Built for people who care about their files.

pictoolkit is a small toolkit for working with images — built around one stubborn principle: your files should never have to leave your device.

Why we built this

Most online image tools work like this: you upload your file to a server, the server processes it, and you download the result. That model is convenient — but it has costs that aren't obvious until you stop to think about them.

Your files go onto a server you don't control. They're often stored "temporarily" for hours or days. Some services keep them indefinitely for "improving their models." A leak, a hack, or a careless employee can expose them. And every time you use a free tier, you're often paying with something — your data, your attention, your patience with watermarks and signup prompts.

We thought there was a better way. Modern web browsers are remarkably capable. They can decode and encode JPGs, PNGs, WebP, AVIF, and even HEIC. They can resize, compress, and transform images using the same techniques as native software. The only thing missing was a tool that put all of this together in a polished, privacy-respecting way.

That's pictoolkit.

How it works under the hood

Every tool on this site runs entirely in your browser. Specifically, we use:

  • The Canvas API for image rendering and resampling — built into every browser since 2010.
  • JavaScript encoders like heic2any for formats browsers don't natively support.
  • Web Workers (where applicable) to keep the UI responsive during heavy processing.
  • JSZip for bundling batch downloads into a single ZIP file.
  • WebGPU and WebAssembly (in development) for AI-powered tools like background removal.

What we don't use: any server-side processing. Every file you give pictoolkit is processed on your own device.

Our principles

Files never leave your browser

The single most important promise we make. You can verify it yourself — open your browser's developer tools, watch the Network tab, use any of our tools. You won't see your files being uploaded.

Free means free

No watermarks. No file count caps. No "premium" version that locks the actual useful features. The tools are free forever — because they cost us almost nothing to serve. Your browser does the work.

Real batches, real control

Most batch tools apply one preset to every file. We give you per-image control with batch convenience. Drop 100 files, review each, override individual settings if needed, then download.

No dark patterns

We don't trick you into signing up. We don't email you after you've left. We don't track you across the web. We don't sell anything we shouldn't.

About the team

We're a small group of engineers and designers who've worked on image processing at larger companies and got tired of how most online tools were built. We started pictoolkit because we wanted the kind of tool we'd want to use ourselves.

The site is intentionally lean. We don't have a marketing department. We don't have a sales team. The whole project is built and run by people who write code, not press releases.

How we make money

There is no business model that depends on extracting value from your data. The tools are free because they're nearly free to host: it's all static HTML, CSS, and JS — your browser does the actual work.

This model means the free side stays free, with no pressure to convert you to a paid subscription. We can afford to be generous because the API does the work of monetization.

What's next

We're actively building. Coming soon:

  • AI background removal (entirely in-browser, no upload)
  • Crop with smart aspect-ratio detection
  • EXIF viewer and metadata stripping
  • Image upscaling with ESRGAN models
  • Color picker and palette extraction
  • Image-to-PDF conversion
  • Favicon generator

If you have suggestions or find a bug, please get in touch.

Some things we won't do

We won't add features that require uploading your files. We won't sell or share user data. We won't insert ads into the interface. We won't water down the free tier to push you toward a paid version.

That's the deal. If we ever break it, we expect you to call us out.