VectorTrace vs Vector Magic
Vector Magic has been doing this since before most of the alternatives existed. The differences worth knowing are architectural, not marketing.
- Product
- Vector Magic
- Checked
- 2026-08-26
- Rule
- Sourced and dated
- Price
- Free preview
Side by side
| Side by side | vectortrace | Vector Magic |
|---|---|---|
| Where the image is processed | The image is traced by WebAssembly in a Web Worker in your own tab. It is never uploaded, so there is nothing to store, delete or leak. | Their online tool is a hosted service that takes an upload; they also sell a desktop application that runs locally. Check which one you are using.Source · checked 2026-08-26 |
| What you install | Nothing. A page and a WebAssembly module loaded on first interaction. | Nothing for the online tool; a desktop application if you want local processing.Source · checked 2026-08-26 |
| Pricing model | Previews are free and unlimited. Downloads need Pro at €9.00 per month or €69.00 per year, tax inclusive. | Subscription for the online tool and a one-off price for the desktop application, per their pricing page. We link rather than quote.Source · checked 2026-08-26 |
| Public API | POST /api/v1/vectorize with a generated OpenAPI 3.1 document. | Check their site for current API availability and terms.Source · checked 2026-08-26 |
| Cutter-oriented output | Cutout tracing plus DXF and EPS exporters aimed at plotters, lasers and RIPs. | Several vector formats are listed on their site; confirm the current list there.Source · checked 2026-08-26 |
Worth knowing
Vector Magic offers an online tool and a desktop application. The online tool uploads; the desktop application does not, and it is a paid download. That split is a reasonable answer to the same problem we solved differently.
VectorTrace answers it by putting the engine in the browser: the page is the tool, the tracing is local, and there is nothing to install. The cost of that choice is that the engine has to fit in a WebAssembly module and run on your CPU, which shapes what it can do.
We have not run a quality comparison against Vector Magic and are not going to describe one we have not run. When the benchmark corpus produces figures, they will appear here with the date and version attached.
What we have not measured
- On your own artwork, which result needs less cleanup before it is usable? That is the only quality metric that pays for itself.
- If you need local processing, are you comparing our browser engine with their desktop application, or with their online tool? They are different products with different properties.
Benchmark
Measured, not marketed. The corpus, the method and every figure the run produced are published in full.
Methodology → /benchmarks- boundary error, p95
- 0.39 px
- region-count error
- 0.113
- node-count ratio
- 6.35×
Why vectortrace
- Ticket 1 / 3
In-browser and private
The engine is WebAssembly running in a worker on your own machine. Your image is never uploaded — so there is nothing to leak, nothing to delete, and nothing to take on trust.
- Ticket 2 / 3
Editable paths, not a wrapper
The engine groups the image into colour regions, takes the boundary between them and fits curves to it. What comes out is real geometry — one fill per region, every node yours to move — produced in the tab and never on a server.
- Ticket 3 / 3
Formats print and production use
SVG and PDF today; EPS and DXF for cutters, engravers and embroidery software as the exporters land. Real files, opened in Illustrator, Inkscape and LibreCAD — not an SVG with a JPEG inside it.
Questions
- 01Which one produces better traces?
- We have not measured it, so we will not say. Trace the same file in both, zoom to 800%, and count the nodes your editor reports — that comparison is about your artwork rather than about a corpus somebody else chose.
- 02Is the online version of either tool private?
- Ours does not upload at all — the trace runs in the tab. For any hosted tool, including their online one, the answer is whatever their privacy policy says, and it is worth reading before sending client artwork.
- 03Do I need an account to try VectorTrace?
- No. Previews are free, unlimited and anonymous. An account exists only because downloading needs a licence.