Reference
File Format Guide & Comparison
Learn about different file formats and compare their characteristics, use cases, and compatibility.
AudioCompression and streaming
VideoCompatibility and codec
DocsEditing and exchange
Use this guide to sort size, quality, compatibility, and workflow tradeoffs before opening a format hub or a file page.
Audio Format Comparison
| Format | Compression | Quality | File Size | Best Use Case | Browser Support |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MP3 | Lossy | Good | Small | Music streaming, podcasts | Universal |
| WAV | None | Excellent | Large | Professional recording | Good |
| FLAC | Lossless | Excellent | Medium | Archival, audiophile | Limited |
| AAC | Lossy | Very Good | Small | Mobile, streaming | Good |
| OGG | Lossy | Very Good | Small | Web audio, gaming | Good |
Video Format Comparison
| Format | Codec | Quality | File Size | Best Use Case | Browser Support |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MP4 | H.264/H.265 | Excellent | Medium | Web, mobile, streaming | Universal |
| WebM | VP8/VP9 | Very Good | Small | Web video | Good |
| AVI | Various | Good | Large | Legacy systems | Limited |
| MOV | Various | Excellent | Large | Professional editing | Limited |
| MKV | Various | Excellent | Variable | High-quality archival | Limited |
Document Format Comparison
| Format | Type | Editability | Compatibility | Best Use Case | File Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed Layout | Limited | Universal | Documents, forms, print | Medium | |
| DOCX | Word Processing | Full | Good | Document creation, editing | Small |
| TXT | Plain Text | Full | Universal | Simple text, logs, code | Very Small |
| CSV | Data | Full | Universal | Data exchange, spreadsheets | Small |
| JSON | Data | Full | Universal | APIs, configuration | Small |
Image Format Comparison
| Format | Compression | Transparency | Animation | Best Use Case | Browser Support |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPEG | Lossy | No | No | Photos, complex images | Universal |
| PNG | Lossless | Yes | No | Graphics, screenshots | Universal |
| GIF | Lossless | Limited | Yes | Simple animations | Universal |
| SVG | Vector | Yes | Yes | Icons, scalable graphics | Good |
| WebP | Both | Yes | Yes | Modern web images | Good |
Archive Format Comparison
| Format | Compression Ratio | Speed | Password Protection | Best Use Case | Platform Support |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZIP | Good | Fast | Yes | General purpose | Universal |
| 7Z | Excellent | Slow | Yes | Maximum compression | Good |
| TAR | None | Very Fast | No | Unix/Linux archival | Unix/Linux |
| GZ | Good | Fast | No | Single file compression | Unix/Linux |
| RAR | Very Good | Medium | Yes | High compression | Good |
Decision helper
Format Selection Helper
Not sure which format to choose? Answer these questions to get personalized recommendations: