How to apply Gaussian blur to an image?

Select your file and set the blur radius — larger values produce stronger, smoother softening.

What is Gaussian blur used for?

Softening images, creating depth-of-field effects, blurring backgrounds, or reducing noise before edge detection.

How is Gaussian blur different from box blur?

Gaussian blur weights nearby pixels more heavily, producing smoother, more natural softening than the flat averaging of box blur.

What file formats can I export?

You can export as PNG, JPEG, WebP, TIFF, BMP, or HEIC.

Is this tool free to use?

Yes — completely free, no account needed. Your images are processed entirely in your browser and never uploaded to a server. Downloads have no watermarks.

BrushCue Tool

Blur Image Online Gaussian Blur

Click to get startedDrop your image here

tap to choose a fileor click to browse

Go to Gaussian Blur editor →

What you can expect

Apply Gaussian blur to images in your browser. Soften details, create depth effects, or prepare backgrounds quickly and for free.

Related tools

More BrushCue tools that fit this workflow.

See all tools →

Box Blur

This online Box Blur tool applies a simple averaging filter to soften an image and reduce noise. It is fast and predictable, making it useful for quick previews, testing, or educational purposes. Under normal circumstances, use the Gaussian Blur tool instead for smoother, more natural-looking results.

Zoom Blur

Zoom Blur simulates the effect of a camera zooming during exposure, creating streaks that radiate outward from a specified center point. The center remains relatively sharp while surrounding areas blur along radial lines. The strength parameter controls how pronounced the motion and streaking appear.

Median Filter

Runs a median filter over the composition. This will accumulate the R, G and B components of your image and then calculate the median of each component. Valid range for the kernel size is between 1 and 5. Use this tool to remove noise from an image.

Vignette

The Vignette tool subtly draws focus to the subject by darkening or lightening the edges of an image. Adjust the Radius to control how far the vignette extends toward the center, Softness to define how gradually it blends into the image, and Strength to set the intensity of the effect. These controls allow precise, non-destructive shaping of visual emphasis and mood.

Camera Moving Distortion

This tool simulates the effect of camera movement during a photo capture. It overlays two instances of the same image and blends them using a configurable alpha value to produce the effect. You can control both the blending strength and the positional offset between the two overlays to introduce subtle motion, depth, or a sense of energy—useful for adding realism, emphasizing motion, or creating a more dynamic, cinematic feel in otherwise static images.

Frequently asked questions

How to apply Gaussian blur to an image?: Select your file and set the blur radius — larger values produce stronger, smoother softening.
What is Gaussian blur used for?: Softening images, creating depth-of-field effects, blurring backgrounds, or reducing noise before edge detection.
How is Gaussian blur different from box blur?: Gaussian blur weights nearby pixels more heavily, producing smoother, more natural softening than the flat averaging of box blur.
What file formats can I export?: You can export as PNG, JPEG, WebP, TIFF, BMP, or HEIC.
Is this tool free to use?: Yes — completely free, no account needed. Your images are processed entirely in your browser and never uploaded to a server. Downloads have no watermarks.

For developers

Use Gaussian Blur from Python

Open the Jupyter notebook example to see how to run this tool from the BrushCue Python API, inspect the processing steps, and adapt the workflow for scripts or batch image jobs.

View Python notebook

Build your own

Blur Image Online Gaussian Blur

What you can expect

Frequently asked questions

Use Gaussian Blur from Python

Create projects with your custom presets