Methodology

Every comparison starts with two reviewed format records. The same attributes are shown for both formats so the trade-offs stay visible and no pair is evaluated with a different rulebook. Extension records follow a separate review process for format identification, software compatibility, and safety guidance.

Record fields

  • Family, media type, and extensions
  • Compression behavior and transparency support
  • Animation and editing characteristics
  • Openness and browser support
  • Typical uses and limitations

Review process

Each record includes a reviewed date, review status, and evidence refs. Sources are official specifications, standards bodies, or widely used reference documentation. Unknown fields are marked rather than guessed.

Verdict rules

Use-case verdicts score recorded attributes such as compression, transparency, animation, openness, and browser support. A verdict names a winner only when the condition on the page matches the workflow; otherwise it is marked as depending on workflow.

Families

DocumentsImagesAudioVideoArchivesSystem & ExecutablesData FormatsFont Formats3D & CAD

Selected sources

Adobe - About PDFMicrosoft Support - File formatsWikipedia - Text fileWikipedia - Comma-separated valuesWikipedia - Rich Text FormatWikipedia - JPEGWikipedia - Portable Network GraphicsWikipedia - GIFWikipedia - Scalable Vector GraphicsGoogle Developers - WebPWikipedia - AVIFWikipedia - High Efficiency Image File Format

Corrections can be reported through the contact page.