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// Free Online Tool

Crop Image Online

Remove unwanted edges, change aspect ratios, and focus on the subject. Set crop dimensions in pixels, select a preset ratio, and download instantly. 100% free — your images never leave your browser.

When to crop your image

Cropping is the first step in any image editing workflow. Use it to remove distracting borders and backgrounds, reframe the subject closer to the center, change the aspect ratio from portrait to landscape (or vice versa), and prepare images for platforms with specific ratio requirements. Unlike resizing, cropping does not scale pixels — it removes them, preserving the full resolution of whatever remains.

Aspect ratio guide by platform

  • Instagram square: 1:1 — crop to equal width and height
  • Instagram portrait: 4:5 — taller than wide, maximizes feed space
  • YouTube thumbnail: 16:9 — standard widescreen ratio
  • Facebook/LinkedIn post: 1.91:1 — landscape, slightly wider than 16:9
  • Pinterest: 2:3 — tall vertical pins perform best
  • Twitter/X header: 3:1 — very wide banner format

The crop → compress workflow

For best results, always crop first, then compress. Cropping reduces the total pixel count, which means the subsequent compression step has less data to process — and produces a smaller file. Compressing before cropping is wasteful: you pay the compression penalty on pixels you're going to throw away anyway.

Frequently asked questions

Cropping removes parts of the image — pixels on the edges are discarded. The remaining image keeps its original resolution within the cropped area. Resizing keeps all the pixels but scales them up or down. Use cropping to change the aspect ratio or remove unwanted content; use resizing to change the pixel dimensions for a specific display size.
Yes — cropping removes pixels, so the output file has fewer pixels to encode. A 4000×3000 image cropped to 2000×2000 will produce a smaller file even at the same quality setting. For maximum size reduction, crop first to remove unwanted areas, then compress the result.
Common social media aspect ratios: Instagram square (1:1), Instagram landscape (1.91:1), Instagram portrait (4:5), Twitter/X post (16:9), Facebook post (1.91:1), LinkedIn post (1.91:1), Pinterest (2:3 or 1:2.1 for long pins), YouTube thumbnail (16:9).
This tool handles the crop step — it outputs the cropped region at its natural resolution. For the resize step afterward, use our Resize Image tool to scale the cropped image to your target pixel dimensions. Doing both in sequence gives you full control over the final aspect ratio and pixel count.