Free Boxy SVG alternative
Boxy SVG is a well-made SVG editor, but it's paid after a 15-day trial. If you want the same SVG-first approach without a subscription, here's how the free options compare.
Boxy SVG vs free alternatives
| Boxy SVG | Vectopea | Inkscape | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Paid after a 15-day trial | Free, no account | Free (open source) |
| Runs in | Browser, plus native apps | Browser | Desktop |
| SVG-native | Yes | Yes | Yes, with Inkscape metadata |
| Code view | SVG and CSS inspection | Live SVG panel with apply-back | XML editor |
| Path operations | Yes | Unite, minus front, intersect, exclude | Yes |
| Files stay on your device | Optional cloud storage | Yes, browser local storage | Yes |
Why Vectopea is the closest match
Boxy SVG's appeal is that SVG is the native format and you can inspect the markup. Vectopea works the same way:
- SVG in, SVG out. The file you edit stays SVG throughout. Gradients and filters land in
<defs>with stable, readable ids. - Live SVG panel. Watch the markup change as you draw, edit it directly, and apply it back to the canvas.
- Layer names become ids, so your CSS and JavaScript can target elements.
- Faithful import. CSS classes, nested transforms, viewBox offsets,
<use>/<symbol>and gradients open the way they look. - Private by default. Files are edited in your browser and autosave to local storage on your device.
What you'd give up
Boxy SVG has features Vectopea doesn't, including cloud storage, stock-library integrations and native desktop apps. If you rely on those, the subscription may be worth it.
Moving your files from Boxy SVG
- In Boxy SVG, save or export your drawing as
.svg. - Open the SVG editor and drop the file on the page.
- Keep editing, then export readable or minified SVG, or PNG at 1×–4×.
Other free tools that replace common Boxy SVG tasks
- SVG optimizer: minify files with SVGO
- SVG color changer: swap colours across a file
- SVG to PNG: export bitmaps at up to 8×
- Best free SVG editors: the full comparison