Document Format Comparison

RTF vs TXT: Rich Text Format vs Plain Text — When Formatting Matters

RTF (Rich Text Format) preserves basic text formatting — bold, italic, font size, color, and paragraph spacing — while being compatible with virtually every word processor from WordPad to Pages. TXT is the most minimal text format — no formatting whatsoever, just raw characters. The choice between them determines whether visual formatting survives the transfer.

RTFvsTXT

Quick Verdict

Use RTF when…

Use RTF when you need to share text with basic formatting (bold, italic, headers, lists) that must display correctly in any word processor — even old ones. RTF is the universal 'formatted text' format supported by every word processor since 1987.

Use TXT when…

Use TXT when the content is purely text with no formatting needed — code, data, configuration, and situations where the recipient's text editor or system may not support any markup. TXT is universally readable by every device and operating system ever made.

RTF vs TXT: Feature Comparison

Feature	RTF	TXT
Bold and italic	Yes	No
Font and size	Yes	No — always system default
Tables	Basic support	No
Images	Embedded images supported	No
Universal compatibility	Very high (any word processor)	Absolute — every system
File size	Larger (markup overhead)	Minimal
Searchable by OS	Yes (most systems)	Yes (all systems)

When RTF wins

✓Bold and italic: Yes
✓Font and size: Yes
✓Tables: Basic support

When TXT wins

✓Bold and italic: No
✓Font and size: No — always system default
✓Tables: No

Frequently asked questions

Which is better for email attachments — RTF or TXT?

TXT is safer for email — opens in Notepad, TextEdit, or any email client's inline viewer without any compatibility concerns. RTF opens in Word, Pages, or LibreOffice and preserves formatting, but some email clients warn about RTF attachments as a potential security risk (RTF has had macro-related vulnerabilities historically). For plain text communication: TXT. For documents with formatting: PDF is better than RTF for email.

Can I open RTF files on a Mac?

Yes — TextEdit on Mac opens RTF files natively and preserves all formatting. Pages also opens RTF. Microsoft Word on Mac opens RTF. macOS's Quick Look displays RTF formatting when you press Space on an RTF file in Finder.

How do I convert RTF to DOCX?

Word: File → Open the RTF → File → Save As → DOCX. LibreOffice: open RTF → File → Save As → Microsoft Word DOCX. Command line: `libreoffice --headless --convert-to docx input.rtf`. Google Docs: upload RTF to Drive → open with Google Docs → File → Download → DOCX. All formatting is preserved in the conversion.