How to Crop an Image into a Circle
Masking a photo into a circle is easy; getting the subject properly positioned inside it is the part that usually goes wrong. A face that sits slightly off-centre in the original ends up looking distinctly odd once everything around it is cut away, and most circle croppers give you no way to fix that — they mask the middle of the image and hand it back. Here you get zoom and two offset sliders, so you can push in on the subject and slide it into place until it looks deliberate. The output is a PNG with genuinely transparent corners, which matters because a circular avatar saved with a white background looks fine on a white page and shows an ugly white square everywhere else. The checkerboard behind each preview confirms the corners really are clear. Set the exact pixel size you need — the presets cover common avatar dimensions — and add a ring border if the image needs separating from the background it will sit on. Choose the rounded-square shape instead when a full circle is too soft for the context. Batch a whole team's portraits with identical settings and take them as one ZIP. Everything is processed on your device.
Add your images
Drag and drop, paste, or click to browse — multiple at once.
Frame the subject
Zoom in and move the image so it sits well inside the circle.
Download
Save each transparent PNG, or take the batch as one ZIP.
Why Transparency Matters
A circle in a square file
Image files are always rectangular, so a circular crop is really a square image with transparent corners. Without that transparency you have a circle sitting inside a visible box.
Why JPEG can't do it
JPEG has no alpha channel at all, so a circle saved as JPEG always carries a solid background. That's why the output here is PNG — it's the only sensible choice for this job.
Common Use Cases
Profile pictures
Most platforms display avatars as circles — crop it yourself for full control.
Team pages
Batch-crop a whole set of staff portraits to matching circles.
Testimonial photos
Circular headshots beside quotes are a standard web pattern.
App icons
The rounded-square shape matches modern platform conventions.
Presentation portraits
Circles read as more informal and personal than rectangles.
Logo badges
Crop a mark into a circle for a badge or sticker layout.
Email signatures
A small circular photo alongside your contact details.
Community directories
Consistent avatars make a member list look organised.
Tips & Best Practices
Put the eyes in the upper third
Portraits look best when the eyes sit slightly above centre. Use the vertical offset to place them.
Zoom in a little
Circles crop the corners away, so a subject framed loosely in the original often ends up too small. Push in 110 to 140%.
Always keep it as PNG
JPEG has no transparency, so the corners would come back as a solid colour.
Export at twice the display size
A 200-pixel avatar should be uploaded at 400 so it stays sharp on retina screens.
Add a ring on busy backgrounds
A thin white or brand-coloured ring separates the avatar from whatever sits behind it.
Batch a team for consistency
Identical size, zoom and ring across every portrait makes a page look properly designed.
Troubleshooting
The subject is off-centre
Use the two offset sliders to move the image within the circle, and zoom in if it's too small.
The corners are white, not clear
The transparent corners option is off. Turn it on and press apply changes.
Part of the head is cut off
Reduce the zoom, or shift the image down slightly with the vertical offset.
The circle looks soft at large sizes
The output size is smaller than where you're displaying it. Raise it to at least twice the display size.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I crop an image into a circle for free?
Drop your images above, frame the subject with the zoom and offset sliders, and download a transparent PNG — free, no signup.
Are my images uploaded to a server?
No. Cropping happens entirely in your browser, so your images never leave your device.
Is the background transparent?
Yes, by default. PNG output keeps the corners outside the circle completely clear.
Can I position the subject?
Yes. Zoom in and use the two offset sliders to move the image within the circle.
Why is the output always PNG?
JPEG has no alpha channel, so a circle saved as JPEG would always carry a solid background.
Can I add a border ring?
Yes. Set the ring width and colour to separate the avatar from its background.
What size should I use for a profile picture?
Around 400 pixels for most platforms — roughly double the typical display size for sharpness.
What is the rounded square option?
A squircle mask, matching the softer app-icon shape used on modern platforms.
Can I crop several images at once?
Yes. Add a whole folder and download the results as a single ZIP.
Will my image be distorted?
No. It's scaled proportionally to fill the circle, then cropped — never stretched.
Can I use a non-square photo?
Yes. It's scaled to cover the circle and you position it with the offset sliders.
How do I stop the head being cut off?
Lower the zoom or move the image down with the vertical offset.
Is there a file size limit?
No. Nothing is uploaded, so the only constraint is your device's memory.
Can I make it a solid colour instead of transparent?
Yes. Turn off transparent corners and pick a background colour.
Does it work for logos?
Yes, though a logo designed for a rectangle may lose its edges — check the preview first.
Does it work offline?
Once the page has loaded it runs entirely in your browser, so it keeps working without a connection.
Does it work on phones?
Yes, in any modern browser on Windows, Mac, Android or iPhone with nothing to install.
Is this tool really free?
Completely free, forever — no account, no ads and no premium wall.
100% free · No signup · Processed in your browser · Never uploaded
Last updated: August 2026 · FlipMyFormat Circle Crop
Written and maintained by the FlipMyFormat team · Runs entirely in your browser