What is a TXT file?
TXT stands for Plain text. It was created by no single author and first released in 1963. A TXT file holds nothing but characters: no fonts, images or layout. Modern text files are usually UTF-8, which covers every language.
| Type | document |
|---|---|
| Compression | Lossless |
| In a browser | opens in every browser, text editor and phone |
| Common uses | notes, logs, extracted text and anything that must open everywhere |
| MIME type | text/plain |
Which format should you convert TXT to?
- TXT to HTML to read it in any browser with headings and links kept.
- TXT to MD for documentation, wikis and note apps.
- TXT to PDF for a fixed page to print or share.
How to open a TXT file
Whether a TXT file opens with a double click depends on the device. Here is what works on each, without buying software:
| Windows | Word or the free LibreOffice opens DOCX; any browser opens HTML; Notepad opens TXT and MD. |
|---|---|
| Mac | Pages or TextEdit open DOCX; Safari opens HTML; TextEdit opens TXT and MD. Apple Books opens EPUB. |
| iPhone and iPad | Pages, Word and the Files app open DOCX; Apple Books opens EPUB. |
| Android | Google Docs and Word open DOCX; Google Play Books opens EPUB. |
| Web browser | TXT opens in every browser, text editor and phone. |
Want the technical details? See what a .txt file is, with its MIME type, file signature and a viewer.
TXT compared with other document formats
How TXT stacks up against the formats people most often convert it to or from:
| Format | Compression | Usually contains | Released | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TXT | Lossless | characters only, with no formatting | 1963 | notes, logs, extracted text and anything that must open everywhere |
| DOCX | Lossless | formatted text, images, tables and styles in a ZIP of XML files | 2007 | letters, reports, CVs and most documents shared at work |
| HTML | Lossless | text with tags for headings, lists, links, tables and images | 1993 | web pages, emails and documents meant to be read in a browser |
| MD | Lossless | plain text with simple symbols for headings, lists, links and emphasis | 2004 | documentation, README files, notes and blogging tools |
| EPUB | Lossless | chapters as XHTML pages, with images and a table of contents | 2007 | e-books from stores other than Amazon and free e-book libraries |
How to use the TXT converter
- Choose the format you want in the Convert to menu.
- Drop your TXT files on the box, or press Choose TXT files. Several files can go in at once.
- Adjust the settings if you need to; the defaults suit most people.
- Press Convert and save each file with its Download button. Converting to DOC, DOCX, EPUB, GIF, JPEG, JPG, MOBI, PDB, PNG, RTF, SVG uses our server, which deletes the file right after; the rest never leave your device.
Tips for converting TXT files without losing anything
Converting a TXT file keeps the words exactly; what can change is formatting and layout, depending on what the target format can hold.
- Keep the original document; exporting to plain text or HTML drops layout that cannot be added back.
- Use HTML or Markdown when you want to keep headings, lists and links, and TXT when you only need the words.
- For scanned documents, OCR is the only way to get text; converting the file format alone will not find words in an image.
- Save text as UTF-8 so every language is preserved.
- Check headings after converting to HTML or Markdown; they come from the styles used in the original, so manual bold text stays plain text.
- Plain text has no pages, so page numbers and headers from the original document are dropped.
- For long documents, convert once and search the text output rather than scrolling the original.
- Markdown and HTML both keep links, so check that relative links still point somewhere once the document moves.
Convert TXT files from the command line
Pandoc converts between document formats on the command line:
pandoc input.txt -o output.pdfThe converter on this page does the same job in your browser, without installing anything.
TXT converter FAQ
What is a TXT file?
TXT stands for Plain text, a document format created by no single author in 1963. A TXT file holds nothing but characters: no fonts, images or layout. Modern text files are usually UTF-8, which covers every language.
How do I open a TXT file?
TXT opens in every browser, text editor and phone. If the program you need will not open it, convert it to a more widely supported format above.
What is the most common TXT conversion?
TXT to PDF is the conversion people search for most. Plain text is already close to Markdown. Characters Markdown would read as formatting, such as asterisks and a # at the start of a line, are escaped, and single line breaks are kept as hard breaks, so the text renders exactly as written.
Does converting TXT files here upload them?
Only for some conversions. Converting to DOC, DOCX, EPUB, GIF, JPEG, JPG, MOBI, PDB, PNG, RTF, SVG uses our conversion server, where the file is deleted as soon as the result is sent back; the other conversions run inside your browser and never leave your device.
Is the TXT converter free?
Yes. There is no sign-up and no watermark. Conversions that use our server accept files up to 25 MB, with a fair-use limit per hour. The site is supported by advertising.
Can I convert TXT files on iPhone or Android?
Yes. Open this page in Safari on iPhone and iPad, or in Chrome on Android, choose your TXT files and download the results to your Downloads folder.
Can I convert several TXT files at once?
Yes. Drop as many as you like; they are converted one after another, each with its own download button.