SVG vs PNG Icons: Which Format Should You Use?
Every icon on Infyicon downloads in both formats, and "which one do I take?" is the question we get most. The short answer: SVG when the tool accepts it, PNG when it does not. The long answer is worth two minutes, because the details decide how good your icons look.
What each format actually is
SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) stores the icon as geometry — paths and curves in XML text. It scales to any size with zero quality loss and can be restyled with CSS or an editor.
PNG stores a grid of pixels at one fixed size. It is universally supported and predictable, but scale it beyond its native size and it blurs.
Sharpness and file size
A typical icon is 1-4 KB as SVG and looks identical at 16px and 1600px. The same icon as PNG needs a separate file per size — which is why Infyicon ships seven PNG sizes from 16 to 512px. For simple shapes, SVG is almost always the smaller file too.
Recoloring and editing
SVG wins outright: CSS can recolor an inline SVG live, and tools like our SVG editor can restyle, animate, or convert it. A PNG's colors are baked in — to change them you re-export from the source (the icon-page color swatches do this for you, generating a tinted PNG on the fly).
Compatibility
PNG works literally everywhere: old Office versions, email clients, chat apps, video editors, game engines. SVG is fully supported by every modern browser, Figma, and current Office — but many video tools (DaVinci Resolve included) and messaging apps still want raster images.
The practical rules
Websites and apps: SVG. Figma and design tools: SVG. Modern PowerPoint/Word: SVG. Google Docs/Slides, email signatures, video timelines, chat: PNG (512px, transparent). Print at large sizes: SVG converted to EPS or PDF. When unsure, take both — they are two buttons apart on every icon page.