File formats at a glance.

7Z is an archive format with high compression ratios, optional AES-256 encryption, and support for several compression methods.

ARJ is a legacy archive format from the DOS era, mainly encountered in historical software and data collections.

BZIP2 losslessly compresses a single data stream and is commonly combined with TAR to create .tar.bz2 archives.

CAB is a Microsoft archive format used for compressed installation files and Windows packages.

CPIO bundles files and directory structures and is mainly used on Unix systems and in Linux initramfs images.

DEB is the package format used by Debian-based Linux systems and contains software, metadata, and installation scripts.

DMG is a macOS disk-image format commonly used to distribute applications and read-only content.

GZIP losslessly compresses one data stream and is often combined with TAR to form .tar.gz archives.

ISO stores a complete optical-disc image, including its file system and directory structure, in one file.

LHA is a historical archive format using LZH compression, especially common in Japan and on Amiga systems.

LZH is a legacy archive format using Lempel-Ziv and Huffman compression, often found in classic software collections.

LZMA is a lossless high-ratio compression method and forms the basis of many 7Z archives.

RAR is a proprietary archive format supporting high compression, split archives, recovery records, and optional encryption.

RPM is a Linux package format containing software files, dependencies, metadata, and installation scripts.

TAR bundles files, folders, and Unix metadata; it is usually paired with GZIP, BZIP2, or XZ for compression.

WIM is Microsoft's file-based disk-image format for Windows installation, deployment, and system images.

XAR is an extensible archive format used, among other things, as the basis of older macOS installer packages.

XZ is a lossless container for LZMA2 compression and achieves high compression ratios for many kinds of data.

ZIP bundles and losslessly compresses multiple files and is supported directly by virtually every common operating system.

Zstandard combines fast lossless compression and decompression with flexibly adjustable compression levels.

AAC is a lossy audio codec and bitstream commonly used in MP4, M4A, and streaming services.

AC-3, also known as Dolby Digital, stores lossy multichannel audio for video, DVD, Blu-ray, and broadcasting.

AIFF is Apple's uncompressed PCM audio format for high-quality recording, editing, and professional interchange.

ALAC compresses audio losslessly and is used mainly in the Apple ecosystem and M4A containers.

AMR is a lossy speech-optimized audio format used in mobile telephony, voicemail, and older phone recordings.

AU is a simple audio container from the Unix and Sun ecosystems, commonly carrying PCM or mu-law audio.

CAF is Apple's flexible Core Audio container for long recordings, metadata, and different audio codecs.

E-AC-3 extends Dolby Digital with more efficient compression, higher bitrates, and additional multichannel features.

FLAC compresses audio losslessly and preserves full quality for music archives and high-fidelity playback.

M4A is an MPEG-4 audio container that usually carries AAC or ALAC audio plus title, artist, and cover metadata.

MKA is the audio container of the Matroska family and can hold different codecs, multiple tracks, and extensive metadata.

MP3 is a widely supported lossy audio format for music, podcasts, and playback on almost every device.

OGG is an open media container that most often carries Vorbis or Opus audio in sound files.

Opus is an open audio codec and associated file format for speech and music across low to high bitrates.

TTA, or True Audio, is a lossless audio codec with fast decoding for music and audio archives.

W64 extends the WAV concept for very large uncompressed audio files beyond the traditional 4 GB limit.

WAV is a RIFF audio container that usually stores uncompressed PCM for recording, editing, and lossless interchange.

WavPack compresses PCM audio in lossless or hybrid mode and is suited to space-efficient music archives.

WMA is Microsoft's Windows media audio format, usually using lossy Windows Media Audio compression.

.env files store environment variables as simple key-value pairs for local applications and development tools.

CONF is a general extension for text-based configuration files whose syntax is defined by the application using them.

CSV stores tabular data as delimited text rows for simple exchange between spreadsheet and data applications.

HTML structures web pages with elements for text, media, links, forms, and semantic content.

INI is a simple text-based configuration format organized into sections and key-value pairs.

JSON represents structured data with objects, arrays, and primitive values and is a standard format for web APIs and configuration.

JSON Lines stores one JSON document per text line, making it useful for logs, streams, and large datasets.

LOG files contain chronological text messages from applications, services, or devices for diagnosis and auditing.

Markdown is a readable markup language for documentation, notes, and content that can be converted easily to HTML.

NDJSON stores independent JSON objects line by line, enabling streaming processing without one large enclosing array.

Properties files store Java configuration and localization values as text-based key-value pairs.

RTF is a cross-platform rich-text document format for formatted text, images, and basic page layout.

TOML is a readable configuration format with tables, arrays, and clearly typed values.

TSV stores tables as text, using tab characters for columns and lines for records.

TXT contains unformatted plain text and can be opened by virtually every text editor and operating system.

XHTML expresses HTML as well-formed XML, combining web-page elements with XML syntax rules.

XML describes hierarchical, self-defined data structures used for documents, feeds, interfaces, and configuration.

YAML is an indentation-based, human-readable data format for configuration, automation, and structured content.

DOCX is Microsoft Word's ZIP- and XML-based document format for styled text, images, tables, and page layouts.

ODT is the open OpenDocument text format for formatted documents in LibreOffice, OpenOffice, and compatible applications.

PDF preserves page layout, fonts, and graphics across devices for document exchange, printing, and archiving.

PPTX is Microsoft PowerPoint's ZIP- and XML-based format for slides, layouts, media, charts, and speaker notes.

CB7 is a 7Z-based comic-book archive that bundles numbered page images into one file.

CBR is a RAR-based comic-book archive whose images are displayed in page order by comic readers.

CBT is a TAR-based comic-book archive for page images and usually adds no image compression of its own.

CBZ is a ZIP-based comic-book archive that many comic readers open directly as a digital book.

EPUB is an open e-book format with reflowable HTML content, navigation, images, fonts, and metadata.

FB2, or FictionBook 2, describes e-books as XML and separates structured text from presentation.

FB2.ZIP packages a FictionBook 2 XML file in a ZIP archive to reduce file size and transfer overhead.

EOT is Microsoft's legacy compact web-font format for Internet Explorer and historical websites.

OTF is a modern font format with Bezier outlines and OpenType typography features such as ligatures and alternates.

TTF is a widely supported scalable font format for desktop applications, operating systems, and documents.

WOFF packages desktop font data in compressed form for efficient use as web fonts.

WOFF2 is the modern web-font format using Brotli-based compression and usually producing smaller files than WOFF.

APNG extends PNG with lossless animation, full alpha transparency, and high image quality.

AVIF stores images with modern AV1-based compression, high bit depth, HDR, and alpha transparency.

BMP is a simple Windows raster-image format that usually stores pixels uncompressed or with basic RLE compression.

GIF is a palette-based raster format with up to 256 colors, simple transparency, and widely supported animation.

HEIC is a HEIF image container that commonly stores HEVC-compressed photos, image sequences, and metadata efficiently.

HEIF is a flexible image container for efficiently compressed still images, image sequences, thumbnails, and metadata.

ICO bundles Windows icons at multiple pixel sizes and color depths so applications can select the appropriate version.

JPEG XL is a modern image format for lossless or lossy compression, high bit depth, HDR, and progressive rendering.

JPEG compresses photographs lossily into small files and is supported by cameras, websites, and almost every image application.

PBM is the monochrome member of the Netpbm family and stores black-and-white pixels in a very simple raster format.

PGM is a simple Netpbm grayscale format used for image processing, research, and straightforward pixel exchange.

PNG stores raster graphics losslessly, supports alpha transparency, and is especially suited to logos, screenshots, and UI graphics.

PNM is the umbrella Netpbm format for portable bitmap, grayscale, and color raster images.

PPM is a straightforward Netpbm color format that stores RGB pixels as readable text or binary data without complex compression.

PSD is Adobe Photoshop's working format for layers, masks, effects, text, and other editable image information.

QOI is an intentionally simple lossless raster format designed for very fast encoding and decoding.

SVG describes scalable vector graphics as XML and is suited to logos, diagrams, icons, and interactive web graphics.

TGA is a raster format from computer graphics that supports color depth, alpha channels, and optional RLE compression.

TIFF is a flexible raster format for scanning, print, and archiving with high bit depth, metadata, and several compression methods.

WebP is Google's web-image format for lossless or lossy compression, alpha transparency, and animation.

3MF is a ZIP- and XML-based 3D-printing format for geometry, units, materials, colors, and manufacturing information.

COLLADA stores 3D scenes as XML and can exchange geometry, materials, cameras, lights, and animation.

GLB bundles a glTF scene, binary data, and often textures into one compact file for web, AR, and real-time applications.

glTF is an open 3D interchange format for efficient runtime delivery of scenes, materials, animation, and external resources.

OBJ is a widely supported text-based 3D geometry format for vertices, faces, UV coordinates, and normals.

OFF is a simple text-based 3D format for polygonal geometry, often used in research and geometry processing.

PLY stores polygon meshes and point clouds with extensible properties such as color, normals, and measurements.

STL describes 3D surfaces as triangle meshes and is a common interchange format for 3D printing and CAD workflows.

X3D is a standardized XML or binary format for interactive 3D scenes, animation, and web presentation.

Apple Numbers is the native spreadsheet format of the macOS and iOS app for tables, charts, and layouts.

DBF is the tabular database format introduced by dBASE, storing records with fixed fields and data types.

DIF is a text-based interchange format for simple spreadsheets originating in early spreadsheet software.

FODS stores an OpenDocument spreadsheet as one uncompressed XML file for version control and data interchange.

ODS is the open OpenDocument spreadsheet format for formulas, cell formatting, charts, and multiple worksheets.

PRN is a loosely defined text or printer-output file that often contains column-aligned tabular data.

SYLK is a text-based Microsoft interchange format for spreadsheet cells, formulas, and basic formatting.

XLS is the legacy binary Excel workbook format for tables, formulas, charts, and formatting.

XLSB stores Excel workbooks in binary form and can load large or formula-heavy spreadsheets faster and more compactly.

XLSM is an Office Open XML workbook that may also contain embedded VBA macros.

XLSX is Excel's standard ZIP- and XML-based format for worksheets, formulas, charts, and cell formatting.

3G2 is a compact media container from the 3GPP2 mobile ecosystem for video, audio, and timed metadata.

3GP is a compact mobile-video container for older phones and low bandwidth, commonly carrying H.264 or MPEG-4 with AAC or AMR.

ASF is Microsoft's streaming-media container and commonly carries Windows Media Video and Windows Media Audio.

AVI is a legacy Microsoft container that can carry many video and audio codecs but has limited modern streaming features.

FLV is Adobe's legacy Flash Video container for web streaming and commonly carries FLV1, H.264, MP3, or AAC data.

M2TS is a Blu-ray variant of MPEG transport stream for high-definition video, multichannel audio, and multiple tracks.

M4V is an Apple-associated MPEG-4 video container that usually carries H.264 or HEVC video with AAC audio.

MKV is an open Matroska container for many video, audio, and subtitle codecs plus chapters and multiple tracks.

MOV is Apple's QuickTime container for video, audio, timecode, and metadata in capture, editing, and interchange workflows.

MP4 is a widely supported media container for video, audio, subtitles, and metadata with strong device and browser compatibility.

MPEG program stream combines legacy MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 video and audio and is common in VCD- and DVD-era files.

MPEG-TS is a resilient transport stream for broadcast, streaming, and recording that can multiplex several audio, video, and data streams.

MTS is an AVCHD recording format for camcorders, usually storing H.264 video and audio in an MPEG transport stream.

MXF is a professional media container for broadcast and post-production with video, audio, timecode, and extensive metadata.

OGV is an open Ogg video container that typically combines Theora video with Vorbis or Opus audio.

WebM is an open web-video container for VP8 or VP9 video and Vorbis or Opus audio.

WMV is Microsoft's legacy video format, usually stored in an ASF container with Windows Media Audio.