The Best SVG Optimizer Tools in 2025

There’s no single best SVG optimizer — the right tool depends on where you are in your workflow, your team size, and whether you want a local tool or a hosted service. This guide compares the major options side by side.

SVGO CLI

SVGO is the open-source standard. Almost every other SVG optimization tool uses it under the hood. Running it directly gives you the most control.

npm install -g svgo
svgo icon.svg -o icon.min.svg --multipass

Pros:

• Free, open-source, battle-tested
• Highly configurable via svgo.config.js
• Works offline, no API key required
• Integrates into any Node.js build pipeline

Cons:

• Requires Node.js installed locally or in CI
• Default config needs tuning for some edge cases
• You’re responsible for keeping it updated
• No batch API — you call it per-file or write a script

Best for: developers who want full control and already have Node.js in their workflow. See the complete SVGO guide.

SVGOMG (web app)

SVGOMG is a browser-based UI built on top of SVGO, available at svgomg.net. Drag and drop an SVG, toggle plugins, see a live preview.

Pros:

• No installation, works in any browser
• Visual preview of each change
• Good for exploring what SVGO can do

Cons:

• Manual, one file at a time
• Can’t integrate into a build pipeline
• Files are processed in the browser (fine for most cases)

Best for: designers who want a quick one-off optimization without touching the terminal.

svg.dog

svg.dog provides a hosted REST API for SVG optimization. Drop an SVG file in the web UI or call the API from your code.

curl -X POST https://api.svg.dog/v1/optimize \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_KEY" \
  -F "file=@icon.svg" -o icon.min.svg

Pros:

• Works from any language or environment — no Node.js required
• Always uses the latest SVGO version with a tuned config
• Batch endpoint for multiple files in one request
• Returns savings percentage in response headers
• 500 free optimizations per month

Cons:

• Requires internet access (no offline use)
• API key needed for most features

Best for: teams that want zero-maintenance optimization as part of a CI/CD pipeline, or anyone working outside a Node.js environment. See the SVG optimization API guide.

Figma export settings

Figma’s built-in SVG export includes options that reduce file size before any post-processing:

• Flatten copy before export — merges layers, removes editor structure
• Simplify stroke — converts strokes to path outlines where appropriate
• Include “id” attribute — disable this if you don’t need DOM targeting

Figma export optimization alone is not enough — you still need to run SVGO afterward. But better export settings mean SVGO has less to clean up.

Best for: designers as a first pass before handing files to developers.

Inkscape

Inkscape is a free desktop SVG editor that can also optimize on export via File → Save As → Optimized SVG. It runs a subset of SVGO-style optimizations. The output is generally not as clean as running SVGO directly.

Best for: users who already work in Inkscape and want to optimize without leaving the app.

Comparison table

Which should you use?

For individual files: SVGOMG is the fastest option with no setup.

For Node.js projects: SVGO CLI installed as a dev dependency gives you the most control with no external dependencies.

For teams or non-Node projects: the svg.dog API is the lowest-maintenance path — one HTTP request, always optimized, works in Python, Ruby, Go, or any language.

Want a focused comparison? See our tool alternative guides for SVGOMG, SVGO, and Squoosh — when each wins and when svg.dog is the better fit.

In all cases, pair your optimizer with HTTP compression for maximum transfer size reduction.