PNG to ICO Converter – Make Windows Icon Files from PNG Free

A Windows icon is not one picture but a whole set of them: the tiny 16-pixel version in a file list, the 48-pixel version on the desktop and the big 256-pixel version in large-icon view all live inside a single .ico file. This free PNG to ICO converter builds that set for you. Drop in a PNG (or a JPG), and it renders your image at 16, 24, 32, 48, 64, 128 and 256 pixels, packs the seven PNG versions into one proper icon file and hands it back as a download. No installation, no account and nothing to configure — square artwork in, ready-to-use icon out.

How to convert a PNG to ICO

Drag your image onto the drop zone, or click the zone to pick a PNG or JPG from your device. The tool shows the file name, its pixel dimensions and a preview so you can confirm you picked the right artwork. Press Convert to ICO and the converter draws your image onto a canvas at each of the seven standard sizes, encodes every size as a PNG, and assembles them into one icon file with a correct header and directory. The finished file downloads as yourname.ico, and the page shows a preview of the largest 256-pixel version so you can check the result before you use it.

Your image never leaves your device

This converter protects your privacy by design: your file is converted locally in your browser and never uploaded to any server. Logos, product artwork and personal pictures are read, resized and packed by code running on your own machine, so nothing travels across the internet and nothing is stored anywhere. Once the page has loaded you could even disconnect and still convert. What you do with the finished icon — shipping it in an app, adding it to a website as a favicon or keeping it private — stays entirely your business.

What makes a good icon source image

Start with the largest, cleanest square image you have, ideally at least 256 by 256 pixels. Icons are drawn into squares, so a rectangular picture is stretched to fill the square; crop or pad it to a square first if proportions matter. Simple shapes, bold colours and strong contrast survive the shrink to 16 pixels, while fine text, thin lines and subtle gradients tend to turn into mush at small sizes. Transparency in a PNG is preserved in every generated size, which is exactly what you want for logos and app marks that must sit on any background. If your artwork has a background colour baked in, that colour appears at every size, including on the desktop.

Limits and file requirements

The tool accepts PNG and JPG images up to 20 MB. All seven sizes are always included: if your source is smaller than 256 pixels, the larger sizes are scaled up by the canvas, which keeps the icon valid but can look soft at large sizes — another reason to start from a big source. Very small sizes are scaled down, which every browser canvas handles well. A corrupt file, or a file that is not really a PNG or JPG, cannot be opened and the tool will tell you. The resulting .ico uses PNG-compressed entries, the format Windows has supported since Vista, and the same file also works as a website favicon in modern browsers.

PNG to ICO Converter – frequently asked questions

Is this PNG to ICO converter free?

Yes. It is completely free, with no sign-up, no watermark and no limit on how many icons you can make.

Which sizes does the ICO file contain?

Seven sizes: 16, 24, 32, 48, 64, 128 and 256 pixels, each stored as a PNG inside the one .ico file, so Windows can pick the best size for every context.

Can I use a JPG instead of a PNG?

Yes. JPG files are accepted and drawn onto the canvas first. Keep in mind a JPG has no transparency, so any transparent areas of an original design are already lost in the JPG itself.

Is my image uploaded anywhere?

No. Your file is converted locally in your browser and never uploaded, so your artwork stays on your own device from start to finish.

Embed this tool on your website — free

Copy the code below to add this working tool to your own page. A small credit link stays with it — that’s all we ask.