Yesterday was the last day of 2007, and I was trying to convert an SVG file (Scalable Vector Graphics) to an editable image file format (png or jpg).

I tried all my converters that I had installed on my machine, but I couldn’t find anything that would help me out of this.

Photo Credit: Nicolo’ Canali De Rossi

So I opened Firefox, and started looking for something that would solve my issue, and I found it!!

I discovered that it’s full of online converters out there in the immense universe of the Internet. Converters that can catch any file and turn it into another, no matter what format you want.

These are the best FREE web-based file converters that I found during my research, and I am going to show you how they work, even if they all are deadly simple to use.

ZamZar

ZamZar is a free online file conversion service that anyone can use to convert images, documents, videos, music, and compressed files online, in almost any known file format (click here for the complete available formats list), just using a web-browser, with no registration needed.

Its interface is probably the most intuitive, allowing to convert your file in just four easy steps:

1. “Select files or URL to convert“: The first step lets you select the file you wish to convert, up to 100MB. You can provide its URL or simply select the file from your hard-disk.



2. “Choose the format to convert to“: Second step is to select the output format. From the dropdown menu, just select the file type you want.



3. “Enter your email address to receive converted files“: After you selected the file and the format it is going to be converted into, you’ll just need to provide a valid email address where a download link will be sent for you to get your file.



4. “Convert“: Last and fastest step, but most important, is to click the button convert!

In the last version of ZamZar, you can also convert videos from major video sharing services (such as YouTube, Blip.tv, Google Video…), and get a private 100GB online hosting space to store all of your converted files online.

Link: http://www.zamzar.com

Media Converter

Media Converter is a free online service that allows you to convert video and audio files (check compatibility list here). Here’s what to do:

1. Select the file you wish to convert by providing its URL or video-sharing-service link (YouTube, Google Video…), or by browsing for it on your hard drive.



2. Select the output format from the dropdown menu.



3. Change video/audio codec, bitrate, and resolution.



4. Wait for the file to get converted, and download it by clicking on the download link that will show up.

The service is free to use, and requires no registration.

Link: http://mediaconverter.org/

Media Convert

Media Convert is an online file conversion system for files up to 150MB, combining the widest number of input and output formats for videos, music, picture, vector images, compressed archive files, and office documents, with a really easy-to-use interface.

Here’s what to do to convert files:

1. Browse for the input file (from your PC or URL) and the input format (if it’s not automatically detected).



2. Select output format, and the advanced settings related to that particular format: bitrate and codecs for videos, dimensions for pictures, maximum size for text documents, and so on.



3. Click OK, and wait until a download button is not shown.

The service is completely free to use, and it can also be used to host files online, and to get websites’ screenshots.

Link: http://media-convert.com/

YouConvertIt

YouConvertIt is the last free online conversion website of this guide, and it’s maybe the best looking, fastest, and easiest tool of the selection.

It enables you to convert 5 files at the same times, in three steps:

1. Insert your email address.
2. Browse for the file you want to convert and select the output file format from the menu.



3. Click “Convert It” and wait for the email with the download link.

The service doesn’t require any registration, and it also allows you to convert videos from all major video-sharing sites, send any file up to 1GB, and convert measurement and currency units.

Link: http://www.youconvertit.com/

Here is also a list with more than 80 online file converters by Mashable: http://mashable.com/2007/11/05/80-file-conversion-services/