Format guide
SVG vs PNG: Which Format Should You Use?
SVG and PNG are both common web image formats, but they are built for different jobs. SVG is a vector format that stores shapes, paths, and text-like instructions. PNG is a raster format that stores a fixed grid of pixels. Choosing between them affects sharpness, compatibility, file size, and how easy the image is to edit later.
Use SVG when the image needs to scale
SVG is usually the better source format for icons, logos, simple diagrams, and interface artwork. A single SVG can render cleanly at 16 pixels, 64 pixels, or 1024 pixels because the browser draws the shapes at the requested size. This makes SVG especially useful for responsive websites and design systems where the same icon may appear in many contexts.
SVG is also editable. Designers and developers can adjust colors, strokes, paths, and symbols without redrawing a bitmap. For product teams, this makes SVG a strong master format even if the final delivery format is sometimes PNG.
Use PNG when compatibility matters
PNG is a safer delivery format in places where SVG support is limited or inconsistent. Email templates, document editors, CMS uploads, marketplace forms, and social platforms often handle PNG more predictably than SVG. PNG also preserves transparency, which makes it useful for logos, stickers, badges, and icons that need to sit on many backgrounds.
The tradeoff is that PNG has a fixed pixel size. If you enlarge it too much, it becomes blurry. That is why you should export PNG at the size you actually need, or at a higher scale such as 2x or 3x for high-density screens.
File size is not always obvious
For simple icons, SVG can be extremely small. For complex illustrations with many paths, filters, masks, and embedded data, SVG can become larger than a raster export. PNG can also be heavy if exported at a large size. The best choice depends on the artwork and the final use case, so it is worth testing both formats for important assets.
A practical rule
Keep SVG as your source format when the artwork is vector-based. Export PNG when you need a fixed, widely compatible image. If you are preparing a logo for a website header, SVG may be best. If you are adding the same logo to an email campaign, PNG is often safer. If you are uploading an icon to a platform that rejects SVG, convert it to PNG at the required dimensions.