UtilityBase2 min read
Aspect Ratio Cheat Sheet for Instagram, TikTok & YouTube
Every aspect ratio and resolution that matters in 2026 — feed posts, Reels, TikToks, Shorts, thumbnails, and banners — plus how to resize without cropping the wrong thing.
The three ratios that rule everything
Almost every social format reduces to three shapes. 9:16 vertical (1080×1920) owns full-screen mobile video: Instagram Reels and Stories, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts. 1:1 square (1080×1080) remains the safe Instagram feed choice and works across nearly every platform. 16:9 horizontal (1920×1080) is standard YouTube video and the general-purpose landscape shape for the web.
Instagram feed posts also support 4:5 portrait (1080×1350), which takes up the most vertical screen space in the feed — a real engagement edge — while 1.91:1 (1080×566) is the widescreen option most link previews also use.
Platform-by-platform pixel sizes
Instagram: feed 1080×1080 (1:1), 1080×1350 (4:5), or 1080×566 (1.91:1); Reels and Stories 1080×1920 (9:16), with the center 1080×1420 as the safe zone since the UI overlays the top and bottom. TikTok: 1080×1920 (9:16), keeping captions and key action inside the middle to avoid the buttons and description overlay.
YouTube: videos 1920×1080 (16:9), thumbnails 1280×720 (16:9), Shorts 1080×1920 (9:16), channel banner 2560×1440 with only the central 1546×423 guaranteed visible on every device. X: in-feed images render around 16:9; 1200×675 is the reliable choice. LinkedIn: 1200×627 (1.91:1) for link posts and shared images.
Resizing without ruining the shot
Converting between ratios means cropping, and cropping means choosing what to lose. Going from horizontal 16:9 to vertical 9:16 keeps only about a third of the frame — so shoot or design with the subject centered when you know vertical crops are coming. The reverse (vertical to horizontal) is worse; avoid it by capturing separately for each format when the content matters.
When you just need the math — 'what height keeps 16:9 at 1080 wide?' — the aspect ratio calculator solves either dimension instantly, and its reverse mode simplifies any two dimensions to their ratio so you can identify what shape a file already is.
- 1Identify the destination format and its target ratio from the sections above.
- 2Use the Aspect Ratio Calculator to get exact pixel dimensions at your source width.
- 3Resize the image with the Image Resizer, keeping the aspect lock on.
- 4Compress the result — platforms recompress uploads anyway, so a quality-80 file loses nothing.
Frequently asked questions
Why do my Reels get cropped in the Instagram feed?
The feed previews 9:16 Reels as 4:5 (and sometimes 1:1), trimming the top and bottom. Keep faces, text, and the core action in the vertical center of the frame so every crop still works.
Should I upload higher than 1080p?
For video, 4K uploads to YouTube get a better compression tier and look sharper even on 1080p screens. For social images, 1080-width is the practical standard — platforms downscale anything bigger.
What ratio should a website hero image be?
There's no enforced standard, but 16:9 or wider (like 21:9) suits full-width heroes on desktop. Test how it crops on mobile, where the same image often displays much taller.
Tools mentioned in this guide
Aspect Ratio Calculator
Solve missing dimensions for 16:9, 4:3, and any custom aspect ratio.
Calculators
Image Resizer
Resize images to exact pixels — right in your browser, nothing uploaded.
Image Tools
Image Compressor
Shrink image file sizes with a quality slider — no upload, instant preview.
Image Tools
Screen Resolution Checker
See your screen resolution, viewport size, and pixel ratio instantly.
Screen Tools
Keep reading