Photo for everyday sharing?
JPG is the safest default when transparency is not needed.
File format cheat sheet.
Use this when you know the file you have but are not sure what format you should use next. The goal is practical compatibility—not declaring one format universally “best.”
Images
Photos, transparency, graphics and web delivery.
JPG / JPEGBest for broadly compatible photos and smaller photographic files. No transparency. JPG → PNG
PNGBest for screenshots, interface graphics, transparency and lossless raster output. Often larger for photos. PNG → JPG
WebPModern web image format with efficient compression and transparency support. WebP → JPG
AVIFVery efficient modern image format; useful when modern support is available. AVIF → JPG
HEIC / HEIFEfficient photo storage common on Apple devices; convert when an upload or app rejects it. HEIC → JPG
SVGVector format for logos, icons and scalable artwork. Rasterize only when the destination requires pixels. SVG → PNG
Documents
Fixed pages, editable documents and extraction.
PDFBest for fixed-layout documents, forms, print and consistent page sharing. PDF tools
DOCXBest for editable Word documents with rich formatting. Use TXT only when you need the words without layout. DOCX → TXT
EPUBReflowable e-book format for reading apps. Convert to TXT when you need plain text rather than reader layout. EPUB → TXT
Video
Playback compatibility and web delivery.
MP4Strong default for broad playback, phones, browsers and uploads. MOV → MP4
MOVCommon in Apple and editing workflows. Use when the destination specifically expects QuickTime video. MP4 → MOV
WebMOpen format designed for modern browser delivery. Keep MP4 as a compatibility fallback when needed. MP4 → WebM
MKVFlexible container for multi-track media; convert to MP4 when simple playback compatibility matters. MKV → MP4
Audio
Compact delivery, editing and lossless masters.
MP3Best all-around choice for compact audio and broad playback. WAV → MP3
WAVCommon editing and production format; files are usually much larger. MP3 → WAV
FLACLossless compressed audio for archives and high-quality listening. FLAC → MP3
AAC / M4AEfficient audio common on mobile and Apple workflows. Convert to MP3 when older compatibility matters. M4A → MP3
OpusHighly efficient modern codec for speech and music, especially on the web. Opus → MP3
Spreadsheets & data
Workbooks, flat tables and structured data.
XLSXModern Excel workbook format for sheets, formulas and richer spreadsheet features. CSV → XLSX
CSVSimple flat table for imports, databases and scripts; does not preserve workbook styling. XLSX → CSV
JSONStructured data format used by APIs and applications; supports nested objects and arrays. JSON → CSV
YAMLHuman-readable structured format often used for configuration. YAML → JSON
XMLMarkup-based structured data common in enterprise and legacy systems. XML → JSON
What should I choose?
Graphic with transparency?
PNG is the straightforward choice; WebP can be useful for modern web delivery.
Document that should look the same everywhere?
PDF is designed for fixed page layout.
Video that needs to play almost anywhere?
MP4 is usually the safest general-purpose delivery choice.
Audio master you do not want to store lossily?
FLAC is useful for lossless compressed storage; WAV is common in editing workflows.
Flat table for importing into another system?
CSV is simple and widely supported; use XLSX when workbook features matter.
A stable reference you can link to.
This page is maintained as a practical compatibility reference. When linking or citing it, use the canonical URL https://anyfiletype.com/file-format-cheat-sheet. Format support changes over time, so the page is updated when Any File Type adds or materially changes supported workflows.
Last reviewed: October 6, 2026.