PNG vs SVG: Choosing Between Raster and Vector Graphics

PNG and SVG are both common for logos and icons, but they work in completely different ways. PNG is a raster format: a grid of pixels. SVG is a vector format: a text file that describes shapes, lines and text mathematically. That difference decides which one you should use.

How each format works

PNG stores every pixel losslessly, with optional transparency. It looks perfect at its native size, but enlarging it makes edges blurry or blocky, because there are no extra pixels to show.

SVG stores instructions such as "draw a circle here, filled with this colour". The browser renders them at whatever size is needed, so an SVG logo is equally sharp in a favicon and on a billboard. SVG files are XML text, so they can be edited in a text editor, styled with CSS and compressed well by servers.

When SVG is the better choice

• Logos that were designed as vectors, which is most professional logos.
• Icons and simple illustrations made of flat shapes.
• Graphics shown at many sizes, or on high-density screens where PNGs would need several versions.
• Graphics you want to recolour or animate with CSS.

For simple shapes SVG files are usually very small. A complex illustration with thousands of paths can still produce a large SVG, so it is not automatically lighter.

When PNG is the better choice

• Screenshots, which are pixels to begin with.
• Detailed artwork with textures, gradients and effects that would need an enormous SVG.
• Logos you only have as an image. Saving a PNG as SVG does not make it a vector; the SVG would just wrap the pixels.
• Places that do not accept SVG, such as many social media uploads, some email clients and document editors.

For photographs, neither is ideal: use JPG, WebP or AVIF.

Accessibility and search

Both formats need a text alternative. For an <img> element, whether it points to a PNG or an SVG, that is the alt attribute. Inline SVG can carry a <title> element and ARIA attributes. Search engines can index images in both formats; descriptive alt text and surrounding content matter far more than the file type.

Security note for SVG

Because SVG is code, it can contain scripts and external references. Only use SVG files from sources you trust, and if your site lets users upload SVGs, sanitise them or serve them in a way that prevents scripts from running.

Practical tips

• Keep the original vector file of your logo and export PNGs from it when a platform needs a raster image.
• When you need a PNG at several sizes, export each one from the vector rather than resizing a single PNG.
• For PNGs on a website, consider converting them to WebP with the PNG to WebP tool for smaller files, keeping transparency.
• To embed a small icon directly in HTML or CSS, the Image to Base64 tool encodes PNG and SVG files as data URIs.