Guides
Which format should you use? Side-by-side comparisons of the file types people mix up most, with a short answer first and the details after.
- AVIF vs WebPBoth are modern replacements for JPG and PNG. AVIF compresses better; WebP is faster and a little more widely supported.
- CSV vs XLSXCSV is plain data that any program can read; XLSX is a full Excel workbook. Picking the wrong one loses either formatting or compatibility.
- DOCX vs PDFA Word document is for editing; a PDF is for reading, printing and signing. Sending the wrong one causes most document headaches.
- FLAC vs MP3FLAC keeps the exact sound of the original; MP3 makes it much smaller. Whether you’ll hear the difference depends on your ears and gear.
- HEIC vs JPGYour iPhone saves photos as HEIC, but the rest of the world mostly expects JPG. Here’s what you gain and lose with each.
- M4A vs MP3M4A usually sounds better than MP3 at the same size. MP3 plays on more devices. Here’s how to choose.
- MP3 vs WAVWAV keeps every bit of the original recording; MP3 makes it ten times smaller. Here’s when each one makes sense.
- MP4 vs MOVMOV is Apple’s video format, MP4 is the universal one. They’re closer than you might think.
- PNG vs JPGThe two most common image formats work in very different ways. Here’s which one to pick, and why.
- WebP vs JPGWebP was designed to replace JPG on the web. It makes smaller photos, but JPG still works in more places.
- WebP vs PNGWebP can do almost everything PNG does in a smaller file. So why is PNG still everywhere?
- ZIP vs RAR vs 7ZAll three bundle files into one compressed archive. They differ in compression, security and how easily other people can open them.
Questions
Which image format should I use?
JPG for photos, PNG for screenshots, logos and anything with transparency, and WebP or AVIF for images on your own website. SVG is best for logos and icons that need to scale.
Which audio format should I use?
MP3 when it has to play everywhere, AAC (M4A) for better quality at the same size, and WAV or FLAC for recording, editing and archiving without any loss.
Does converting a file improve its quality?
No. Converting can keep the quality the same or lower it, but it can’t restore detail that a lossy format such as JPG or MP3 already removed.
Looking for one format? Browse all file formats.