The Ultimate File Format Cheat Sheet: 100+ Formats Explained
A comprehensive reference guide to over 100 file formats across video, audio, image, document, ebook, archive, and web categories. Find the right format for any situation with our 2026 cheat sheet.
Alex Thompson·February 19, 2026·10 min read
Your Complete File Format Reference
File formats are the DNA of digital media. Every photo, video, song, document, and webpage you interact with uses a specific format that determines its quality, compatibility, file size, and capabilities. With over a hundred commonly used formats in circulation, it is easy to get lost.
This cheat sheet is your quick-reference guide. It covers every major file format you are likely to encounter in 2026, organized by category, with at-a-glance information about what each format does, when to use it, and when to avoid it. Bookmark this page -- you will come back to it.
For format-specific deep dives, cross-references to detailed guides are included throughout. If you need to convert between any of these formats, ConvertIntoMP4 supports 83 formats and counting.
Overview infographic showing the major file format categories
Video formats are containers that hold video streams, audio streams, subtitles, and metadata. The container determines compatibility, while the codec inside determines quality and compression. For the full breakdown of that relationship, see the container vs codec guide.
Format
Extension
Best For
Codecs Supported
Compatibility
MP4
.mp4
Universal use, streaming, sharing
H.264, H.265, AV1, AAC
Universal
MOV
.mov
Apple ecosystem, editing
H.264, H.265, ProRes, AAC
Apple + most editors
MKV
.mkv
Archiving, multiple tracks
Nearly all codecs
PC players, limited mobile
WebM
.webm
Web video, HTML5
VP8, VP9, AV1, Vorbis, Opus
Chrome, Firefox, Edge
AVI
.avi
Legacy use (avoid for new projects)
Most codecs (limited metadata)
Windows, most players
WMV
.wmv
Legacy Windows media
WMV7/8/9, WMA
Windows only
FLV
.flv
Legacy Flash video (obsolete)
H.264, VP6, MP3
Requires specific players
MPEG / MPG
.mpg, .mpeg
DVD, broadcast
MPEG-1, MPEG-2
Universal (legacy)
TS
.ts
Broadcasting, streaming segments
H.264, H.265, MPEG-2
Players, streaming systems
M4V
.m4v
iTunes / Apple TV content
H.264, AAC
Apple devices, iTunes
3GP
.3gp
Legacy mobile video
H.263, H.264, AMR
Old phones (obsolete)
OGV
.ogv
Open-source web video
Theora, Vorbis
Firefox, Chrome (limited)
Quick recommendation: Use MP4 for everything unless you have a specific reason not to. Convert legacy formats with the MP4 converter. For Apple-specific workflows, see how to convert MOV to MP4.
Pro Tip: When you see a file extension you do not recognize, the first thing to check is whether it is a container or a codec issue. An MP4 file that will not play usually contains a codec your device does not support (like H.265 or AV1), not a problem with the MP4 format itself. The container vs codec guide explains this critical distinction.
Audio Formats
Audio formats fall into three categories: lossless (perfect quality, large files), lossy (reduced quality, small files), and uncompressed (raw data, very large files).
Pro Tip: MIDI files are not audio recordings -- they are sets of instructions (which note to play, how loud, how long). A MIDI file is like sheet music for computers. The same MIDI file can sound completely different depending on the synthesizer or software instrument that plays it. If you need actual audio, record the MIDI output as WAV or MP3.
Image Formats
Image formats are divided into raster (pixel-based) and vector (math-based) categories. Choosing the right format depends on whether you need photos, graphics, or scalable illustrations.
Format
Extension
Type
Best For
Transparency
Animation
JPEG
.jpg, .jpeg
Raster, lossy
Photos, complex images
No
No
PNG
.png
Raster, lossless
Screenshots, graphics, logos
Yes
No (APNG yes)
WebP
.webp
Raster, lossy/lossless
Web images (best balance)
Yes
Yes
AVIF
.avif
Raster, lossy/lossless
Next-gen web images
Yes
Yes
GIF
.gif
Raster, lossless (256 colors)
Simple animations, memes
Yes (1-bit)
Yes
SVG
.svg
Vector
Logos, icons, illustrations
Yes
Yes (CSS/JS)
TIFF
.tif, .tiff
Raster, lossless
Print, archival, scanning
Yes
No
BMP
.bmp
Raster, uncompressed
Legacy Windows (avoid)
Limited
No
HEIC/HEIF
.heic, .heif
Raster, lossy
iPhone photos
Yes
Yes
JPEG XL
.jxl
Raster, lossy/lossless
Future web (limited support in 2026)
Yes
Yes
ICO
.ico
Raster
Website favicons
Yes
No
RAW
.cr2, .nef, .arw
Raster, uncompressed
Professional photography editing
N/A
No
PSD
.psd
Raster (layered)
Photoshop editing
Yes
No
EPS
.eps
Vector
Print graphics, illustrations
Limited
No
Quick recommendation: JPEG for photos, PNG for graphics with transparency, WebP for web delivery, SVG for logos and icons. Convert images with the image compressor or specific converters like PNG to JPG. For web optimization, the optimize images for website guide covers best practices.
Comparison chart showing file sizes across different image formats for the same photo
With over 100 formats in active use, knowing which one to choose can feel overwhelming. The good news is that for most everyday tasks, you only need a handful: MP4 for video, JPEG and PNG for images, PDF for documents, MP3 for audio, and ZIP for archives. Everything else is a specialty format for specific workflows. When in doubt, convert to the universal option -- it is almost always the right call.
