Free online SVG to SVGZ converter

SVGZ is useful when a web server, application, email workflow, or archive requires a smaller gzip-compressed SVG. Converting preserves the vector data and can reduce transfer and storage size without changing the rendered image.

What the SVG format is

SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) is an XML-based vector format used for logos, icons, diagrams, maps, illustrations, and interface graphics. Paths, text, colors, gradients, animation, scripting, metadata, and embedded raster images can be stored in the file. Vector artwork scales without the pixelation associated with raster images.

Inkscape, Adobe Illustrator, CorelDRAW, Figma, Affinity Designer, web browsers, and many design or technical applications can create, edit, display, or export SVG files. Because SVG is text-based XML, it is also suitable for version control and direct inspection, although unused elements and repeated markup can make files large.

What the SVGZ format is

SVGZ is an SVG document compressed with GZIP, usually identified by the .svgz extension. It is not a separate drawing format: decompressing it produces the original SVG XML. GZIP compression is lossless, so it does not change paths, dimensions, colors, text, scripts, or rendering quality.

SVGZ can reduce download and storage size substantially because SVG source contains repetitive XML text. Use it for web delivery, downloads, email attachments, or archives when the receiving software supports compressed SVG. Compression does not optimize the SVG itself; it does not remove metadata, unused elements, scripts, or embedded images.

How to convert SVG to SVGZ

Using gzip

On Linux, macOS, Windows with WSL, or any system with GZIP installed, run:

gzip -c drawing.svg > drawing.svgz

The -c option writes the compressed data to a new file and leaves drawing.svg unchanged. For maximum compression, use gzip -9 -c drawing.svg > drawing.svgz; the higher level may take longer and usually produces only a small additional reduction.

To decompress the file again, run:

gzip -cd drawing.svgz > drawing.svg

On Windows, a compatible archive utility can also create or extract a GZIP stream, but ensure that the result is a GZIP-compressed SVG with the .svgz extension rather than a ZIP archive containing an SVG.

Using desktop software

Inkscape can usually create SVGZ through File → Save As or File → Save a Copy; select a file type named Compressed SVG, SVGZ, or similar. Menu labels and available formats vary by Inkscape version. Open the saved file or decompress it with GZIP to verify the result.

Some versions of Adobe Illustrator and other vector editors provide an SVGZ option under their save or export formats, but support is version-dependent. If no SVGZ option appears, use GZIP after exporting a normal SVG instead of changing the file extension manually.

Using 101convert.com

You can convert the file on 101convert.com for free without installing software. Upload the SVG, choose SVGZ as the output format, start the conversion, and download the resulting .svgz file. For confidential artwork, use a local GZIP or desktop workflow instead of uploading the source.

Quality and compatibility limits

SVGZ conversion is lossless, but compatibility is not universal. Some image editors, document systems, older browsers, and upload services accept only uncompressed SVG. If an SVGZ file will not open, decompress it with gzip -d drawing.svgz or an archive utility and use the resulting .svg file.

For web delivery, configure the server to return Content-Type: image/svg+xml. A precompressed SVGZ file generally also requires Content-Encoding: gzip, while the server must avoid applying a second GZIP layer. Incorrect headers can cause a browser to download the file, reject it, or display it incorrectly. Test the deployed file in the browsers and applications that will receive it.

Keep the original SVG when future editing, text-based version control, or maximum application compatibility matters. SVGZ is a compressed delivery or storage form, not a replacement for an editable source workflow.