How to Extract Frames from Any Video (No Software Required)

Every video is a sequence of still images played back at high speed — typically 24, 30, or 60 frames per second. Extracting frames means capturing individual images from that sequence and saving them as JPEG, PNG, or WebP files.

People extract frames for all kinds of reasons: grabbing a specific moment as a photo, creating thumbnails, building machine learning datasets, capturing lecture slides, or getting a reference frame for video editing. This guide covers the fastest way to do it with no software required.

The Fastest Way: Use FrameRipper in Your Browser

FrameRipper extracts frames entirely in your browser using the HTML5 Canvas API. Your video is never uploaded to any server — processing happens locally on your device, which makes it both faster and more private than any cloud-based tool.

1. 1Click the upload area and select your video. MP4, MOV, MKV, WebM, AVI, FLV, MTS, and M2TS are all supported.
2. 2Once loaded, you'll see the video duration. Set the number of frames to extract — for a 2-minute video where you want one frame every 10 seconds, use 12.
3. 3Choose your output format: JPEG for smaller files, PNG for lossless quality, WebP for modern compression.
4. 4Click Extract Frames. A live preview gallery updates in real time. When done, click Download ZIP.

What Video Formats Are Supported?

FrameRipper supports any video format your browser can decode natively. MP4 (H.264) works everywhere and is the most reliable choice. WebM (VP8/VP9) works in Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. MOV files from iPhone and QuickTime work well — H.264 MOVs work in all browsers, HEVC MOVs work best in Safari. H.264 MKVs work in Chrome and Edge.

If your video won't load, it's almost always a codec issue. Re-encode to MP4 using HandBrake (free, open source) and try again.

How Are Frames Spaced?

Frames are distributed evenly across the full duration using this formula: Timestamp = (Duration ÷ Frame Count) × Frame Index.

For a 60-second video with 10 frames, you get frames at 0s, 6s, 12s, 18s, 24s, 30s, 36s, 42s, 48s, and 54s. For dense coverage of a lecture, one frame per minute is a solid starting point.

JPEG vs PNG vs WebP

JPEG is the right choice for most people. Files are small, compatible with everything, and FrameRipper uses 92% quality which is visually indistinguishable from lossless for typical content.

PNG is right when you need pixel-perfect accuracy — for image editing, compositing, or machine learning datasets. Expect files 3–5× larger than JPEG.

WebP is a good middle ground: smaller than JPEG at equivalent quality, with wide browser support. Best for images going directly onto a website.

Does It Work Offline?

Yes. Once the page has loaded, extraction works entirely offline. The HTML5 video decoder and Canvas API are built into your browser — no network requests are made during extraction.

This makes FrameRipper suitable for sensitive content like internal recordings, private footage, or confidential training material.