In this post, you will find some best free Shapefile to SVG converters. These are basically online tools that take a GIS shapefile from you and return a vector graphics file in SVG format that you can view and download. These take the shapefile along with SHX and DBF and then precisely convert them to SVG. The SVG map then can be used on the web apps or mobile apps or anywhere you like. If you are converting a large shapefile then the generated SVG file will be large in size accordingly but you can always use SVG optimizer tools to fix/compress them.
If you want to embed a map on your website in vector format then SVG is the best option. But the problem is that most maps don’t come in SVG format. The standard is GIS formats such as GeoJSON, KML, or Shapefile. In case you have the Shapefiles of a certain map that you’d like to display, then you can get an SVG out of it using some free tools. In this post, I will talk about three such tools that you can use and convert any SHP file to SVG file in no time.
Top Online Tools to Convert Shapefile to SVG
Aspose
Aspose is one of the best free SHP to SVG converter tool that is available out there. This is basically a universal file converter that you can use. It has a long list of converter tools and among those converters, you also get a dedicated SHP to SVG converter. It takes the input shapefile and map referencing system as the input to get started. It allows you to specify what size of the final SVG shape you want and then download it directly.
It doesn’t ask you to sign up or register. You can just get started with it right away. Upload the full shapefile package as a ZIP file or 3 files separately. Along with the main SHP file, there is a mandatory need for SHX and DBF files here in order to be able to convert that to SVG. Next, specify map reference and size of the SVG file. It will generate the SVG preview after making sure everything is fine, you can just download it and use it anywhere you like.
Mapshaper
Mapshaper is free online tool that you can use to upload and view shape files for free. Here it can open Shapefile generated by any GIS software. And the best part is that it doesn’t require you to upload a shapefile along with the companion file. It can take an individual self-contained shapefile from you and then export it for good. The SVG generated by this tool is a bit dark but you can easily fix that using SVG path editor that we have covered before.
You can reach the main homepage of this tool from above. It has a clutter-free interface and the very first thing that you have to do is upload the input SHP file. It will plot that on the map and you can change the map view as well. When you have adjusted the shapefile, simply click on Export and then choose SVG as the output format. You can use it any number of times and even host it by yourself, it is open source.
Mapstarter
Mapstarter is one of the best free websites you can use to convert Shapefile to SVG file. Here it takes a SHP file from you and shows you, its preview. In addition, after opening a Shapefile, you can simply export it in a variety of formats. One of those formats is SVG and using that option, you can now export a shapefile as vector graphics. Besides that, Mapstarter can be self-hosted on a server as it is open source or you can use also run it locally to convert infinite number of SHP files to SVG.
You can either get its source code from the link above or use its online version. Start by ZIP file containing your SHP, SHX, and DBF files. It will process them and then will show you it’s preview. It will generate embeddable code for you that you can use as well if you are a web developer. Along with this, in the Downloads section you will see an option to download your shape file in SVG format. This is as simple as that.
Final thoughts:
If you are looking for some best free shapefile to SVG converter tools then you are at the right place. Use the three websites I have mentioned here to do that in a matter of seconds. All work as they should and generate a usable SVG file. Personally, I will recommend you to use Aspose. But the other two are equally powerful and more useful if you host them on your own.
