An Inkscape Trace Bitmap alternative, with measurements.
Inkscape is free, open source and runs offline, and its Trace Bitmap tool turns a raster into paths you can edit on the spot. pic2svg does one job in the browser: trace the image and hand you the file. We have measured both on the same three images; here is what came out, and when each is the right tool.
For full-colour artwork you want as a finished file without installing anything, yes. In our measured run, Inkscape's 8-scan colour trace returned 4 to 8 colour layers per image and its exported SVG still contained the original bitmap, while our engine returned 8 to 326 filled paths with no embedded bitmap. Inkscape is the better choice when the image must stay on your computer, when you need centre-line tracing for a plotter, or when you want to edit the paths in the same app. Both are free for SVG.
Trace preset:Balanced▼
Applies to images you add next — each one traces as it lands.
The SVG download is free — no account needed.
Transparent areas become white shapes, and larger images are scaled down to about 0.6 megapixels before tracing.
Your image is uploaded to pic2svg's own server to be traced. What we keep, and for how long
Other formats, plans and licences
PDF, EPS, AI (EPS-based) and DXF come with a paid plan, and every new account gets 7 days of Pro free. The free plan and Starter carry a personal-use licence; commercial use needs Pro, and resale needs Advanced — see the licence row on the pricing page.
What did each tool produce on the same images?
From our offline benchmark, run on 2026-09-28: Inkscape 1.4.4 Trace Bitmap (headless, 8 colour scans, smoothing on, stacking off) and the pic2svg engine (vtracer 0.6.15, Balanced, automatic mode), each fed the PNG directly. The engine has changed since that run, so a trace today can differ; these rows are that run.
Source: /offline-vector-converter-benchmark/ · /loop06/raw-measurements.json
| Input | Inkscape Trace Bitmap | pic2svg engine |
|---|---|---|
| App icon, 180 × 180 PNG, 205 colours | 7 paths in 7 colours; the 180 × 180 bitmap still embedded (29,689 bytes, 20,869 without it) | 326 paths in 148 colours; no embedded bitmap (71,502 bytes) |
| Social card, 1200 × 630 PNG, 257 colours | 8 paths in 8 colours; bitmap embedded (551,569 bytes, 462,368 without it) | 125 paths in 83 colours; no embedded bitmap (21,388 bytes) |
| Flat test image, 800 × 600 PNG, 6 colours | 4 paths in 4 colours, so four of the six colours came back; bitmap embedded (6,759 bytes) | 8 paths in 8 colours; no embedded bitmap (23,273 bytes) |
What the numbers mean
Path counts are not a quality score. These are the differences that change what you do next.
Inkscape keeps your original image
Inkscape places the traced paths “exactly above your picture”, and in our command-line export the SVG still carried the bitmap. In the app you delete or move the bitmap yourself; if you forget, the file is not a pure vector. pic2svg's SVG never contains a bitmap.
Few colour layers versus many
With 8 scans Inkscape gives at most 8 colour layers, which keeps files simple but can lose colours: a six-colour image came back with four. vtracer is not limited to a fixed number of layers, so photos and soft edges produce far more paths.
Inkscape can trace centre lines
Its single-scan modes include “Centerline tracing (autotrace)”, which gives single strokes for pen plotters and engravers. pic2svg traces filled outline shapes only.
When is each one the better choice?
Choose Inkscape when the image must stay offline
Inkscape runs entirely on your computer. pic2svg uploads every image to its own server and has no offline build.
Choose Inkscape when you will edit right away
Tracing inside a full vector editor means you can clean up nodes, recolour and lay out text in the same window.
Choose pic2svg for colour detail without settings
The engine decides between straight-edged and curved tracing from the image itself and is not limited to a fixed number of colour layers; you only pick one of two presets.
Choose pic2svg for many files or other formats
After a free sign-in it traces up to 12 images in one batch, and one trace exports to PDF, EPS, AI and DXF on the paid plans; see image to DXF.
Inkscape Trace Bitmap alternative questions
- Where is Trace Bitmap in Inkscape?
- Select the image and open Path ‣ Trace Bitmap, or press Shift+Alt+B. It offers single-scan modes (brightness cutoff, edge detection, colour quantization, autotrace and centerline tracing) and multiple scans for colour.
- Why is my Inkscape SVG still so large after tracing?
- The original bitmap is usually still in the document. Delete it, then save; in our run removing it would have cut the social-card file from 551,569 to 462,368 bytes. Our guide on how to check if an SVG is a real vector shows how to spot an embedded image.
- Is pic2svg free like Inkscape?
- Tracing, preview and the SVG download are free and need no account. PDF needs Starter or higher, and EPS, AI and DXF need Pro or Advanced. Inkscape is free for every format it saves.
- Can I reproduce these measurements?
- Yes. The offline converter benchmark prints the exact commands, the tool versions and the raw JSON for every number on this page.
Related converters and guides
Vectorizer.AI alternative
How pic2svg and Vectorizer.AI compare on price, formats, size limits and uploads.
Vector Magic alternative
How pic2svg and Vector Magic compare, and when its desktop edition fits better.
Verify an SVG
Four tests that tell a real vector SVG from a bitmap in disguise.