How do DOC and TXTcompare? Here's everything you need to know to choose the right format — and how to convert between them.
Microsoft Word Document (Legacy)
DOC is the legacy binary format used by Microsoft Word before 2007. While still widely encountered, it has been superseded by DOCX. Many older documents and templates still use this format.
Plain Text File
TXT is the simplest document format — pure text with no formatting. It's universally compatible, lightweight, and readable by every operating system and text editor in existence.
| Specification | DOC | TXT |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Microsoft Word Document (Legacy) | Plain Text File |
| Extension | .doc | .txt |
| MIME type | application/msword | text/plain |
| Category | Document | Document |
| Developer | Microsoft | N/A (universal standard) |
| Year introduced | 1983 | 1960s |
DOC and TXT serve different purposes. DOC is ideal for opening legacy documents, while TXT excels at configuration files and logs.
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