Compare
RTF vs TXT
RTF can store basic text formatting; TXT stores plain characters without rich formatting. Choose based on whether appearance or simple text portability matters.
Which format should you choose?
Use RTF when basic bolding and paragraph formatting should travel with the text; use TXT for plain content that should open broadly and remain easy to process.
Good fit for RTF
Exchanging simply formatted documents
- Basic text decoration across supported applications
Good fit for TXT
Short writing, notes, settings, and logs
- Simple character data without formatting
Basic information
| Field | RTF | TXT |
|---|---|---|
| Extension | .rtf | .txt |
| MIME type | application/rtf | text/plain |
| Common uses | Exchanging simply formatted documents | Short writing, notes, settings, and logs |
| How to open | Open it in an RTF-compatible editor. Before sharing, check fonts, tables, images, and page breaks. | Open it in a text editor. If text is garbled, reopen it using the actual encoding, such as UTF-8, and check line endings if needed. |
| Export or convert | For continued editing, save as DOCX or ODT. For a final viewing copy, consider exporting to PDF. | Before converting to Markdown, DOCX, or PDF, standardize encoding and explicitly add required headings, links, and tables. |
Choose by use case
Basic text decoration across supported applications
Exchanging simply formatted documents
RTFSimple character data without formatting
Short writing, notes, settings, and logs
TXTKey point 1
RTF includes formatting instructions.
More on the differencesKey point 2
TXT contains plain text and depends on character encoding.
More on the differencesMore on the differences
Check character encoding and line endings when exchanging TXT. For RTF, open the file in the recipient’s editor and review whether the basic formatting is preserved.
- RTF is richer but may display differently across applications.
- TXT is simpler for code, data, and text-processing workflows.
- Neither format alone guarantees the intended language encoding in every tool.
Frequently asked questions
Can TXT preserve bold text?
No. TXT stores plain characters; use RTF or another formatted document when text styling must remain.