# LinkedIn Photo Checker A LinkedIn photo checker is a tool that scores a profile picture out of 100 for light, sharpness, framing, eye line and background, rating the photo rather than the person in it. **Key facts:** $0 - No sign-up - Runs in your browser, nothing uploaded - Score out of 100 on 5 criteria - Compare two photos side by side - JPG, PNG, WebP or HEIC up to 15 MB Updated October 2026 Scoring runs in your browser. Your photo never leaves your device. ## How to use it 1. **Choose one photo or two:** Pick Rate my photo to score one picture, or Which photo is better? to compare two. Drop a JPG, PNG, WebP or HEIC, or take one with your phone. The photo is read on your device and never uploaded. 2. **Read the score out of 100:** Five criteria worth 20 points each add up to the score: light, sharpness, framing, eye line and background. Every criterion says what it measured and, if it lost points, the one thing to change. 3. **Fix, retake and compare:** Apply the fixes, take the photo again, then put the old and new versions side by side in the compare mode to see which photo is better before it goes on LinkedIn. ## What is a LinkedIn photo checker? A LinkedIn photo checker is a tool that tells you whether a profile picture will work before you upload it. This one scores the photo out of 100 on five things a camera controls: light, sharpness, framing, eye line and background. It is free, needs no sign-up and runs entirely in your browser, so the photo never leaves your device. It rates the photo, not the person: it never scores your face, your looks or your age. The checks matter because LinkedIn shows your photo as a small circle beside your name in the feed, in comments and in search results. At that size, a dark, soft or loosely framed photo loses the face first. ## Rate my photo: how the score out of 100 works Each criterion is worth 20 points. Nothing to fix earns all 20, a small issue earns 14 and a clear problem earns 7. The overall score is the points earned out of the points available, shown as a number out of 100 with a plain label: Ready for LinkedIn from 85, Good with small fixes from 70, Needs some work from 50, and Retake this one below that. This is a quick automated check built from rules of thumb, not a trained model of what looks good. A small face detection model finds the face and eyes, and simple pixel measurements do the rest. If the face model cannot load in your browser, the criteria that depend on it are marked as not scored and the score covers the rest. ## What the photo rater looks at Light looks at overall brightness, at how much of the face is blown out to pure white or lost in near black shadow, and at whether one side of the face is much darker than the other. Soft, even light from the front scores best. Sharpness measures fine edge detail on the face itself, so a crisp background cannot hide a soft face. Framing measures how much of the width the face fills, how close it sits to the centre and whether the head runs off the edge, because a profile circle crops the corners away. Eye line checks where the eyes sit in the frame and whether they are level. Headshot photographers place the eyes about a third of the way down, which leaves room above the head without wasting space. Background measures how much texture sits outside the head and shoulders: a plain wall scores well, a bookshelf or a busy street does not. ## Which photo is better? Compare two photos side by side The compare mode scores two photos with exactly the same five criteria and names a winner. If the totals are less than 5 points apart, it says the result is too close to call rather than pretending one is clearly better. Either way, it lists where each photo is stronger, for example sharper detail in one and a cleaner background in the other. Use it to choose between two shots from the same session, to test a new photo against the one already on your profile, or to see whether a retake really fixed the problem. When two photos tie, pick the one that looks most like you today: a recent, recognisable photo beats a slightly higher score. ## Rate my headshot for LinkedIn, a resume or a company page On LinkedIn, the photo is cropped to a circle and shown small, so framing and light matter most. Once a photo scores well, crop it to a square with the face centred and preview it at the sizes LinkedIn, Slack, Teams and Gmail use. On a resume or a company team page, the photo is usually shown as a rectangle next to other people's photos, so a plain background and even light help it sit well beside theirs. The same score applies: these are technical qualities, so a photo that scores well for LinkedIn usually works on a resume too. - [Crop your photo for LinkedIn](https://www.smartheadshots.ai/tools/profile-photo-cropper) - [Preview your profile picture on each app](https://www.smartheadshots.ai/tools/profile-picture-tester) - [Read the resume headshot guide](https://www.smartheadshots.ai/guides/headshot-for-resume) ## How to raise your photo score Most points come back with a minute's work. Face a window with the camera between you and the glass, so the light lands on your face rather than behind you. Ask someone to take the photo from about 1.5 m or 5 ft, or prop the phone up and use the timer, and keep the camera at eye level. Frame head and shoulders with a little space above your head, wipe the lens, and stand a few steps in front of a plain wall. If the background is the only thing holding the score back, you can also replace it with a plain colour. - [Follow the phone headshot guide](https://www.smartheadshots.ai/guides/how-to-take-a-headshot-with-your-phone) - [Change your photo background](https://www.smartheadshots.ai/tools/headshot-background-changer) ## Why it rates the photo, not your face Many rate my picture and AI photo analyzer sites score how attractive a face is. That is a judgement about a person, it is easy to get wrong, and it says nothing you can fix with a camera. This checker never does it. Every criterion here describes something you can change by moving the light, the camera or yourself. The light checks use ratios between the two halves of the face and only near black pixels, so skin tone does not lower the score. ## Privacy and what the checker cannot see The photo is decoded, measured and scored in your browser. Nothing is sent to our servers, nothing is stored, and reloading the page clears it. Because the checks are measurements, they cannot judge expression, eye contact, clothing, filters or whether the photo still looks like you. A high score means the photo is technically sound; whether it represents you well is still your call. ## What the photo score measures (20 points per criterion, 100 in total) | Criterion | What it measures | Full 20 points when | | --- | --- | --- | | Light | Overall brightness, blown highlights and deep shadows on the face, and the balance between the two halves of the face | The photo is neither dark nor washed out, no more than 5% of the face is pure white, and the darker half of the face is at least 55% as bright as the other | | Sharpness | Fine edge detail on the face, or on the whole photo when no face is found | Detail on the face stays crisp | | Framing | Face width as a share of photo width, distance from the centre, and whether the head runs off the edge | The face fills 28% to 62% of the width, sits near the centre and nothing is cut off | | Eye line | Height of the eyes in the frame and the tilt of the line between them | The eyes sit 22% to 50% of the way down and are level within 8 degrees | | Background | Texture outside a head and shoulders area around the face | The background is plain, or the crop is tight enough that it barely shows | ## Free tool, AI headshots or a photographer The free LinkedIn Photo Checker vs an AI headshot service vs a studio photographer. Prices are published US prices in USD. | | This checker | AI headshot service | Studio photographer | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Cost | $0 | $29 to $79 per person | $150 to $300 per session, US median $250 | | Turnaround | Instant, in your browser | About 2 hours or less at Smart Headshots AI | A booked session, then retouched files later | | What you get | A score out of 100 with a fix for each weak point | A batch of new headshots made from your selfies | A directed session and retouched photos | | What changes | Nothing: it rates the photo you already have | Lighting, framing, attire and background | Everything, set up in person | | Best for | Picking your best existing photo | LinkedIn, resumes and company pages | Actors, executives and personal brands | - [Capturely: Professional headshot cost](https://www.capturely.com/professional-headshot-cost/) - [Photography Shark: Average Professional Headshot Cost by City: 2026 Data Study](https://www.photographyshark.com/blog/headshot-cost-by-city/) ## FAQ ### Can AI rate my photos? Yes, within limits. This checker uses a small face detection model and pixel measurements in your browser to score the photo for light, sharpness, framing, eye line and background. It rates the photo's technical quality, not your appearance, and it cannot judge expression or whether the photo looks like you. ### How do I take a good profile picture? Face soft window light, have someone take the photo from about 1.5 m or 5 ft with the camera at eye level, and frame your head and shoulders against a plain background. Wipe the lens and turn off beauty filters. Then run the photo through the checker and fix whatever lost points. - [Follow the phone headshot guide](https://www.smartheadshots.ai/guides/how-to-take-a-headshot-with-your-phone) ### Is there a free tool to check if my LinkedIn profile photo is good? Yes. This LinkedIn photo checker is free, needs no sign-up and runs in your browser, so the photo stays on your device. It returns a score out of 100 with a note and a fix for each of its five criteria. ### Which photo is better for LinkedIn? Usually the one that is sharper, evenly lit and framed head and shoulders with the face near the centre. Switch the checker to Which photo is better? and add both photos to get a winner and the reasons. If they score within 5 points, choose the one that looks most like you today. ### What is a good score for a LinkedIn photo? 85 or more means nothing big to fix and the photo is ready for LinkedIn. 70 to 84 is a good photo with small fixes, 50 to 69 needs some work, and below 50 is worth retaking. Each criterion shows exactly where the missing points went. ### Does the photo rater judge how attractive I am? No. It never rates your face, looks or age. All five criteria describe the photo: how it is lit, how sharp it is, how it is framed, where the eyes sit and how busy the background is. ### Is my photo uploaded when I use the checker? No. The photo is decoded and scored in your browser, and the face model runs on your device too. Nothing is sent to our servers, and reloading the page clears the photo. ### Does it work with HEIC photos from an iPhone? Yes. HEIC and HEIF files are converted in your browser before scoring, which can take a second or two on a phone. JPG, PNG and WebP are read directly, up to 15 MB. ## More free tools - [Circle Crop Tool](https://www.smartheadshots.ai/tools/profile-photo-cropper): A circle crop tool cuts a photo into a round profile picture and saves it as a PNG with transparent corners, or as a square sized for each platform. - [Background Changer](https://www.smartheadshots.ai/tools/headshot-background-changer): A headshot background changer is a tool that separates the person in a portrait from the background behind them and replaces that background with plain white, grey, a brand color or a blurred version of the original. - [Cost Calculator](https://www.smartheadshots.ai/tools/headshot-cost-calculator): A headshot cost calculator estimates what professional headshots cost from a studio photographer, an on-site corporate photographer or an AI headshot service, using published prices for your city, team size, looks and retouching. - [Headshot Prompt Generator](https://www.smartheadshots.ai/tools/ai-headshot-prompt-generator): An AI headshot prompt generator builds a ready-to-paste prompt that asks ChatGPT, Gemini or another image tool to turn your own photo into a professional headshot while keeping your face unchanged. - [Profile Picture Tester](https://www.smartheadshots.ai/tools/profile-picture-tester): A profile picture tester, or pfp tester, previews your photo as the round or rounded square avatar that LinkedIn, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Gmail, Zoom and X show, from the large profile view down to the small icons beside comments and chat messages. - [Background Picker](https://www.smartheadshots.ai/tools/headshot-backgrounds): A headshot background picker shows which professional backgrounds suit each industry and a LinkedIn photo, with examples, color codes and the attire that pairs with each one. - [Color Analysis Quiz](https://www.smartheadshots.ai/tools/color-analysis): A color analysis quiz is a short set of questions about your undertone, hair, eyes and contrast that sorts you into a seasonal color type and shows which colors flatter you. - [Face Shape Detector](https://www.smartheadshots.ai/tools/face-shape-detector): A face shape detector is a tool that measures the length of a face and the width of its forehead, cheekbones and jaw in a photo to estimate whether it is oval, round, square, oblong, heart, diamond or triangle shaped. - [LinkedIn Profile Checker](https://www.smartheadshots.ai/tools/linkedin-profile-checker): A LinkedIn profile checker is a tool that scores your headline, About section and profile photo against clear rules, such as LinkedIn's character limits, an opening line that lands before "see more" and a way to contact you. ## Related headshot packs - [LinkedIn Headshots](https://www.smartheadshots.ai/linkedin-headshots): A LinkedIn headshot is a head and shoulders portrait, framed for the circle crop LinkedIn applies, that represents you on your profile, in recruiter search results and beside every message and comment you post. - [Professional Headshots](https://www.smartheadshots.ai/professional-headshots): A professional headshot is a head and shoulders portrait, evenly lit against a plain or softly blurred background, used to represent you on company websites, staff directories, email signatures, conference programs and press coverage. - [Dating Profiles](https://www.smartheadshots.ai/dating-profile-photos): A dating profile picture is a clear, recent photo of your face in good light, with your eyes visible and nobody else in the frame, that leads your profile on apps such as Hinge, Bumble and Tinder. ## Links - [Create your headshots](https://www.smartheadshots.ai/start) - [All free tools](https://www.smartheadshots.ai/tools) - [Home](https://www.smartheadshots.ai/)