Adobe Illustrator Image Trace vs Vectorizer.AI: which one a designer needs

Compare Adobe Illustrator Image Trace and Vectorizer.AI for designers: features, formats, pricing and workflow.

By 2Dex · 2026-10-13

2Dex is published by the makers of SageThumbs 2K, RēDesign and VectorMagik, which are compared here alongside other tools.

Adobe Illustrator Image Trace is the tracing feature inside Adobe Illustrator. Vectorizer.AI converts PNG, JPG, GIF, and WebP images to SVG, EPS, DXF, and PDF vectors online ^[1]. VectorMagik traces a picture into vector shapes with its own engine ^[2] and lets the designer edit them ^[2].

Choose Image Trace for work that stays inside Illustrator, and check Adobe's own pages for pricing. Choose Vectorizer.AI to get vector output from a browser ^[1]. Choose VectorMagik when the tracing needs editing of nodes, colours and sticker outlines afterwards ^[2] ^[2] ^[2].

Option	Input formats	Output formats	Max image size	Platforms	Price
Adobe Illustrator Image Trace	Not published among available facts	Not published among available facts	Not published among available facts	Adobe Illustrator	Not published; check Adobe's pages
Vectorizer.AI	PNG, JPG, GIF, BMP, WebP ^[1]	SVG, EPS, DXF, PDF, cleaned PNG ^[1] ^[1]	3 megapixels, 30 MB ^[1] ^[1]	Runs in the browser ^[1]	Not published among available facts
VectorMagik	Not published	SVG, PDF, EPS, AI, DXF, EMF, PNG ^[2]	Not published	Windows x64, macOS (Apple Silicon and Intel), Linux x64, browser ^[2]	Free; business use needs a licence (PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0) ^[2]

The short answer

Adobe Illustrator Image Trace is the tracing feature inside Adobe Illustrator, taking raster artwork and turning it into vector paths. Vectorizer.AI converts PNG, JPG, GIF, and WebP images to SVG, EPS, DXF, and PDF vectors online ^[1]. VectorMagik traces a picture into vector shapes with its own engine ^[2] and lets the designer move or delete nodes, round corners and limit colours ^[2] ^[2].

Adobe's price for Image Trace is not among the facts for this page, so check Adobe's own pages before you buy. Vectorizer.AI's price is not published either, so check its own page before paid work.

What Adobe Illustrator Image Trace and Vectorizer.AI are built for

Adobe Illustrator Image Trace is a feature of Adobe Illustrator that automates turning a bitmap into vector paths that can be refined inside the same program. Few details for it are available among the facts here, so the things to check are on Adobe's own pages.

Vectorizer.AI's page describes it as converting PNG, JPG, GIF, and WebP images to SVG, EPS, DXF, and PDF vectors online ^[1]. That covers a designer who wants a quick vector file from a raster image with no extra software to install. Adobe's own pages are where a designer would look for what Image Trace offers in detail.

What VectorMagik is built for

VectorMagik is made by the team that publishes this site. It traces a picture into vector shapes using its own engine ^[2]. After conversion the designer can move or delete curve nodes, round individual corners, and merge neighbouring curve pieces with a tolerance slider, while Auto picks the largest tolerance that keeps the picture ^[2] ^[2].

The result can be limited to between 1 and 64 colours ^[2]. Shapes can be clicked to delete them, for example a background, or two shades merged into one ^[2]. The vector can be compared with the bitmap side by side, or flipped between the two with the B and V keys ^[2]. A die-cut sticker outline with a border, white rim and optional drop shadow can be added ^[2], and the file saved as SVG, PDF, EPS, AI, DXF, EMF or PNG ^[2].

Pricing and fees

Adobe Illustrator Image Trace is part of Adobe Illustrator, which Adobe sells as a subscription; the specific price is not among the facts for this page, so check Adobe's own pages. Vectorizer.AI's page does not publish a price in the facts available here, so check its own page before paid work.

VectorMagik is free for everyone, while business use needs a licence under the PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 terms ^[2] ^[2]. No payment service or card fee is stated for any of the three tools. If a card fee applies for either rival, that would come from its own checkout page, so check it before you pay.

Getting started and everyday use

Adobe Illustrator Image Trace is a feature inside Adobe Illustrator. Vectorizer.AI runs in the browser, with no software to install ^[1].

VectorMagik installs with a Windows installer, a portable zip, a macOS zip, a Debian/Ubuntu .deb or a Linux tar.gz, all from GitHub releases ^[2]. Downloads exist for Windows x64, macOS on Apple Silicon and Intel, and Linux x64, plus a browser version using the same engine ^[2] ^[2]. In daily use a designer can use a tolerance slider, edit nodes and limit colours ^[2] ^[2] ^[2]. A command-line version does the same work without a window, so an AI assistant can trace pictures on the computer ^[2].

Things to check before you choose

Which systems do you already work in? Check whether you already have Illustrator, and whether the browser tool works on your machine.
Do you need the result as AI, EMF or DXF, or is SVG and PDF enough? Match the output you actually deliver.
How large are the images you trace? Check each tool's stated size limits against your own files.
Will you use the result for paid client work? Read Adobe's and Vectorizer.AI's licence and price terms on their own pages.
Do you need to edit the vector after tracing, or is a finished file enough?
Where do your files have to live at the end, and which format do you need for that workflow?

How to choose

You want tracing that stays inside Illustrator, if you already use it: Adobe Illustrator Image Trace; confirm its terms on Adobe's pages.
You want an online conversion with no software to install: Vectorizer.AI ^[1].
You need to edit nodes, corners and colours after tracing: VectorMagik ^[2] ^[2].
You need AI, DXF, EMF or PNG output: VectorMagik ^[2].
You want to compare the trace with the bitmap side by side: VectorMagik ^[2].
You want a free tool for personal use: VectorMagik ^[2].

Frequently asked questions

Is Vectorizer.AI free to use?

The facts available for this page do not list a price for Vectorizer.AI, so there is no published subscription or per-image fee to quote. Check the service's own page for current pricing and licence terms before you use it for paid client work.

How much does VectorMagik cost for business use?

VectorMagik is free for everyone, while business use needs a licence under the PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 terms ^[2] ^[2]. No card or payment-service fee is mentioned for it, so nothing is added to that price ^[2].

Can VectorMagik edit curves and limit colours after tracing?

Yes. VectorMagik lets a designer move or delete curve nodes and round individual corners ^[2], merge neighbouring curve pieces with a tolerance slider while Auto picks the largest tolerance that keeps the picture ^[2], and limit the result to between 1 and 64 colours ^[2].

What image formats does Vectorizer.AI accept and produce?

Vectorizer.AI converts PNG, JPG, GIF, and WebP images to SVG, EPS, DXF, and PDF vectors online ^[1]. The facts available for this page don't list its size limits, so check its own page for those before you upload large files.

Is Adobe Illustrator Image Trace part of an Adobe subscription?

Adobe Illustrator Image Trace is a feature inside Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe sells Illustrator as a subscription. The specific price is not among the facts available for this page, so check Adobe's own pages for current plans before you sign up.

Free for everyone; business use needs a licence (PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0). ^[2]

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