gifPaperAnimated GIF wallpapers for your Mac desktop

4.8 (4)

Reviewed by Daniel Nikulshyn·Updated July 2026

macOS Desktop Customization Free Lightweight Personalization Native App

Overview

gifPaper offers animated GIF wallpapers in 4K for Mac desktops. These live wallpapers loop seamlessly and appear on both the desktop and lock screen. They're designed for users who spend extended periods staring at their screens, providing a visually appealing experience. The wallpapers are compared to GIFs but with better quality, avoiding the compressed look of older GIFs. Users can enjoy an immersive experience by going fullscreen. Some wallpapers come with music, while others don't. gifPaper provides a free trial for Mac users, and there are options to download music or videos with music. The platform seems to cater to individuals looking to personalize their Mac experience, possibly for relaxation or aesthetic purposes.

Key features

Animated GIF desktop wallpapers
Menu bar controls
Multi-display support
Use local files or URLs
Looping playback
Lightweight macOS native app

Pricing

Model: Freemium
Category: Productivity
Rating: 4.8 / 5 (4)

Use cases

Animate your Mac desktop with GIFs

Set any animated GIF from your library or a URL as a looping desktop wallpaper to add motion and personality to your Mac workspace.

Personalize multi-monitor setups

Apply animated GIF wallpapers across multiple displays and spaces, giving each screen its own unique animated background.

Quick wallpaper switching from menu bar

Use the unobtrusive menu bar controls to swap, pause, or change GIF wallpapers on the fly without opening a heavy wallpaper engine.

Lightweight alternative to wallpaper engines

Get live desktop animation on macOS without installing bulky third-party software, ideal for users who want simple customization.

Pros & Cons

Pros

Free and easy to set up
Works with any animated GIF
Lives unobtrusively in the menu bar
Supports multiple monitors

Cons

Limited to GIFs, not video formats
Can increase CPU and battery usage
Minimal customization options

Reviews

4.8

Average from 4 ratings.

Elena Rossi

Mar 18, 2026

Skeptical, then convinced

I went in skeptical — most tools in this space overpromise. It actually delivers on menu bar controls, and supports multiple monitors caught me off guard. still, I'd recommend giving it a real trial.

Carlos Mendoza

Oct 28, 2025

Compared a few options

Evaluated this against two competitors. Where it wins: multi-display support and supports multiple monitors. Where it lags: limited to GIFs, not video formats. On balance the feature set — especially looping playback — justifies the 4 stars for our use case.

Naomi Suzuki

Jul 11, 2025

Solid for our team

We rolled this out across the team last quarter and supports multiple monitors. Animated GIF desktop wallpapers fits neatly into how we already work, and use local files or URLs removed a step we used to do by hand. Minimal customization options, which is the main caveat, but it has held up under daily use.

Beatriz Costa

Jun 1, 2025

Compared a few options

Evaluated this against two competitors. Where it wins: use local files or URLs and works with any animated GIF. On balance the feature set — especially multi-display support — justifies the 5 stars for our use case.

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