RTF vs. TXT — What's the Difference?

RTF and TXT are both file formats that store text-based data. RTF, or Rich Text Format, was developed by Microsoft in the 1980s and serves as a cross-platform document format. It allows users to save their documents with various formatting options like bold, italic, and underlining. On the other hand, TXT, short for "text," is a simplistic format that only saves the raw text data without any additional styling or formatting.

RTF files have the advantage of preserving the visual appearance of a document. This makes RTF suitable for more complex documents that contain images, tables, and formatted text. In contrast, TXT files strip all these features away, resulting in a file that has just the bare text, line breaks, and spaces. This straightforward nature of TXT files makes them universally readable on any platform or software that supports text.

In terms of file size, RTF files tend to be larger than TXT because of the additional information they carry related to formatting. TXT files, being devoid of any formatting instructions, are typically more lightweight. This means that for the same amount of textual content, an RTF file will generally be bulkier than its TXT counterpart.

While both RTF and TXT formats are widely recognized, RTF offers the flexibility to retain styling when shared between different word processing programs. This makes it a preferred choice for those who want to ensure their document appears the same everywhere. TXT, being universal and devoid of frills, is often used for configuration files, scripts, and other applications where plain text is essential.

In summation, RTF is tailored for those who need to maintain the formatting and style of their documents across different platforms and software. In contrast, TXT is the go-to choice for a simple, lightweight, and universally readable format.