SVG to ICO Converter
Starting a favicon from SVG is the best case: each icon size is drawn fresh from the vector instead of being shrunk from a large bitmap, so the 16 px version stays as crisp as the pixel grid allows.
Image Converter
or drop JPG, JPEG, JPE … files here ·
Max 95 MB per file· Up to 20 files· Deleted after 30 minutes
Files are processed on our servers and deleted after 30 minutes.
85 keeps photos visually identical to the original. Lower it only when you need a smaller file.
JPG, BMP and EPS have no transparency. Transparent pixels are filled with this color.
Hex color used behind transparent pixels, e.g. #FFFFFF.
This format holds a single image. Choose GIF or WebP output if you want to keep the animation.
A multi-size icon contains several resolutions in one file; browsers and operating systems pick the one they need.
Keep the original dimensions, or enter one side and the aspect ratio is kept.
Pixels for the side you chose above.
Percentage of the original dimensions.
sRGB is right for screens and the web. Keep the original for print workflows; grayscale discards color.
Metadata only, 0 keeps the original value. Printers and some portals read this number; it does not change pixel dimensions.
How to use this tool
- 1
Upload the SVG logo
Use the mark or monogram, not the full wordmark. A square viewBox gives the cleanest result.
- 2
Keep all icon sizes
Icon sizes starts at All sizes (16–256), which packs every resolution into one .ico. Pick a single size only when a program asks for exactly one.
- 3
Press Convert to ICO
Save the file as favicon.ico in your site's root folder, or point a Windows shortcut at it.
How do I convert SVG to ICO for a favicon?
Upload the SVG, keep Icon sizes on All sizes (16–256) and press Convert to ICO. You get one .ico with every resolution drawn from the vector, transparency intact.
SVG to ICO converter: why vector is the right source
The .ico format dates from early versions of Windows, and the favicon.ico convention to Internet Explorer 5 in 1999, which looked for a file of that name in the root of every site you bookmarked. An ICO is a small container: a directory of entries, each a separate square bitmap, so one file can hold a 16 px tab icon and a 256 px desktop icon side by side. Windows Vista raised the maximum to 256 × 256 and allowed those large entries to be stored as PNG.
Because each entry is its own bitmap, the quality of an icon depends on how each size was produced. From a PNG, every size is a downscale of the same pixels. From an SVG, every size is a fresh render of the paths, with anti-aliasing calculated for that exact grid. At 16 × 16 px, where a logo has 256 pixels to work with, that difference is visible.
16 × 16 px
16 × 16
Browser tabs, bookmarks and history lists.
32 × 32 px
32 × 32
Tabs on high-density screens, Windows taskbar shortcuts.
64 × 64 px
64 × 64
Scaled desktop views and pinned items.
128 × 128 px
128 × 128
Large previews in file managers.
256 × 256 px
256 × 256
The largest ICO entry; Explorer extra large icons.
SVG
Scalable Vector Graphics
SVG is an XML-based vector format standardised by the W3C in 2001. Instead of pixels it describes shapes, paths and text, so it stays sharp at any size and is usually tiny for logos and icons. It supports transparency, CSS styling, scripting and animation, and every browser renders it natively. SVG is unsuitable for photographs, and complex illustrations can become slow to render. Illustrator, Inkscape, Figma and browsers can open and edit it.
- Compression
- –
- Transparency
- Yes
- Animation
- Yes
- Introduced
- 2001 · W3C
ICO
Windows icon
ICO is the Microsoft icon format used for Windows program icons and website favicons. One .ico file can contain several images at different sizes, such as 16×16, 32×32, 48×48 and 256×256 pixels, so the system can pick the best fit. Each image can be stored as a bitmap or as PNG data and supports full alpha transparency. ICO is not meant for photos or large artwork. Browsers, Windows and most icon editors can read it.
- Compression
- Lossless
- Transparency
- Yes
- Animation
- No
- Introduced
- Microsoft
People convert SVG to ICO because their logo exists as a vector and the website root, a Windows shortcut or a desktop app still expects one .ico file that holds several bitmap sizes.
Prepare the SVG before you convert SVG to ICO
| Do | Don't |
|---|---|
Set the viewBox to a square, such as 0 0 512 512. | Rely on hairline strokes that vanish below 32 px. |
| Leave a small margin so the mark does not touch the icon edge. | Keep a wide wordmark that turns into a thin smudge. |
| Convert text to outlines so the font does not change. | Reference external images or web fonts inside the SVG. |
| Use the symbol or initials, not the full name. | Add a white rectangle behind the logo unless you want it in dark tabs too. |
The converter renders what the SVG describes and nothing else, so linked assets and fonts that are not embedded cannot be fetched. Design tools such as Figma, Illustrator and Inkscape can export text as paths; do that and the letters will match your brand everywhere.
Once the .ico is done, add a 180 px PNG for Apple touch icons and the SVG itself for browsers that support vector favicons; SVG to PNG produces the PNG at any size. If your source is a bitmap logo instead, PNG to ICO handles the same job from pixels.
Convert SVG to ICO: questions
Why use an SVG to ICO converter instead of starting from a PNG?
A PNG has to be scaled down for every icon size, and downscaling blurs edges. An SVG is rendered directly at 16, 32, 64, 128 and 256 px, so each size gets sharp edges for its own pixel grid.
Do browsers still need favicon.ico if my site has an SVG icon?
Chrome and Firefox read an SVG favicon declared with a link tag, but many browsers, feed readers and crawlers still request /favicon.ico from the site root by default. Shipping both covers everything.
What happens if my SVG is not square?
Icon slots are square, so a wide logo either gets empty margins or looks tiny. Edit the viewBox to equal width and height first, or crop a square version with the crop image tool after exporting a PNG.
Is the transparent background kept in the ICO?
Yes. ICO stores an alpha channel, so areas without fill in the SVG stay transparent and the icon sits cleanly on light and dark browser tabs.
Can I convert SVG to ICO for a Windows program or folder icon?
Yes, the same file works. Windows reads the 256 px image for large and extra large Explorer views and the smaller entries for lists and the taskbar.
Why does my icon look empty at 16 px?
Thin strokes and small text disappear at that size. A 2-unit stroke in a 512-unit artboard renders at well under one pixel in a 16 px icon. Thicken lines or use a simpler mark for the favicon.
Other icon converters
- PNG to ICO ConverterChange PNG to ICO online: one .ico file holding every size from 16 to 256 px, transparency kept. For favicons and Windows shortcuts. Free, no account.
- JPG to ICO ConverterConvert a JPG or JPEG to an .ico file with 16, 32, 64, 128 and 256 px sizes inside, for a website favicon or a Windows shortcut. No account needed.
- ICO to PNG ConverterConvert .ico files to PNG with the transparent background kept. Pulls the largest image stored in the icon, so favicons and Windows icons come out sharp.
- SVG to PNG ConverterRasterize SVG logos and icons to PNG at the width you choose, 1024 px by default, with the transparent background intact. Learn how DPI relates to pixels.
- PNG to ICO 256x256 ConverterMake a 256 × 256 ICO from a PNG for Windows Extra large icons, app installers and Electron builds. Transparency kept, one size per file, no account.
- Image to ICO ConverterTurn any image into a multi-size .ico for a favicon or Windows shortcut. Accepts PNG, JPG, SVG, WebP, HEIC and more; 16 to 256 px in one file.