Circular pictures are everywhere: social media avatars, team pages, testimonials and app icons. Cropping to a circle is easy once you know the one rule: start with a square.
Crop a circle in four steps
- Open Circle Crop Image.
- Drop in your photo.
- Drag the square selection over the part you want, for example a face. The circle is cut from the inside of that square.
- Press Crop & download. You get a PNG with transparent corners.
Why PNG?
A circle has to sit on top of a background, so the area outside it needs to be transparent. JPG cannot be transparent and would fill the corners with white or black. Always save circles as PNG or WebP.
Tips for good profile pictures
- Centre the eyes slightly above the middle of the circle.
- Leave a little space around the head so nothing touches the edge.
- Use a plain, bright background for a clean look.
- Export at least 400 x 400 pixels so it stays sharp on high-density screens.
Platform sizes
| Platform | Recommended size |
|---|---|
| 320 x 320 | |
| X (Twitter) | 400 x 400 |
| 400 x 400 | |
| 500 x 500 | |
| Discord | 128 to 512 |
Resize your circle afterwards with the Image Resizer, or use a platform preset.
Make rounded corners instead
If you want a soft square (like an app icon), use Round Corners on Image. Set the radius to 50 percent for a perfect circle, or lower for rounded squares.
Remove the background first
If the original photo has a busy background, remove it with the Background Remover and then place the cut-out inside a coloured circle for a polished avatar.
Other cropping tools
- Avatar Cropper and PFP Cropper are tuned for profile pictures
- Square Crop for 1:1 images
- Freehand Crop for any custom shape
Getting a clean circle
A circle needs a square starting point. If your picture is rectangular, crop it to a square first so the subject stays centred, then apply the circle. The circle crop tool does both in one step and lets you move the picture inside the circle.
Choose PNG for transparency
The corners outside the circle are transparent, and only PNG (or WebP) can keep that. Saving as JPG fills the corners with white or black.
Where circular images are used
- Profile pictures, which the profile picture cropper sizes correctly for most platforms
- Team pages and testimonials on websites
- Avatars in apps and chats
- Stickers and badges
Tips for a polished look
- Leave a little space above the head so it does not feel cramped.
- Use an image at least twice the final size so it stays sharp.
- For a softer, modern look, try rounded corners instead.
- To place a person on a coloured disc, remove the background first.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my circular image not transparent?
JPG cannot store transparency. Save the circle as PNG or WebP so the corners stay transparent.
What size should a circular profile picture be?
Export at least 400 x 400 pixels. Most platforms display it smaller, but a larger source stays sharp on high-density screens.
How do I centre a face in the circle?
Place the eyes slightly above the middle of the circle and leave a bit of space around the head.
Can I make rounded corners instead?
Yes. Use a rounded corners tool and set the radius below 50 percent for a rounded square or at 50 percent for a circle.
