Vimeo enters the GIF wars, acquires Echograph

Video sharing platform Vimeo is broadening its horizons by acquiring Echograph, an iPhone app that lets users quickly create GIF files.

Echograph’s files for the most part appear like a bunch of still images that have been strung together and give the impression of a moving picture.

Vimeo didn’t share any information regarding the deal, but said that Echograph, which used to cost $2.99, will now be available to new users for free.

Additionally, the company announced that Echograph creator Nick Alt will now head Vimeo’s development across all mobile platforms as their new vice president of mobile.

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The purchase was announced Thursday morning and signals Vimeo as the latest entrant into a GIF and short-video battlefield that is quickly becoming crowded.

Last month, Twitter launched Vine, a new app that lets users create six-second videos that repeat over and over like a GIF file but with sound.

A variety of other apps, such as GIFBoom, also allow users to create GIF files. Most notably, Cinemagram is another app very similar to Echograph.

The popularity of GIF files has grown in the last year and a half as more and more users flock to Tumblr, where GIFs are frequently shared.

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