RapidHow to Resize an Image on Windows — Free, No Upload
Two free ways to resize an image on Windows 10 or 11: a browser tool with presets, and Paint’s Resize button.
How to resize an image on Windows has two free answers. The simplest is our free Resize Image tool: open it in Edge or Chrome, choose a JPG, PNG or WebP image, set the new size in pixels or as a percentage, click Apply Resize and then Download Resized Image. It runs in your browser, so nothing is installed and your image stays on your PC. The built-in option is Paint, which comes with Windows and has a Resize button.
This guide covers only Windows. For other devices, see the main guide: how to resize an image.
Method 1: Resize Image in Your Browser (Simplest)
This works in Edge, Chrome and Firefox on Windows. Your image is resized by your browser on your own PC. It is not sent to a server.
- Open rapidtools.online/resize-image. No account is needed.
- Drag your image into the box, or click the box and choose it. JPG, PNG and WebP images work.
- Choose a Resize Method: By Pixels to type a width and height, By Percentage to scale it (50% is half size), or Social Media Presets for sizes such as Instagram Square 1080 × 1080.
- With Maintain aspect ratio ticked, the height follows the width so the picture is not stretched.
- For JPEG images, move the Output Quality slider if you want a smaller or sharper file.
- Click Apply Resize to see the new size, then click Download Resized Image. The file downloads with “resized-” added to the start of the name.
What the tool does
- Keeps the format. A PNG is saved as a PNG, with its see-through areas kept. A JPEG is saved as a JPEG. A WebP image is saved as a JPEG.
- Presets set an exact size. A preset sets both the width and the height, so a photo of a different shape is stretched. Crop it to the same shape first with Crop Image.
- Quality applies to JPEG only. PNG files are saved without a quality setting.
Method 2: Paint (Built In)
Paint comes with Windows (Microsoft Support: Help in Paint). These steps come from Microsoft’s community forum rather than an official guide, and the window can look a little different on your PC.
- Right-click the image in File Explorer and choose Open with > Paint.
- On the Home tab, click Resize.
- In the Resize and Skew window, choose Percentage or Pixels.
- Keep Maintain aspect ratio ticked so the picture is not stretched, and type the new size.
- Click OK, then choose File > Save as to keep your original.
Source for the steps: Microsoft Q&A: resizing in Paint.
Which Method Should You Use?
| Browser tool | Paint | |
|---|---|---|
| Install | None | None (built in) |
| Pixels or percentage | Both | Both |
| Social media sizes | Built-in presets | Type them yourself |
| File leaves your PC | No | No |
Turning images into a PDF next? See how to convert JPG to PDF on Windows.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I resize an image on Windows for free?
Open rapidtools.online/resize-image in Edge or Chrome, choose your image, set a size in pixels, as a percentage or with a preset, click Apply Resize and then Download Resized Image. You can also open the image in Paint, click Resize on the Home tab and type the new size.
Will resizing change my image format?
In the browser tool, a PNG stays a PNG and a JPEG stays a JPEG. A WebP image is saved as a JPEG.
Why does my photo look stretched?
A preset sets an exact width and height, so a photo of a different shape is stretched to fit. Crop it to the same shape first, or use By Pixels with Maintain aspect ratio ticked.
How do I keep the original image?
The browser tool downloads a new file with resized- at the start of the name and leaves your original as it was. In Paint, use File > Save as instead of Save.
Is my image uploaded when I use the browser tool?
No. Your image is resized by your browser on your own PC and is never sent to a server.