File Format Compatibility Matrix

Comprehensive guide to file format compatibility across platforms, devices, and software applications.

Understanding Format Compatibility

Not all file formats work everywhere. Choosing the right format ensures your files open correctly on any device, platform, or application. This guide helps you make informed decisions about format conversion.

Universal Formats
  • PDF - Documents (read anywhere)
  • JPG - Photos (universal image)
  • MP4 - Videos (plays everywhere)
  • MP3 - Audio (maximum compatibility)
  • TXT - Plain text (simplest format)
Limited Formats
  • HEIC - iOS/Mac only (convert to JPG)
  • PAGES - Mac/iOS only (convert to DOCX)
  • WMV - Windows only (convert to MP4)
  • NUMBERS - Apple only (convert to XLSX)
  • WebP - Modern browsers only

Document Format Compatibility

Format Windows macOS iOS Android Web Best For
PDF ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ Final documents, forms, reports
DOCX ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ Editable documents, collaboration
DOC (Legacy) ✓ ✓ ✓ Limited Limited Older systems (convert to DOCX)
TXT ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ Plain text, code, simple notes
RTF ✓ ✓ Limited Limited Limited Cross-platform basic formatting
PAGES ✗ ✓ ✓ ✗ iCloud Apple ecosystem only

Image Format Compatibility

Format Windows macOS iOS Android Web Key Features
JPG/JPEG ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ Lossy, small files, photos
PNG ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ Lossless, transparency, screenshots
GIF ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ Animations, 256 colors max
WebP ✓ ✓ iOS 14+ ✓ Modern Best compression, modern browsers
HEIC Win 10+ ✓ ✓ Limited ✗ iPhone photos (convert to JPG)
BMP ✓ ✓ Limited Limited Limited Uncompressed, large files
TIFF ✓ ✓ ✓ Limited Limited Professional, archival, print
SVG ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ Vector graphics, scalable

Video Format Compatibility

Format Windows macOS iOS Android Web Notes
MP4 (H.264) ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ Best universal compatibility
MOV Limited ✓ ✓ Limited Limited Apple QuickTime (convert to MP4)
AVI ✓ Limited Limited Limited ✗ Legacy Windows format
WMV ✓ Limited ✗ Limited ✗ Windows only (convert to MP4)
WebM ✓ ✓ Limited ✓ ✓ Open source, web streaming
FLV ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✗ Obsolete Flash (convert to MP4)
MKV ✓ ✓ Limited ✓ ✗ Container format, high quality

Spreadsheet Format Compatibility

Format Excel Google Sheets Numbers LibreOffice Best For
XLSX ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ Modern spreadsheets, formulas
XLS ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ Legacy Excel (convert to XLSX)
CSV ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ Data exchange, no formatting
NUMBERS Convert Convert ✓ Convert Apple Numbers only
ODS Limited ✓ Limited ✓ Open source spreadsheets

Presentation Format Compatibility

Format PowerPoint Google Slides Keynote LibreOffice Common Issues
PPTX ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ Best compatibility
PPT ✓ ✓ Limited ✓ Legacy format, convert to PPTX
KEY Convert Convert ✓ Convert Keynote only, loses animations
PDF View only View only View only View only Final distribution, no editing
ODP Limited ✓ Limited ✓ Open source presentations

Common Compatibility Issues & Solutions

Problem: Document looks different on other computers due to missing fonts.

Solutions:

  • Use standard fonts (Arial, Times New Roman, Calibri)
  • Embed fonts in PDF before sharing
  • Convert to PDF for consistent appearance
  • Provide font files with documents

Problem: Files won't open on smartphones/tablets.

Solutions:

  • Use mobile-friendly formats (PDF, JPG, MP4)
  • Keep file sizes under 50MB for mobile
  • Convert HEIC photos to JPG before sharing
  • Use cloud services for large file access

Problem: Media files don't play in older browsers.

Solutions:

  • Use H.264/MP4 for video (not H.265/HEVC)
  • Convert WebP to JPG/PNG for IE11 support
  • Provide fallback formats for older browsers
  • Test on multiple browsers before deployment

Format Selection Decision Tree

Choose the Right Format:

1. What type of content?

  • Text document → DOCX (editable) or PDF (final)
  • Photo → JPG (web/sharing) or PNG (quality/transparency)
  • Video → MP4 with H.264 (universal)
  • Spreadsheet → XLSX (calculations) or CSV (data exchange)

2. Who is the audience?

  • Everyone → Use universal formats (PDF, JPG, MP4)
  • Same platform → Platform-specific OK (PAGES, MOV)
  • Professionals → High-quality formats acceptable
  • Mobile users → Optimize for small screens

3. What's the use case?

  • Collaboration → Editable formats (DOCX, XLSX)
  • Distribution → Read-only formats (PDF)
  • Web publishing → Web-optimized (JPG, MP4, WebP)
  • Archival → Lossless formats (PNG, TIFF, ProRes)

Quick Conversion Recommendations

Maximum Compatibility
  • HEIC → JPG
  • PAGES → PDF or DOCX
  • MOV → MP4
  • NUMBERS → XLSX
  • KEY → PPTX or PDF
Quality Preservation
  • JPG → PNG (lossless)
  • MP4 → Same codec, higher bitrate
  • DOCX → PDF/A (archival)
  • Video → ProRes (editing)

Convert to Compatible Formats

BatchMorph supports conversion between all major file formats with intelligent defaults for maximum compatibility.

Start Converting