Compare · Every method

Ways to Download from Pinterest, Compared

Last updated: 13 July 2026 · 5 min read

There are five realistic ways to save a Pinterest image, and they are not equal. The difference that trips most people up is resolution: the pin page shows a resized preview, commonly 736 pixels wide, while the file that was actually uploaded is often several times larger. Here is each method, honestly, with what it does well and where it falls short.

Add to Chrome

The short version

Ranked, quickest answer first

1. A downloader extension — the only method that saves the original file, downloads a whole board as one ZIP, and handles video and GIFs. Costs you a one-time install and is desktop only.
2. Pinterest's own menu — built in and safe, but only where it appears, one still image at a time, no boards or video.
3. Right-click, Save image as — zero setup, fine for a quick reference, but you get the resized preview (about 736px) and a frozen frame for GIFs.
4. Online downloader sites — work on any device without installing, but it is one pin pasted at a time, no board ZIP, ad-heavy, and you hand your link to a stranger's server.
5. A screenshot — always available, lowest quality, last resort.

In one line: want the original quality or a whole board, use an extension; want zero setup for one throwaway image, right-click; on a phone, use Pinterest's menu or a screenshot.

At a glance

Every method, side by side

Method	Max resolution	Whole board at once	Video & GIF	Install / account	Runs on
Downloader extension Best	Original file	Yes — one ZIP	Yes	One-time install, no account	Desktop Chrome
Pinterest's own menu	Displayed size	No	No	None	Desktop & mobile
Right-click, Save image as	~736px preview	No	No — still frame	None	Desktop
Online downloader sites	Varies, often capped	No	Sometimes	None	Any browser
Screenshot	Screen only	No	No	None	Anything

"Original file" means the image as it was uploaded, fetched from Pinterest's originals path — usually far larger than the 736px preview the page renders.

Best for full resolution and whole boards

A downloader browser extension

This is the only option that goes after the original uploaded file rather than the preview on screen, so photos come down at full resolution. It also does the two things nothing else on this list can: save an entire board as a single ZIP, and handle video and animated GIF pins instead of a frozen frame. With Pinterest Image Downloader you hover a pin and click, paste a pin link into the popup, or hit the board button. No account, no login.

Good: original resolution, whole-board ZIP with sections kept as folders, videos and GIFs, one-click. Trade-off: it is a one-time install and runs on desktop Chrome, not on a phone. Step-by-step flows are in the how-to guide and the board guide.

Best built-in option

Pinterest's own download menu

Pinterest sometimes offers a Download option inside a pin's ⋯ (more) menu. When it is there it is the simplest possible route — nothing to install, and it works on the phone app as well as the web. The catch is that it is inconsistent: it does not appear on every pin, it saves one still image at a time rather than a board, and it does not cover video. The saved file is the size the app is showing, not necessarily the full original.

Good: built in, no tools, works on mobile. Trade-off: only where it appears, one image at a time, no boards, no video.

Best for one throwaway image

Right-click and Save image as

Open the pin first — in the feed Pinterest layers a link over the picture, so a right-click there grabs the link, not the image — then right-click the large image and choose Save image as. It needs nothing installed and is genuinely fine when quality does not matter. What you get, though, is the resized copy the page is displaying, commonly 736 pixels wide, not the file that was uploaded. Animated pins come down as a single static frame. For a mood board, a print, or a design file, that is usually not enough.

Good: zero setup, works right now. Trade-off: preview resolution only, no GIF motion, one image at a time.

Best when you cannot install anything

Online downloader sites

These are websites where you paste a pin's link and get a file back. Their real appeal is that they need nothing installed and run in any browser, including on a phone. The trade-offs add up quickly, though: it is one pin pasted at a time with no way to grab a whole board, the pages tend to be heavy with ads and redirects, video support is hit or miss, and the resolution is often capped. There is also a privacy cost that is easy to miss — you are sending the link you want to a third-party server you know nothing about, rather than keeping the download inside your own browser.

Good: no install, works on any device. Trade-off: one pin at a time, no board ZIP, ads, and your link goes to someone else's server.

Last resort

A screenshot

Always available, needs no tools, and works on any device. It is also the lowest-quality option on the list: you capture only what fits on your screen at screen resolution, the image is re-compressed, you have to crop out the interface by hand, and there is no way to do it in bulk or capture motion. Reach for it when nothing else is possible, not when quality counts.

Good: universal, instant. Trade-off: screen resolution, lossy, manual, one at a time.

FAQ

Common questions

What is the highest-resolution way to download a Pinterest image?

A downloader browser extension requests the original uploaded file, so it saves the image at full resolution instead of the resized preview the pin page shows (commonly 736 pixels wide). Right-click, Pinterest's own menu, and most online sites save that smaller displayed copy.

Can I download a whole Pinterest board at once?

Yes. A downloader extension can package every pin on a board — images, GIFs, and videos — into a single ZIP file, with board sections kept as folders. Right-click, Pinterest's built-in option, and online downloader sites all work one image at a time.

Does right-clicking save the full-resolution image?

No. Right-click and Save image as saves the copy the page is displaying, commonly 736 pixels wide, not the original upload. For animated pins it usually saves a single static frame instead of the moving GIF.

Can I download Pinterest videos and GIFs?

A downloader extension handles video and animated GIF pins. Right-click and Pinterest's built-in download option generally do not — they save a still image.

Do I need a Pinterest account or login to download?

No account or login is needed. You can save a single pin, a pasted pin link, or a whole board as one ZIP, whichever you need.

Can I download from Pinterest on a phone?

The extension is for desktop Chrome. On a phone the realistic options are Pinterest's own Download option where it appears, or a screenshot — both limited to a single image at the displayed size.

How do I save a Pinterest picture to my computer?

On a computer, hover the pin and use a downloader extension to get the original file, or right-click and Save image as for a quick copy — that gives the resized preview, commonly 736 pixels wide, not the full-size upload. Pinterest's own menu offers a download on some pins too.

Want the original quality, or a whole board?

That is the one job only an extension does well. Install takes a few seconds, there is no account, and it works the moment you are back on Pinterest.