Video Cropper cuts every frame of a video down to the part you choose: drag the corners or edges of the crop box, or pick a shape such as Square, 16:9, 9:16, 4:3 or 3:4. All of the work happens inside your browser tab - the video is never uploaded, and the download carries no watermark.
How to crop a video
- Click "Choose video" or drop a file on "Drop a video here".
- Pick a "Shape" - "Free", "Original", "Square", "16:9", "9:16", "4:3", "3:4" and more - then drag the crop box, or its corners and edges, over the part to keep. Move the slider under the picture to check other moments.
- Press "Rotate left", "Rotate right" or "Flip" if the picture is sideways or mirrored, or type exact "Width", "Height", "Left" and "Top" values in pixels.
- Choose "Format", "Size" and "Sound", press "Crop video", then click "Download cropped video" when the progress bar finishes.
Crop a Video in Your Browser - Free Crop Box, Square, 16:9 and 9:16
freetoolonline.com editorial team
To crop a video, open it in Video Cropper, pick a shape or drag the crop box over the part you want, then press "Crop video". Every frame of the whole video is cut to that one rectangle, and you download a single MP4 or WebM file, with the sound kept unless you remove it.
The crop box and its shapes
The picture outside the crop box is dimmed, so you see what stays. Drag inside the box to move it, or drag one of its four corners or four edges to resize it; a rule-of-thirds grid appears while you drag. "Free" lets the box take any shape. With a fixed shape, a corner keeps the shape from the opposite corner and an edge keeps it around the box's centre line. Choosing a shape fits the largest box of that shape around the current centre. The box cannot leave the picture, and arrow keys move it once it has focus (Shift moves it ten times as far). For exact framing, type "Width", "Height", "Left" and "Top" in pixels of the picture as shown.
"Original" keeps the picture's own shape, so you can zoom into part of the frame without changing its proportions. The crop is one fixed rectangle for the whole video - it does not follow a moving subject - so move the slider under the picture to check a few moments before you crop.
| Shape | Largest crop of a 1920 x 1080 landscape video | Largest crop of a 1080 x 1920 portrait video |
|---|---|---|
| Square | 1080 x 1080 | 1080 x 1080 |
| 16:9 | 1920 x 1080 | 1080 x 608 |
| 9:16 | 608 x 1080 | 1080 x 1920 |
| 4:3 | 1440 x 1080 | 1080 x 810 |
| 3:4 | 810 x 1080 | 1080 x 1440 |
| 4:5 | 864 x 1080 | 1080 x 1350 |
| 21:9 | 1920 x 822 | 1080 x 462 |
5:4, 3:2 and 2:3 are in the list too. Sizes in the table are the saved file's size: the encoders need even numbers, so an odd width or height is rounded down by one pixel.
Rotate, flip and fix a sideways phone video
"Rotate left" and "Rotate right" turn the picture 90 degrees, and the crop box turns with it, so the same part of the scene stays selected; a fixed shape turns too, so 16:9 becomes 9:16. "Flip" mirrors the picture left to right, which helps with front-camera recordings. "Reset" clears the crop, the rotation and the flip. A phone video that plays sideways in other apps usually only needs one "Rotate" and no crop at all.
Format, size and sound
The line above "Crop video" names the result before you start, for example "Output: MP4 (H.264 + AAC), 1080x1080, sound copied unchanged". "Format" picks the file type: "Auto (best for this browser)" makes MP4 (H.264) when the browser can encode it, otherwise WebM, and you can instead choose "MP4 (H.264)", "WebM (VP9)" or "WebM (AV1)". If the browser cannot encode the chosen format at that size, the same line says so before you press anything.
"Size" leaves the crop at its own resolution ("Same as the crop") or shrinks it so its short side is at most 1080, 720 or 480 pixels - it never enlarges a small crop. "Sound" keeps or removes the audio. Kept sound is copied unchanged when the file type can carry it - AAC or MP3 into MP4, Opus or Vorbis into WebM - and is otherwise re-encoded to AAC or Opus.
How it works in your browser
Nothing is uploaded: the browser reads the video from your device, decodes and crops each frame, and builds the new file in the tab's memory. Most files go through the browser's own video encoder (WebCodecs). A file the browser cannot decode itself - HEVC in Firefox, for example - goes through compatibility mode instead, a WebAssembly copy of FFmpeg that downloads once (about 31 MB), runs more slowly and always makes MP4 (H.264) of at most 1080p. When the browser cannot play a file at all, the preview shows still frames that follow the slider, and cropping works the same way.
| Engine shown on the badge | Used for | Saves as |
|---|---|---|
| Encoding in your browser (WebCodecs) | Most files in current Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari | MP4 (H.264) or WebM (VP9, AV1, or VP8 on Auto), at the chosen size |
| Compatibility mode (slower) | No WebCodecs, a codec the browser cannot decode, a container the main engine cannot read, or an encoder failure | MP4 (H.264 + AAC), short side at most 1080 pixels |
Crop, trim, merge or edit
Video Cropper changes the frame of one video; it does not shorten it or join files. The video merger trims, rotates and crops each clip when you join two or more, the video trimmer keeps a single time range, the video compressor makes a file smaller, and the multi-track video editor adds text, captions and effects.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is my video uploaded to a server?
No. The browser reads the file from your device, crops every frame inside the tab and keeps the result in the tab's memory until you download it. The only downloads are the tool's own code files from freetoolonline.com.
Does the crop apply to the whole video?
Yes - every frame, from start to end, is cut to the same rectangle. The box stays where you put it; it does not track a moving subject. To keep only part of the running time as well, cut the length first with the video trimmer, or use the video merger, which trims and crops each clip when you join two or more.
How do I crop a landscape video to 9:16 or to a square?
Pick "9:16" or "Square" under "Shape". The largest box of that shape appears in the middle of the picture; drag it sideways to frame the subject, then press "Crop video". A 1920 x 1080 video gives a 608 x 1080 file for 9:16 and a 1080 x 1080 file for Square.
Why is the saved size one pixel smaller than my crop?
Video encoders need an even width and height, so an odd number is rounded down by one pixel - a 405 x 720 crop is saved as 404 x 720. "Size" can also shrink the result on purpose; it never enlarges a small crop.
Which files can I open, and what do I get back?
MP4, MOV, WebM, MKV and most other videos your browser or the compatibility engine can read. You get MP4 (H.264) or WebM (VP9 or AV1, or VP8 on Auto) - the line above "Crop video" names the exact format, size and sound before you start. Compatibility mode always makes MP4 (H.264).
Does it keep the sound?
Yes, unless you choose "Remove the sound". The sound is copied unchanged when the new file type can carry it - AAC or MP3 into MP4, Opus or Vorbis into WebM - and is re-encoded to AAC or Opus otherwise.
Why does the preview show still frames instead of playing?
The browser cannot play that file type itself, so the preview shows single frames that follow the slider. The crop works the same, and the cropped file usually plays everywhere because it is saved as MP4 or WebM.
Is there a watermark or a length limit?
There is no watermark, account or sign-up. There is no fixed length limit either, but the new file is built in the tab's memory, so a very long or very large video can run out of memory on a phone; a smaller "Size" helps.