fine control over GIF size and quality
- Buyers who prefer a one-time license to a subscription
Worth knowing
- Mac only, for macOS 10.15 Catalina or later.
- The free Basic plan limits each screen recording to 10 seconds and adds a watermark.
- Gifox 3 is announced at $24 with one year of free updates; Gifox 2 licenses bought within 12 months of its release switch for free.
- Mac App Store and direct-download versions use different licensing and are not compatible with each other.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$14.99 one-time
To start. There is a free plan too
Gifox has a free plan. Paid plans start at $14.99 one-time purchase per license, taxes included.
Free forever, and the file conversion and the crop, trim, split and clone tools are all there.
Gifox Basic
$0
Free forever, with 10-second watermarked screen recordings, unlimited file conversion and the crop, trim, split and clone editing tools.
Gifox Pro
$14.99
one-time purchase per license, taxes included
Everything in Basic plus unlimited screen recording and a removable watermark. The app is kept forever, including all minor versions.
Gifox Co-founder
$150
one-time purchase, lifetime license for 1 Mac
A limited crowdfunding license with Gifox 2 and 3, all future core upgrades and priority support. Tiers for 2 and 3 Macs cost $300 and $450.
The free plan
Gifox Basic is free forever: screen recordings are limited to 10 seconds and carry a watermark, with unlimited file conversion and the crop, trim, split and clone editing tools.
Read from gifox.app on Oct 9, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Lifetime license
Pro is a one-time purchase at $14.99
The pricing page says the app is yours forever, including all minor versions, with no subscriptions or repeating payments.
Stated on gifox.appEducation
30% off for students and teachers
Students and teachers get a 30% discount by emailing the team from a .edu address, according to the pricing page.
Stated on gifox.appLifetime license
Founding licenses with lifetime upgrades
A crowdfunding campaign sells a limited number of lifetime licenses at $150 for 1 Mac, $300 for 2 and $450 for 3, covering Gifox 3 and all future core upgrades. No refunds.
Stated on gifox.appOther savings
Included with a Setapp subscription
The pricing page says Gifox is also available in the Mac App Store and with a Setapp subscription.
Stated on gifox.app
What the app costs elsewhere
Each country’s App Store price for “Gifox 2 Pro”, against $14.99 in the United States, in dollars at the day’s rate. The four cheapest and the four dearest of 11.
| Country | Price there | In dollars | Against the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | $19.99 | $14.05 | 6% less |
| India | ₹ 1,499 | $15.50 | about the same |
| Philippines | ₱ 999.00 | $15.90 | 6% more |
| Australia | $22.99 | $16.05 | 7% more |
| South Africa | R299.99 | $18.14 | 21% more |
| United Kingdom | £14.99 | $19.82 | 32% more |
| Brazil | R$ 99,90 | $19.96 | 33% more |
| Germany | 17,99 € | $20.16 | 34% more |
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: macOS
Mac menu bar app for recording and converting animated GIFs. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: local-first, one-time purchase, screen recording, video editing, menu bar app.
It does GIFs fully, and GIFs are a narrow job.
- Free-area and window selection
- Free-area mode captures any part of the screen, and window-snap mode records one app window at its exact pixel size.
- Status bar menu
- Recording, importing and sharing all run from the menu bar. Videos and image sequences dropped on it become GIFs, which can be dragged into other apps.
- Integrated editor
- Crops, cuts, trims, duplicates and rearranges recorded or imported videos, then exports them again without leaving the app.
- Capture settings
- Chooses what appears in a recording: the cursor, mouse clicks, keyboard input, the window shadow and the desktop picture.
- Compression control
- Sets playback speed and frame rate, the number of colors, resizing and dithering to trade output quality against file size.
- Sharing to cloud services
- Connects to Dropbox, Google Drive and Imgur to share a GIF from inside the app. Nothing is uploaded unless a recording is explicitly shared.
Where it runs
- macOS
What it works with
- Dropbox
- Google Drive
- Imgur
Gifox is made by Bitwild Ltd.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
11/52
Other screen recording and video tools it is graded above
Gifox's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 11 of the 52 other screen recording and video tools we grade, and level with 16.
It stands best on value for money (A, above 39 of 52) and worst on platforms and integrations (D, above 0).
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 53 screen recording and video tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Gifox’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 39 of 52
- CFree plan and trialAbove 4 of 52
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 52
- BEase of useAbove 20 of 52
- DPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 52
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Gifox you would be making a video editor. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 25 of the 52 other screen recording and video tools grade higher. It costs $14.99, paid once.
What you could not
- A video editor.
- Recording the screen with its sound, and somewhere to keep the video.
- A native app living in the menu bar.
- A real app for macOS. Something home-made would be a web page.
- It is priced for each person, which means accounts and billing for a team.
What this rests on. Gifox’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
CleanShot X, ScreenToGif, Monosnap, Screen Studio and Capto
The 5 tools Gifox is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.0GPA
CleanShot X
From $35 one-time
Mac screenshot and screen recording app with a one-time license.
- Gifox has a free plan. CleanShot X does not.
- Gifox also covers menu bar app.
- CleanShot X also covers screenshots.
- 2.8GPA
ScreenToGif
Free
Free Windows recorder that turns screen captures into GIFs.
- Only Gifox lists a macOS app.
- Only ScreenToGif lists a Windows app.
- Gifox can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- 2.8GPA
Monosnap
Free plan · from $2.5/mo
Screenshot and screen recording tool with its own cloud storage.
- Only Monosnap lists a Windows app.
- Only Monosnap lists a browser extension.
- Gifox can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- 1.6GPA
Screen Studio
From $9/mo
Mac screen recorder with automatic zooms and cursor smoothing.
- Gifox has a free plan. Screen Studio does not.
- Gifox can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Gifox also covers menu bar app.
- 2.6GPA
Capto
Free trial · from $29.99 one-time
Screen recorder, screenshot tool and video editor for Mac and Windows.
- Gifox has a free plan. Capto does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Capto lists a Windows app.
- Gifox also covers menu bar app.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Gifox free?
Gifox has a free plan. Gifox Basic is free forever: screen recordings are limited to 10 seconds and carry a watermark, with unlimited file conversion and the crop, trim, split and clone editing tools.
How much does Gifox cost?
Gifox lists 3 plans. Gifox Basic: $0.
What platforms does Gifox work on?
Gifox is available on macOS.
Does Gifox offer any discounts?
Gifox publicly lists the following: Pro is a one-time purchase at $14.99; 30% off for students and teachers; Founding licenses with lifetime upgrades; Included with a Setapp subscription.
Does Gifox have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. Gifox is listed for macOS.
Does Gifox have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. Gifox is listed for macOS.
Is Gifox open source?
Gifox is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 9, 2026.
What does Gifox integrate with?
Gifox's listing names Dropbox, Google Drive and Imgur. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Does Gifox have a student discount?
30% off for students and teachers. Students and teachers get a 30% discount by emailing the team from a .edu address, according to the pricing page.
Who makes Gifox?
Gifox is made by Bitwild Ltd.
What are the alternatives to Gifox?
The closest alternatives to Gifox in our directory are CleanShot X, ScreenToGif, Monosnap, Screen Studio and Capto.
How does Gifox compare with other screen recording and video tools?
Gifox's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 11 of the 52 other screen recording and video tools we grade, and level with 16.
Could I make my own version of Gifox?
To replace Gifox you would be making a video editor. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Gifox’s own pages on Oct 9, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Gifox's own pages on 9 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-07-19.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Bitwild Ltd. Prices change, so check gifox.app before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Gifox, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/gifox
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Gifox: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 9, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/gifox
Know someone choosing between screen recording and video tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/gifox/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded screen recording and video tools after Gifox, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Screen Recording & Video Insider's GuideEvery one of the 53 screen recording and video tools we grade, compared
- DaVinci Resolve Insider's GuideVideo editing, color, effects and audio post-production in one app3.4 GPA
- Zencastr Insider's GuideFree podcast recording, chat-based editing and hosting in one app3.4 GPA
- Cap Insider's GuideOpen-source screen recorder with instant share links and an editor3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Gifox’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Gifox is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Bitwild Ltd. Prices and plans change: check gifox.app before you buy.