Animated GIF vs Flash SWF

This debate has been going on for quite some time, which is better suited for banner ads and web animations, GIF or SWF?

Format: GIF

Animation: BITMAP animation (Frames based)
Colors supported: 256 (Palette)
Compatibility: high
Compression: Average

Format: SWF

Animation: VECTOR animation (scalable)
Colors supported: Full Color
Compatibility: Medium
Compression: High

 

At every point SWF is always better than GIF for playing animations but SWF falls short of mark when it comes to compatibility, SWF's require a unique flash plug-in offered by Adobe to be installed on the client machine for playing SWF's this is the only point that pulls SWF down in the race for the best format for animations on internet, While GIF is more standardized and consistent, it needs to improve a lot, the last GIF spec came 17 years ago (GiF89a), while Macromedia (now Adobe Macromedia) comes up with a new version of flash every year.

We jus cannot leave about GIF and start workin on our animation in SWF, because internet is all about diversity and if a solution is not compatible over a wide range of machines, then thee is no point in implementing such technology.

And SWF is not useless too, SWF offers excellent clarity and unmatched compression rates because of its vector animations and latest compression mechanisms, so if you are targeting a group of hi-tech people with latest system configurations, you can always implement your animations in flash.

if u ask me the answer for this question? Here it is

Best - one: SWF

If u need compatibility then, forget flash the winner is always GIF ..