What happens when you convert TXT to RTF
- The TXT is opened by LibreOffice, the open-source office suite, on our conversion server and saved as RTF, with each line of the text as a paragraph in the default style.
- A TXT file has no formatting, so the RTF holds exactly the words of the file, with every language and alphabet kept, ready to format in any word processor.
- RTF opens in almost every word processor ever made, including WordPad, TextEdit, Word, Pages and LibreOffice.
- 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 TXT to RTF online
- Press "Choose TXT 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 RTF". 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 RTF with its download button. Our server has already deleted both your TXT and the RTF by then.
Why convert TXT to RTF?
TXT files usually come from notes, logs, extracted text and anything that must open everywhere. People convert them to RTF because RTF opens in almost every word processor, including WordPad and TextEdit.
In short, TXT is good at what it was made for, and RTF is the more practical choice when the file has to open, upload or print somewhere else. TXT opens in every browser, text editor and phone, while RTF opens in Word, WordPad, TextEdit, Pages and LibreOffice.
How to convert TXT to RTF on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android
On Windows
Open this page in Chrome, Edge or Firefox, drag your TXT files in from File Explorer, and press Convert. Each RTF is saved to your Downloads folder.
On a Mac
Safari, Chrome and Firefox all work. Drag the TXT files from Finder onto the drop zone and the RTF files land in Downloads.
On iPhone and iPad
Open the page in Safari and tap Choose TXT files. You can pick from Photos or from the Files app. The converted RTF appears in Files, in the Downloads folder.
On Android
Open the page in Chrome, tap Choose TXT files and pick them from Files or your gallery. The RTF is saved to the Download folder, where any file manager can find it.
Best settings for TXT to RTF
There are no settings: the RTF keeps as much formatting as the format allows.
Check tables and images after converting; they are where RTF differs most from newer formats.
TXT vs RTF: the differences
| TXT | RTF | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Plain text | Rich Text Format |
| Type | document | word-processing document |
| Created by | no single author | Microsoft |
| First released | 1963 | 1987 |
| Compression | Lossless | Lossless |
| What it holds | characters only, with no formatting | text with fonts, bold, italic and simple tables, written as readable control words |
| In a browser | opens in every browser, text editor and phone | opens in Word, WordPad, TextEdit, Pages and LibreOffice |
| Common uses | notes, logs, extracted text and anything that must open everywhere | documents exchanged between different word processors |
| MIME type | text/plain | application/rtf |
About TXT and RTF files
What is a TXT file?
A TXT file holds nothing but characters: no fonts, images or layout. Modern text files are usually UTF-8, which covers every language.
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.
TXT to RTF 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.
- "This file is not really in TXT format." The converter checks every file before it runs anything, so a file of another format renamed to .txt is refused. Choose the page for its real format.
Convert TXT to RTF from the command line
LibreOffice does the same on your own computer, without opening a window:
soffice --headless --convert-to rtf input.txtConverting 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.
TXT to RTF converter FAQ
Will I lose quality converting TXT to RTF?
No. Every word is kept exactly; the text simply gains a document around it.
Why is the RTF a different size from the TXT?
Larger than the text file, because RTF wraps the words in formatting instructions, even when the text is short.
Are my TXT files uploaded?
Yes, for this conversion. A faithful TXT to RTF 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 RTF as soon as the result has been sent back to you. We do not keep, read or share it.
Can I convert several TXT files to RTF 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 RTF file?
RTF opens in Word, WordPad, TextEdit, Pages and LibreOffice. RTF is common for documents exchanged between different word processors.
Is this TXT to RTF 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 TXT to RTF 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 RTF is saved to your Downloads folder.