Convert PNG to ICO
Make a proper multi-size .ico favicon from a PNG, with transparency kept, entirely in your browser.
Drop your PNG files here
or click to browse · paste with Ctrl+V · files never leave your device
Nothing queued yet. Add as many files as you like — everything runs on your own device.
Nothing is uploaded
Conversion runs in your browser. Your files never touch a server, so there is no copy of them to leak.
No sign-up, no watermark
No account, no email, no daily limit, and nothing stamped across your image.
Batch and folders
Drop a hundred files at once and download the results as a single ZIP.
Works offline
Once this page has loaded you can disconnect entirely and it still works.
Despite years of newer alternatives, .ico is still the favicon format with the widest support — it is what browsers request from the root of your site when nothing else is specified, and it is what older browsers understand. Unlike PNG, a single .ico can hold several sizes of the same image at once, and each context picks the one drawn for it.
That is what this converter writes: 16, 32 and 48 pixel versions in one file, each scaled from your PNG, with transparency preserved throughout. Save it as favicon.ico at the root of your site and browsers will find it without any markup at all.
Everything runs in your browser, so there is nothing to upload and no sign-up.
How to convert PNG to ICO
- Add your PNG files. Drag them onto the box above, click to browse, or paste an image straight from your clipboard. You can add as many at once as you like.
- Adjust the settings if you need to. The defaults suit most images. ICO is lossless, so there is no quality setting to adjust.
- Download the ICO file. Each file gets its own download button as soon as it finishes, and you can pull the whole batch down as a single ZIP.
What changes when you convert PNG to ICO
Every format conversion involves trade-offs, and vague tools hide them. Here is exactly what happens to your image in this particular conversion.
- Transparency is preserved: both PNG and ICO carry a full alpha channel.
- Icons are square and capped at 256x256. A non-square image is centred and padded with transparency rather than stretched, and we write 16, 32 and 48 pixel entries into one file so browsers and Windows each pick the sharpest.
Preparing artwork that survives 16 pixels
Start from a square PNG of at least 256 pixels. A non-square image is centred and padded with transparency rather than stretched, which keeps the proportions honest but leaves empty space around it — cropping to a square first almost always looks better.
Then simplify. At 16 pixels across, a favicon has fewer pixels than a full stop has on this page. Fine detail, thin outlines, gradients and any text beyond a single letter disappear completely. Most effective favicons are one bold shape or one letter with strong contrast against a transparent background. If you are unsure, shrink your artwork to 16 pixels in any image editor and look at it — that is exactly what visitors will see.
Where the file goes
Put favicon.ico in the root directory of your site. Browsers request /favicon.ico automatically, so no HTML is strictly required, and this covers tabs, bookmarks and history.
For a complete modern set you will also want a 180 pixel PNG for iOS home screens and a 512 pixel PNG for Android and web app manifests. Those are ordinary PNGs rather than ICO files — convert your source artwork with the resize tool to produce them.
About PNG (Portable Network Graphics)
PNG is the lossless format of choice for screenshots, logos and any image that needs a transparent background.
Where you probably got it: Screenshots, logos, design exports, and graphics with transparency.
Strengths
- Completely lossless — pixels survive unlimited re-saves untouched
- Full 8-bit alpha transparency, including soft edges and drop shadows
- Perfect for text, screenshots, line art and flat colour
Limitations
- Much larger than JPG or WebP for photographs
- No animation (APNG exists but is patchily supported)
- No quality dial — you cannot trade detail for size
About ICO (Windows Icon)
ICO is the Windows icon container, and the traditional format for a website’s favicon.
Support: Universal for its one job: favicons and Windows icons.
Strengths
- Holds several sizes in one file so each context picks the sharpest
- The one favicon format every browser understands, including very old ones
- Supports transparency
Limitations
- Only useful for icons — sizes are capped at 256x256
- Not a general-purpose image format
- Awkward to create in most image editors
Is it safe to convert PNG online?
Here, yes — and you can check rather than trust. Open your browser’s developer tools, switch to the Network tab and convert a PNG file: no request carrying your image is made. Disconnect from the internet after this page has loaded and the converter still works, which would be impossible if a server were doing the conversion.
That is worth verifying wherever you convert, because most online converters do upload, and PNG files are so often screenshots of statements, invoices and internal dashboards, which people rarely think of as sensitive until they are on a stranger’s server. Once a file is on somebody else’s server you are relying on a privacy policy rather than on anything you can observe. We wrote up how to tell a safe converter from a risky one in more detail.
Frequently asked questions
What size should a favicon be?
The .ico produced here contains 16, 32 and 48 pixel versions, which covers browser tabs, bookmarks and the Windows desktop. Start from a square source image of at least 256 pixels so every one of those is scaled down from something sharp rather than up from something small.
Does the ICO keep my transparent background?
Yes. Each size inside the file is stored as PNG data with its alpha channel intact, so a logo on a transparent background sits cleanly on both light and dark browser chrome.
Do I still need a favicon.ico in 2026?
It remains the most reliable single file. Browsers request /favicon.ico by default even with no HTML link, so it works when your markup does not, and it still covers older browsers that ignore PNG favicon links. Modern browsers will prefer a PNG or SVG icon if you declare one, so the usual answer is to ship both.
How do I convert PNG to ICO?
Drag your PNG file onto the box above, or click it to browse. The conversion starts immediately in your browser and the ICO download appears within a second or two for most images. You can drop in a whole folder of files at once and download them together as a ZIP.
Are my PNG files uploaded to a server?
No. The conversion happens locally in your browser, so your files are never transmitted anywhere — the tool even works with the network disconnected once the page has loaded. That is also why there is no file size or file count limit: nothing costs us anything per conversion. The practical ceiling is your own device's memory, which on a phone means very large images may fail.
Will converting PNG to ICO reduce the quality?
No. Both PNG and ICO are lossless, so every pixel is preserved exactly.
What is the difference between PNG and ICO?
PNG is the lossless format of choice for screenshots, logos and any image that needs a transparent background. ICO is the Windows icon container, and the traditional format for a website’s favicon. In practice the choice comes down to compatibility: universal across browsers, operating systems and design software. Meanwhile universal for its one job: favicons and Windows icons.