Graphic designers and web developers use SVG and ICO image formats to produce stunning web products. Both formats support transparency and animation and are high-quality, so users often struggle to determine which format to use.
This article helps users compare the technical attributes of ICO vs. SVG, including web performance, browser support, structure, storage, file size, compression, image quality, transparency, and animation.
When is SVG better than ICO?
SVG images are smaller, consume fewer bytes, necessitate less storage space, and enhance online user experience, while ICO images are multilayered, larger, need more memory, and consume more bytes, hence decreasing online user experience.
The SVG format is suitable for producing sharp and flexible application icons and interactive visual aids of varying sizes that swiftly update in real-time. The advantages of SVG include its ease of editing using JavaScript and CSS and its ability to be highly web-responsive, making it suitable for high-quality animations and hyperlinks.
When is ICO better than SVG?
ICO images are widely supported and recognized by different applications, platforms, and operating systems, including Android, iOS, Linux, and MacOS, while SVG images are compatible with operating systems like macOS and Windows but incompatible with Linux, iOS, and Android.
The ICO file type is suitable for creating desktop shortcuts to folders, files, or apps on a computer and ensuring that the icons appear professional and high-pitched.
ICO versus SVG Comparison Table
| Element | ICO | SVG |
| Transparency | Supports transparency | Supports transparency |
| File Size | Larger files than SVG files. | Smaller files than ICO files |
| Image Quality | High-quality images. | High-quality images. |
| Performance | Larger and loads slower than SVG. | Smaller and loads slower than ICO. |
| Structure | Vector graphics: Has an Icon directory, image mask, bitmap data, a block, and the AND bitmap. | Vector graphics: Has XML markup language and XML code specifying shapes, paths, colors, and texts. |
| Animation | Supports animations. | Supports animations. |
| Storage | Needs more memory or storage space than SVG. | Needs less memory or storage space than ICO. |
| Compression | Supports lossless compression. | Supports lossless compression. |
| Browser Support | Limited browser support compared to SVG. | Wider web browsers compared to ICO. |
Differences and similarities between ICO and SVG images
SVG and ICO files are vector graphic formats identical in animation, lossless compression, and transparency support. However, according to the comparison table above, SVG versus ICO differ in structure, web browser support, file size, web performance, storage needs, and image quality.
Transparency
SVG and ICO file types support transparency. SVG files have the 'Default' transparent background. The file format is based on HML, which is integrally transparent. As a result, its support for transparency permits designers to create transparent images easily embedded over other web elements.
Conversely, an ICO file or image allows developers to add semi-transparent areas such as glass-like effects, shadows to an image, and anti-aliasing. It supports icons with varying dimensions, different transparency levels, and color depths. The file format supports 8 bits of transparency.
File Size
The ICO files are larger than SVG files. While both formats store lossless files, ICO has multiple images of varying sizes kept in a single file, unlike the SVG file format, which creates and stores images defined using mathematical equations rather than pixels.
SVG complex photographs or images have no definite file size limits but are significantly smaller than ICO files. Thus, ICO files' multiple images of varying color depths and sizes increase their overall file size.
Image Quality
SVG images are of higher quality than ICO images. The ICO file format supports a maximum bit depth of 24 bits of colors and 8 bits of transparency, allowing it to generate highly detailed icons.
SVG image attributes, namely color, shape, lines, and curves, are preserved during compression, hence the high-quality SVG image. The image format has no bit depth as other bitmap image formats because it is created and stored differently using formulas, numbers, or a set of commands.
Performance
ICO stores multiple images in a single file, each significantly larger than SVG images. The gzip algorithms SVG uses and the TinyPNG or PNGOUT algorithms used to compress ICO files preserve all image data. ICO files load slowly on websites, incur more bandwidth costs, and consume more bytes than SVG files.
Structure
SVG and ICO files are vector-based; their structures differ but are exciting to compare. SVG stores images using mathematical formulas, which define and anchor images on grid lines, points, shapes, and curves. The files use the XML markup language to describe vector-based graphics. Their XML code is embedded directly into HTML documents or XML texts.
The SVG files are inserted and saved to the SVG file. Scripting languages like JavaScript and CSS interactively manipulate or animate every feature and element within the SVG file. The XML codes specify all texts, colors, paths, and shapes and store and transfer digital data.
In contrast, ICO has an Icon directory (ICONDIR) with the ICONDIRENTRY for each image in the ICO file. A contiguous block with image bitmap data closely follows the image file. ICO also has the AND bitmap – the XOR bitmap and an image mask.
The image bitmap data is in PNG or Windows BMP format, excluding the BITMAPFILEHEADER structure. It contains multiple or a single small image with different color depths and sizes. The multiple sizes of an ICO image permit the scalability of each icon.
Animation
SVG and ICO files support animations and live photos. An ICO file comprises icon features that customize websites that support multiple color depths and resolutions. These features allow ICO file extensions to be animated.
Similarly, the SVG file extension has a markup that supports lively content and presents website animations. The file format is accessible from JavaScript, a feature allowing SVG files to support animation elements through scripting or CSS.
Storage
An ICO file format stores data in icons for folders, files, and programs. The stored data are encrypted to safeguard against unsanctioned processing or access. In contrast, the SVG file format is written in XML code and stores image information or text data as literal texts instead of shapes.
Irrespective of the file sizes, the storage period for the ICO and SVG files depends on the handling process, condition, and storage medium. Both formats store data indefinitely, with SVG storing data in XML text and HTML documents. SVG data is stored in File Systems, Cloud, HDD, and Content Delivery Networks.
Compression
ICO and SVG file formats support lossless compression, which minimizes file sizes while preserving image details, higher quality levels, and larger file sizes. For instance, SVG images are compressed using the gzip algorithm, which produces 20-50% smaller images than the original file.
On the other hand, TinyPNG or PNGOUT algorithms compress ICO files into a slightly larger file size or zero compression. The resulting ICO (PNGOUT) file is nearly an exact image or file. The compression algorithms ensure details and image quality are preserved.
Browser Support
SVG and ICO are popular file formats in the digital space. However, SVG enjoys broader support and compatibility across most web browsers and graphic design tools than ICO. SVG is supported by Safari, Chrome, Firefox, Edge, IE, Brave, Discord, Vivaldi, Opera, and Samsung Internet.
ICO files lack universal web browser support and is only compatible with Edge, Firefox, Chrome, and Opera. Old browsers, such as Internet Explorer which hardly supports scaling icons, do not support ICO file format. Safari is compatible with or supports only ICO file previews.
Converting SVG to ICO or ICO to SVG
Convertjack can help you convert SVG to ICO quickly and easily. ICO files hold multiple images with different sizes and color depths and enable web developers and graphic designers to store icons in a single file, making it easier and flexible to create icons for screen displays at varying resolution levels.
Convertjack is an efficient ICO to SVG converter. SVG files are preferred because they are info-rich, easier to manipulate, high-quality, and highly scalable up or down while preserving the image resolutions.