Image guides5 min read
How to resize an image online for free
Crop and resize a photo to square, landscape, portrait or widescreen in your browser. No account, no upload.
Resizing a photo is one of those jobs that comes up all the time and really shouldn't need Photoshop. For most cases, a browser tab is plenty.
Usually you're trying to make a picture fit a certain shape: square for a profile photo, wide for a slide, tall for a phone screen. A crop tool lets you pick that shape and keep just the part of the photo you want.
The size of the result depends on how much of the original you keep. Cropping a small area out of a big, sharp photo still gives you a sharp image, just a smaller one. If you need an exact size, pick one of the export sizes and the tool will save the image at exactly those dimensions.
A quick word on aspect ratio, since it comes up a lot. It's simply the shape: width compared to height. 1:1 is square, 16:9 is widescreen like a TV, and 4:3 is the classic photo shape. Pick one and the crop box keeps that shape as you drag. Freeform lets you drag it to any shape you like.
When you might need this
- A social media profile photo, cover image or post needs a certain size.
- You want a smaller file to attach to an email or a form.
- Big photos are slowing your website down.
- An online shop asks for product photos at set dimensions.
- You need a photo to fit a particular print size.
How to do it
- Open the Resize Image tool.
- Add your photo by clicking the upload area or dragging the file onto the page.
- Pick a shape: 1:1 for square, 4:3 or 16:9 for landscape, 3:4 or 9:16 for portrait. Or choose Freeform to draw your own.
- Drag the handles on the crop box to frame the part you want to keep. With a set shape, the box keeps its proportions as you drag.
- Click Crop Image.
- Download the result. PNG files are saved as PNG. JPG, WEBP and AVIF files are saved as JPG.
Free, with no account. Open it in a new tab and follow along.
Open Resize ImageTips
- Use a set shape when you need a particular format, like square or widescreen. Use Freeform when you only want to cut out a certain part.
- Crop tightly for the web. A smaller crop from a big photo still looks sharp on screen and loads faster.
- For websites, what matters is the size in pixels where the image will appear. Don't worry about DPI numbers.
- To make a file smaller, crop close to the subject and save as JPG. That's usually well under email limits.
- JPG is best for photos. PNG is best for logos, drawings and anything with see-through areas.
Common mistakes
- Starting with a small, low-quality photo and expecting a sharp result. Start with the biggest version you have.
- Making the crop box so small that you end up with a tiny image. Zoom out to see the whole photo before you adjust it.
- Mixing up image size and file size. A big crop from a large photo can still be a big file. Save as JPG to keep it smaller.
- Cropping your only copy. Keep the original and work on a copy.
How this compares to Smallpdf, iLovePDF and Adobe
iLoveIMG and Smallpdf are well-known file tool sites, and iLoveIMG has a resize and crop tool. Both upload your image to their server, which is fine for most things but worth knowing if the photo is personal.
Canva and Adobe Express can both crop and resize, but they're design apps first. They're great if the picture is going into a template, and a lot of extra steps if you only want a crop.
Your phone's photo app, or Preview on a Mac, can do a basic crop too. If it's already open, that's often the quickest option.
Ours runs in your browser. The photo stays on your device, you don't need an account, and you can crop as many photos as you like. It's for the everyday job of getting a picture into shape before you upload it somewhere.
| Criterion | Smallpdf | iLovePDF | Adobe Acrobat online | Easy File Tools |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Where your file is processed | On their servers, after you upload it | On their servers, after you upload it | In Adobe's cloud, after you upload it | In your browser, on your own device |
| Account or sign-in | Asked for early, and needed once you pass the free allowance | Optional for small jobs, needed for bigger ones | Most online tools need an Adobe ID | Never needed |
| Usage limits | A few free tasks, then an upgrade prompt | Daily task and file limits on the free plan | The free web tools are mostly a preview of the paid plan | No task counters and no daily limits |
| File size ceiling | The free plan limits upload size | The free plan limits upload size | Cloud upload limits apply | We don't set one. Your device's memory is the practical limit |
| Works without a connection | No, their server does the work | No, their server does the work | No, the cloud does the work | Yes for the browser tools, once the page has loaded |
| Cost | Paid subscription for full access | Paid subscription for full access | Paid Acrobat subscription for full access | Free. Every tool is open to everyone |
Other services change their plans and limits often, so treat this as a rough picture and not a price list. Check their websites for the current details.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I crop to a specific shape?
- Yes. You can choose 1:1 (square), 4:3 (landscape), 3:4 (portrait), 16:9 (widescreen) or 9:16 (tall), or use Freeform to draw any shape.
- Will the cropped image be smaller?
- Yes, since you're keeping only part of the photo. The result is the size of the area you selected. Start with a large original if you need a large result.
- Is my photo uploaded?
- No. Everything happens in your browser, and the photo stays on your device.
- What formats do I get back?
- PNG images come back as PNG. JPG, WEBP and AVIF images come back as JPG.
- Is there a limit on file size or dimensions?
- There's no account-based limit. Very large images might be slower on older devices, and that's it.
- What decides the size of the result?
- By default, the size of the area you selected, so a smaller crop gives a smaller image. You can also pick an export size, like an Instagram square, a YouTube thumbnail, A4 or US Letter, and the crop is saved at exactly that size.