How to Crop Video Online Free
Walkthrough
- 01
Open FastEdit
Go to fastedit.net. No installation or account required. The editor runs in your browser.
- 02
Drop your video file
Drag and drop your video onto the editor. Supports MP4, MOV, WebM, and other formats. The file stays on your device. Nothing is uploaded.
- 03
Open the crop tool
Select the crop option in the editor. You will see a crop overlay on your video preview with handles to adjust the crop area.
- 04
Choose an aspect ratio or platform preset
Lock to a standard aspect ratio such as 16:9, 9:16, 1:1, or 4:5, or choose an available platform preset such as Instagram Reels, Instagram Feed Video, or YouTube. You can also crop freely without locking.
- 05
Position the crop area
Drag the crop rectangle to frame the part of the video you want to keep. For converting landscape to portrait, this step is critical. Position it over your subject.
- 06
Export your cropped video
Choose your output format and codec, then click Export. The cropped video downloads directly. The output resolution matches your crop area.
Small things worth checking
- Instagram Reels and TikTok both use 9:16 (1080x1920). Instagram Feed supports 1:1 (1080x1080) and 4:5 (1080x1350). YouTube uses 16:9 (1920x1080). Use the matching aspect ratio to avoid black bars.
- When converting 16:9 landscape to 9:16 portrait, you lose the left and right edges. Position the crop carefully over your subject. The center of a landscape shot is not always where the action is.
- Cropping reduces resolution. If you start with 1080p and crop to half the width, your output is effectively 540px wide. Start with the highest-resolution source you have.
- Combine cropping with other edits: trim to the best segment, adjust speed, add blur to sensitive areas, then export once. FastEdit applies all edits in a single pass.
- Use aspect ratio locking to prevent accidentally distorting your crop. Unlock it only when you need a custom, non-standard ratio.