PNG to ICO Converter

Create a favicon: turn any PNG logo into a proper ICO file. Free in your browser — no sign-up, no watermarks.

Drop your PNG files here

or click to browse — Select multiple files for batch conversion

png

⚡ Instant — conversion starts the moment you add files. No sign-up, no watermarks. Why FileHugger

🔍 How your file is processed
Runs
In your browser on this page
Engine
Your browser's own image decoder and canvas encoders (AVIF included); HEIC decodes via a bundled JavaScript decoder (Emscripten-compiled libheif); GIF, BMP and ICO are written by our own encoders
Max input
512 MB per file
Your file
Processed in this browser tab — the file is not uploaded. Converted results are kept in this browser's local storage for up to two hours so their matching download page can show them; expired results are removed on the next site visit. Nothing is stored on our servers.
Good to know
Converting to JPG or lossy WebP applies the quality level you choose. JPG and BMP have no transparency, and our GIF encoder does not carry transparency either — transparent areas are flattened to the background for all three. Animated GIF input is read as its first frame.

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How to convert PNG to ICO

  1. Click Choose files (or drag & drop) and select one or more PNG files. You can also paste an image from your clipboard.
  2. Pick the icon size — 256 × 256 covers modern favicons; 32 × 32 matches classic favicon.ico usage.
  3. Press Convert to ICO. Each file is converted with a live progress indicator.
  4. Open the download page to save your files individually or grab everything as a single ZIP.

Why convert PNG to ICO?

Browsers and Windows want icons in ICO format. This converter resizes your PNG to the icon size you choose (16 to 256 pixels), keeps transparency, and wraps it in a standards-compliant ICO container — ready to upload as favicon.ico or use as an application icon.

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What this tool preserves — and what it changes

✓ Preserved

  • Transparency — the icon is stored as a 32-bit PNG entry inside the ICO container
  • Aspect ratio: non-square logos are contain-fitted onto the square canvas with transparent padding, never stretched

↺ Changed

  • The image is resized to the single size you choose (16–256 px, default 256) — the output holds one size, not a multi-resolution pack
  • Detail is limited by the icon size: below 48 px fine features merge — that is the resize doing its job

Known limits & edge cases

  • The icon data is PNG-compressed inside the container — standard since Windows Vista and for favicons; very old software expecting raw BMP icon data may not read it
  • 256 px is the largest size the ICO format can carry — the encoder caps requests there

Engine: Your browser's own image decoder and canvas encoders (AVIF included); HEIC decodes via a bundled JavaScript decoder (Emscripten-compiled libheif); GIF, BMP and ICO are written by our own encoders. These statements describe the engine as shipped on 2026-10-02 — behaviour changes are recorded in the changelog.

About the formats

What is a PNG file?

PNG is a lossless image format that preserves every pixel exactly as it was saved. It supports full alpha transparency, which makes it the standard for logos, icons, screenshots and any graphic that must keep sharp edges and clean text. PNG files are larger than JPG for photos, but they never lose quality no matter how many times they are re-saved.

What is an ICO file?

ICO is the icon container format used by Windows and by websites for favicons — the little icon shown in the browser tab. An ICO file can hold the same image at several sizes (16×16, 32×32, 48×48 and up to 256×256). Browsers and Windows expect this exact format, so PNG or JPG logos usually need to be converted to ICO before they can be used as a favicon or application icon.

PNG vs ICO at a glance

PNGICO
TypeRaster imageIcon container
CompressionLosslessPNG or raw inside
TransparencyYes (alpha)Yes
AnimationNoNo
Typical useLogos, screenshots, graphics with textFavicons, Windows app icons

Favicons without a build pipeline

Every browser tab, bookmark bar and pinned shortcut shows a site’s icon, and the classic way to provide one is still an ICO file at the site root. This tool takes your square PNG logo and encodes it as a proper Windows icon file — pick 256×256 for a modern favicon that scales down cleanly, or 32×32 if you’re matching the classic favicon.ico convention or replacing an icon in older software.

Start from a PNG with a transparent background so the icon looks right on both light and dark tabs and against any desktop wallpaper. If your logo isn’t square, crop it first (the crop tool here has a 1:1 preset) — squashing a rectangular mark into a square frame is the most common favicon mistake. Upload the result as favicon.ico in your web root or reference it with a link tag, and browsers take it from there.

Frequently asked questions

Is this PNG to ICO converter free?

Yes — completely free, with no sign-up, no watermarks and no daily quota. Processing happens in this browser, so the practical limit is the memory available on your device.

Can I convert multiple PNG files at once?

Yes. Select or drop as many files as you like — each one is converted in sequence with its own progress status, and you can download the results individually or all together as a ZIP archive.

Will I lose quality converting PNG to ICO?

No — ICO is a lossless format, so the converted file reproduces the decoded image pixel for pixel. No additional compression artifacts are introduced by the conversion.

What size should a favicon be?

Modern browsers happily scale a single 256×256 ICO down, and that is the safest choice today. If you need maximum compatibility with very old browsers, generate an additional 32×32 version.

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