What happens when you convert RTF to HTML
- The RTF is opened by LibreOffice, the open-source office suite, on our conversion server and saved as a single HTML page.
- Headings, paragraphs, lists, tables, links, bold and italic are kept. Images are embedded in the page as data, so the HTML is one self-contained file that opens in any browser.
- Page layout, headers, footers and page numbers are left out, because a web page has no pages.
- This conversion runs on our server: the file is uploaded, converted, and deleted together with the result as soon as the result has been sent back to you. Nothing is kept. Files up to 25 MB are accepted.
How to convert RTF to HTML online
- Press "Choose RTF files" and select one or more files, or drag them onto the box. Files up to 25 MB each can be converted.
- There are no settings to choose: the converter keeps everything the target format can hold.
- Press "Convert to HTML". The file is uploaded to our conversion server, converted in a few seconds, and deleted together with the result as soon as the result is sent back.
- Save each HTML with its download button. Our server has already deleted both your RTF and the HTML by then.
Why convert RTF to HTML?
RTF files usually come from documents exchanged between different word processors. People convert them to HTML because HTML opens in any browser and keeps headings, lists, tables and links.
In short, RTF is good at what it was made for, and HTML is the more practical choice when the file has to open, upload or print somewhere else. RTF opens in Word, WordPad, TextEdit, Pages and LibreOffice, while HTML opens in every web browser.
How to convert RTF to HTML on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android
On Windows
Open this page in Chrome, Edge or Firefox, drag your RTF files in from File Explorer, and press Convert. Each HTML is saved to your Downloads folder.
On a Mac
Safari, Chrome and Firefox all work. Drag the RTF files from Finder onto the drop zone and the HTML files land in Downloads.
On iPhone and iPad
Open the page in Safari and tap Choose RTF files. You can pick from Photos or from the Files app. The converted HTML appears in Files, in the Downloads folder.
On Android
Open the page in Chrome, tap Choose RTF files and pick them from Files or your gallery. The HTML is saved to the Download folder, where any file manager can find it.
Best settings for RTF to HTML
There are no settings: the HTML is one file with its images inside it, so it can be emailed or uploaded as it is.
To paste the content into a website editor, open the HTML in a browser and copy from there; the formatting comes along without Word's hidden styling.
RTF vs HTML: the differences
| RTF | HTML | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Rich Text Format | HyperText Markup Language |
| Type | word-processing document | document |
| Created by | Microsoft | Tim Berners-Lee |
| First released | 1987 | 1993 |
| Compression | Lossless | Lossless |
| What it holds | text with fonts, bold, italic and simple tables, written as readable control words | text with tags for headings, lists, links, tables and images |
| In a browser | opens in Word, WordPad, TextEdit, Pages and LibreOffice | opens in every web browser |
| Common uses | documents exchanged between different word processors | web pages, emails and documents meant to be read in a browser |
| MIME type | application/rtf | text/html |
About RTF and HTML files
What is an RTF file?
RTF describes formatting with plain-text control words such as \b for bold, so almost every word processor since the late 1980s can read it. It cannot reliably hold newer features such as threaded comments or complex page layouts.
What is an HTML file?
HTML is the language of web pages. A converted document saved as HTML keeps its headings, lists, tables and links and opens in any browser.
RTF to HTML not working? Common problems
- "Files up to 25 MB can be converted." Server conversions have a size limit. Compress the images inside the file, or split it, and try again.
- "The conversion took too long and was stopped." Very long or complex files can pass the 90 second limit. Split the file and convert the parts.
- The file will not convert. It may be password protected, damaged, or saved in a newer or unusual version of the format.
Convert RTF to HTML from the command line
LibreOffice does the same on your own computer, without opening a window:
soffice --headless --convert-to html input.rtfConverting on your own computer keeps the file entirely local, which is worth it for very large or very sensitive documents. For everything else, the converter on this page does it without installing anything.
RTF to HTML converter FAQ
Will I lose quality converting RTF to HTML?
The text, its structure and its images are kept. Page layout is not, because a web page reflows to fit the window.
Why is the HTML a different size from the RTF?
The images are embedded as text-encoded data, which makes them about a third larger, so an HTML with pictures can be larger than the RTF. A text-only document gives a small page.
Are my RTF files uploaded?
Yes, for this conversion. A faithful RTF to HTML conversion needs LibreOffice, the open-source office suite, which cannot run in a browser. The file travels over an encrypted connection, is converted in a private temporary folder, and is deleted together with the HTML as soon as the result has been sent back to you. We do not keep, read or share it.
Can I convert several RTF files to HTML at once?
Yes. Select or drop as many files as you like; they are converted one after another and each gets its own download button.
How do I open an HTML file?
HTML opens in every web browser. HTML is common for web pages, emails and documents meant to be read in a browser.
Is this RTF to HTML converter free?
Yes. There is no sign-up and no watermark. Because this conversion uses our server, there is a fair-use limit of 25 MB per file and a number of files per hour, which stops the service being overloaded.
Can I convert RTF to HTML on my phone?
Yes. It works in Safari on iPhone and iPad and in Chrome on Android. The conversion happens on our server, so it is as fast on a phone as on a computer; the HTML is saved to your Downloads folder.