A text document can arrive in different formats — DOCX, ODT, RTF, or TXT — and not every program opens each of them equally well. Let's look at how they differ and how to quickly convert a document into the format you need.
How the formats differ
- DOCX — Microsoft Word's format, the most common one for documents with full formatting: styles, tables, images, headers and footers. Opens in Word, LibreOffice, and Google Docs.
- ODT — the open document format (OpenDocument), used by default in LibreOffice and OpenOffice. Similar in capability to DOCX, but historically less common outside open-source software.
- RTF (Rich Text Format) — an older but very widely supported format with basic formatting (fonts, bold, italic, indentation). Opens in practically any text editor, even very old ones.
- TXT — plain text with no formatting at all: just the characters, no fonts, styles, or images. The most universal format for storing and processing text.
When to use which format
- Collaborating in Word or sending to an organization that uses Microsoft Office — DOCX.
- Working in LibreOffice/OpenOffice, or you received the file in this format — ODT.
- Need maximum compatibility with older programs, without full Word-style formatting — RTF.
- Only need the plain text, no formatting — for a script, a database, or a simple editor — TXT.
How to convert between formats
The converter works in both directions for every pair of formats — upload a file in one format and get the result in another:
- Between DOCX and ODT: DOCX to ODT, ODT to DOCX.
- Between DOCX and RTF: DOCX to RTF, RTF to DOCX.
- Between DOCX and TXT: DOCX to TXT, TXT to DOCX.
- Between ODT and RTF: ODT to RTF, RTF to ODT.
- Between ODT and TXT: ODT to TXT, TXT to ODT.
- Between RTF and TXT: RTF to TXT, TXT to RTF.
In every case, upload the source file and download the finished result — processing happens on the server, and the file is deleted right after conversion.
What's lost when converting to TXT
The one direction where data loss is unavoidable is converting to TXT: the format simply can't store fonts, styles, tables, or images, so converting from DOCX, ODT, or RTF to TXT keeps only the plain text, with no formatting. In the other directions (DOCX ↔ ODT ↔ RTF), formatting generally carries over correctly, though very complex layouts can differ slightly due to differences in what each format supports.
Bottom line
DOCX and ODT are full-formatting formats for different office suites, RTF is a universal format for compatibility with older software, and TXT is plain text with no formatting. Converting a document between any pair of these formats takes one step online.