What is the best crop ratio for Instagram?

The editor offers 1:1 for a square post, 4:5 (5:4 flipped) for a tall portrait post, and 9:16 for stories and Reels.

How do I crop a photo to 4:5?

Choose 5:4 in the Crop ratio menu, then choose Flip orientation from the same menu.

Social Media Beginner 2 min read Updated Oct 23, 2026 Pluto Photos 2.5.2

How to Crop a Photo for Instagram: Square, Portrait and Story Sizes

Short answer

Choose the Crop tool, hover over it to pick 1:1 for a square, 5:4 then Flip orientation for a 4:5 portrait, or 9:16 for a story, drag the frame over the part you want and click Apply Crop.

Requires Pluto Photos Pro (one-time $29, no subscription). The free download includes a 30-day trial of every Pro feature.

#1. Open the photo and choose the Crop tool

Open the photo in the editor and press C. This one is a wide landscape photo. If you post it as it is, Instagram crops it for you and you don't get a say in where.

A wide photo of a person looking over a golden field at sunset, open in the Pluto Photos editor — The original is a wide 3:2 photo.

#2. Pick a ratio from the Crop menu

Hover over the Crop tool to open the Crop ratio menu. The ratios are Free, 1:1, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9, 5:4, 2:3 and 9:16, plus Flip orientation.

The Crop ratio menu with Free, 1:1, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9, 5:4, 2:3, 9:16 and Flip orientation — The ratios built into the Crop tool.

#3. Square: choose 1:1

1:1 makes a square post. The options bar shows the size, 736 × 736 px here. Drag inside the frame to choose what stays in, then click Apply Crop.

A square 1:1 crop frame over the photo, labelled 736 by 736 pixels — 1:1, square.

#4. Portrait 4:5: choose 5:4, then Flip orientation

The menu has 5:4 but not 4:5, because flipping turns one into the other. Choose 5:4, then open the menu again and click Flip orientation. The label changes to 4:5 (471 × 589 px here). It's the tall shape that takes up the most room in a feed.

A tall 4:5 crop frame over the photo, labelled 471 by 589 pixels — 4:5 after Flip orientation.

#5. Story or Reel: choose 9:16

9:16 is the full-screen vertical shape for stories, Reels, TikTok and Shorts. The app interface covers the top and bottom of a story, so keep the important part of the photo in the middle.

A tall 9:16 crop frame over the photo, labelled 331 by 589 pixels — 9:16, full-screen vertical.

#6. Apply and save

Click Apply Crop, then Save as Copy (Ctrl+S). Your original stays untouched, so you can make a square, a 4:5 and a 9:16 from the same photo.

#Tips

Sizes change. These are the shapes in the editor, so check the platform's current recommended size if exact pixels matter, then set them with Image Size.
To keep the file small enough to upload quickly, save a smaller export.
To share without your location, see how to remove location data.

#Questions

What is the best crop ratio for Instagram?: The editor offers 1:1 for a square post, 4:5 (5:4 flipped) for a tall portrait post, and 9:16 for stories and Reels.
How do I crop a photo to 4:5?: Choose 5:4 in the Crop ratio menu, then choose Flip orientation from the same menu.

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