GIFs are the language of the web, but some people are better at speaking it than others. If you've got a friend who always amazes you with her ability to find the perfect reaction GIFs, you need to find better tools.

Today, Cool Websites and Apps points out five websites for finding, and creating, GIFs – all of which we've yet to mention as a site. We've shown you obvious things, like the GIF search engine Giphy, but as GIFs (continue!) to grow in popularity more sites pop up.

Even major media corporations are getting in on it.

Hulu Perfect GIF: High-Res GIFs From an Official Source

The vast majority of reaction GIFs seem to come from TV shows, so Hulu putting together an official site for finding them seems like a no-brainer. Users get an organized way to browse GIFs from different shows, while Hulu gets to make sure the name of the show and the network it's from shows up on every GIF – along with a Hulu mention, of course.

hulu-gifs

I can only imagine the time some poor intern spent going through Hulu's entire catalogue, making all of these officially-sanctioned GIFs. Still, this is hardly a full-fledged Giphy Alternative – the tags seem minimal. I'd probably recommend this more for finding GIFs for a specific show than for finding a particular reaction. Still, it's a good site to know about.

Other official GIF sources are popping up – Conan GIFs, for example. I'd take it as a sign that media companies are catching on to the way the web works, but the copyright page for Hulu's GIFs isn't exactly Creative Commons. Still, it's a step.

Search in a Giphy (Chrome): Search For GIFs Without a New Tab

Speaking of Giphy: loading that site in another tab every time you want a reaction GIF is kind of time consuming. If you're the kid of person who uses GIFs to communicate, and also a Chrome user, "Search in a Giphy" gives you an icon to click any time you want a GIF.

giphy-search

You can pick from the current home page, run a search or browse by the kind of reaction you want. It's a quick way to find whatever you're looking for.

GIFs (Mac): The Ultimate GIF Searching Tool [No Longer Available]

If you're really, really into searching for GIFs – and also happen to be a Mac user – this free tool is a must-install. It not only gives you a quick way to search for GIFs: it also lets you browse Reddit and Tumblr for GIFs.

gifs-mac-client

The interface could use some cleaning up, but overall it's a great tool for GIF power-users. Use responsibly.

If you're not a fan of the Mac App Store, you can download the app from GitHub instead.

VeryMan.Expert: Good, Terrifying Fun

This site...defies explanation. I'm not going to say you need to experience it yourself, because you don't. But you're going to look at this screenshot, and you're going to wonder what the heck this is all about.

veryman-expert-wtf

You'll open the site; you'll try to find out. You won't. You'll end up with GIFs, though.

Serious Tabs: An Animated GIF for Every New Tab

I'm sure you're a little nervous to look at anything I might point you to after VeryMan, but this one's safe. I promise. All it does is show you GIFs in your new tab page:

serious-tabs

See? That's not confusing or terrifying at all. Just random GIFs.

In your new tabs.

That's it.

Know Any Better GIF Tools?

Of course, you could just use Google to find animated GIFs, if you want.

Cool Websites and Apps aims to point you to things we've yet to discussion the site. With this in mind, a few sites you know about might have been glossed over. Still, I'd like to know: what are your favourites sites and tools for finding and creating GIFs? Let me know in the comments below.

Check out a previous column where we showed you a GIF weather app, if you like.