How they differ
SVG stores shapes, paths and colours as instructions, so it stays sharp at any size and is often tiny. It is a text-based format, so a browser draws it fresh at whatever size is needed. PNG stores a fixed grid of pixels, so enlarging it makes it blurry, and it records every pixel even in flat areas, which can make large images heavy.
In short, SVG is the better fit when the image is built from shapes, and PNG is the better fit when the image is made of pixels, such as a screenshot or a scan. Neither is better in every situation, so the choice depends on the content and on where the file will be used.
When to use SVG
Logos, icons, simple illustrations and charts on websites. SVG files can be styled and scaled without losing quality, and a single file can serve a small phone screen and a large display equally well. Flat colours and clean shapes are where SVG usually gives the smallest files.
SVG is also handy because the colours can often be changed in code, which lets one icon appear in light and dark themes. Very complex artwork with thousands of shapes can, however, make an SVG larger and slower to draw than a PNG.
When to use PNG
Screenshots, pictures with complex detail, and places that do not accept SVG, such as many social networks and email programs. PNG is lossless, so text in screenshots stays crisp, and it supports transparency. For ordinary photographs, JPG or WebP is usually smaller than PNG.
Choose PNG when you need a fixed result that looks identical everywhere, such as an image attached to an email, a presentation slide or a social post.
A worked example (illustrative)
Say you have a simple logo made of three shapes. As an SVG it might be only a few KB and look perfect on a business card, a website header and a billboard. As a PNG at 200 pixels wide it will look fine on a web page but soft if someone stretches it to poster size.
Now say a social network asks for an image upload and rejects SVG. You export the logo as a PNG at 1024 pixels wide, which gives you room to be scaled down, and upload that instead. Keep the SVG as your master copy, so you can export a fresh PNG at any other size later without losing sharpness.
Converting SVG to PNG
Choose the width you need, for example 1024 pixels, and render the SVG at that size. Transparent areas stay transparent in the PNG. It is better to render at the size you need than to render small and enlarge later, because enlarging a PNG cannot recover detail.
If you need several sizes, such as 256, 512 and 1024 pixels, render each one from the SVG separately. Check the edges on a dark and a light background to confirm that transparency looks right.
Common mistakes
- Using a PNG for a logo and then stretching it past its size
- Converting a photo to SVG and expecting a small file
- Rendering a PNG too small and enlarging it later
- Forgetting that some programs ignore or restrict SVG
- Deleting the SVG after exporting, so no sharp master remains
Most of these come from treating the two formats as interchangeable. They are best used together: SVG as the editable master and PNG as the export for places that need pixels.
Be careful with untrusted SVG files
An SVG can contain scripts and other active content, not just shapes. Only open SVG files from sources you trust, and be cautious with files from unknown emails or websites.
Quick checklist
- Flat logo or icon for the web: SVG
- Photo or complex image: JPG, WebP or PNG
- Platform rejects SVG: export a PNG
- Choose the PNG width before you export
- Keep the SVG as the master
Doing it with DoneImg in your browser
Open the convert tool, add your SVG and choose PNG as the output. Set the width you need, and download the result. Transparent areas stay transparent.
The conversion happens in your browser, so your file is not uploaded. Even so, only open SVG files you trust.
Afterwards you can use the compress tool on the PNG if the file is heavier than you would like, or the resize tool to make smaller versions.