Convert DWG to SVG online

Drop the DWG file below, click Export, then SVG, and the whole drawing is written as a scalable vector graphic: every line, arc, and polyline becomes an SVG path you can scale, style, and edit in Inkscape or a browser. Nothing is uploaded; the conversion runs in your tab on your device.

How to convert DWG to SVG free, without AutoCAD

SVG is a vector format, like DWG, so the conversion keeps geometry as geometry. You export either the whole drawing or a rectangle you select, and the current zoom on screen does not matter.

1. Open the .dwg in the drop zone above (AutoCAD R14 through 2018+). The file is converted to DXF on your device and rendered with WebGL.
2. Hide the layers you do not need in the layers panel: hatches, dimensions, and viewport frames are usually unwanted in an SVG for the web or for cutting. Hidden layers are excluded from the file.
3. Click Export, then SVG, and select the area: drag a rectangle over the part you want, or take the whole drawing.
4. The browser downloads one .svg file with the selected geometry in its real layer colors.
5. Open it in Inkscape, Illustrator, Figma, or just a browser tab to check.

No account and no watermark. Files over 60 MB and R12-era DWGs are the known limits; opening DWG files without AutoCAD covers the fallbacks.

What the SVG contains

A CAD drawing and a web graphic have different ideas about units, fonts, and styling. The export makes sensible choices, but it helps to know them.

• Geometry: lines, polylines, arcs, circles, and ellipses become paths. Splines and curves are approximated with segments, which is how every SVG converter handles them.
• Units: SVG has no millimeters by default; one drawing unit becomes one user unit. For laser cutting or CNC you set the real size once in Inkscape (Document Properties → scale) and check one known dimension.
• Layers: there are no layer groups in the SVG. Paths are grouped by color instead, and hidden layers are excluded, so hide layers before export if you want them gone.
• Text: SHX stroke fonts do not exist outside AutoCAD, so text is rendered with a substitute font. Convert text to outlines in Inkscape if the typography must be fixed.
• Colors and line widths: the real per-layer colors are kept, on a white page, independent of the screen theme; stroke widths are thin hairlines, so apply a stroke width in the editor for display.

DWG to SVG with Inkscape

Inkscape is the most common free editor for SVG, and people often search for a direct DWG import. There is none: Inkscape reads DXF (R12 and R14 flavors), not DWG. The working route is two steps.

1. Convert the DWG to DXF. The free ODA File Converter or DWG TrueView does it; DWG to DXF walks through both. Choose an R12 or 2000 DXF for the best Inkscape compatibility.
2. In Inkscape, File → Open the .dxf. The import dialog asks for a scale method (manual, or read from the DXF header) and whether to map layers to Inkscape layers. Then File → Save As SVG.

If you only need the SVG and not Inkscape's import options, the Export → SVG button above skips both steps, and you can still open the result in Inkscape to edit it.

Open source and command-line DWG to SVG converters

For servers, Linux desktops, and batches, the common tools are open source or have a free tier.

Which to pick: LibreDWG when the input is DWG and you want a one-liner; ezdxf when you need control over which layers and colors come through; the viewer when it is one file and you do not want to install anything.

Using the SVG: web, laser cutters, design tools

Three uses account for most DWG to SVG searches, and each has one catch.

• Web pages: the SVG embeds with an <img> tag or inline. Drawings with tens of thousands of entities make big files; export with unnecessary layers hidden, then run the file through an SVG optimizer.
• Laser cutting and CNC: the machine software reads SVG paths, so set the scale in Inkscape before sending, and join segments where the cut must be continuous. Many cutters accept DXF directly, in which case DWG to DXF is the shorter route.
• Illustrator, Figma, Affinity: all import SVG. The paths arrive grouped by color, which is the closest thing to layers the file carries.

The reverse direction, SVG to DWG, is a different workflow that needs CAD software or a DXF intermediary.

Frequently asked questions