Format comparison
FLAC vs AIFF
How do FLAC and AIFFcompare? Here's everything you need to know to choose the right format — and how to convert between them.
.flac
Full guide →Free Lossless Audio Codec
FLAC is the leading open-source lossless audio format. It compresses audio files to about 50-60% of their original size without any quality loss — perfect for audiophiles and music archival.
.aiff
Full guide →Audio Interchange File Format
AIFF is Apple's uncompressed audio format, the macOS equivalent of WAV. It stores full-quality audio data and is commonly used in professional audio production on Apple systems.
| Specification | FLAC | AIFF |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Free Lossless Audio Codec | Audio Interchange File Format |
| Extension | .flac | .aiff |
| MIME type | audio/flac | audio/aiff |
| Category | Audio | Audio |
| Developer | Xiph.Org Foundation | Apple |
| Year introduced | 2001 | 1988 |
| Compression | Lossless | Lossless |
FLAC advantages
- Lossless — identical to original audio
- 50-60% smaller than WAV
- Open source and royalty-free
- Excellent metadata and tagging support
FLAC limitations
- Larger than lossy formats like MP3
- Not supported by all portable devices
- Slower to encode than lossy formats
- iTunes/Apple Music prefer ALAC
AIFF advantages
- Lossless — full audio quality
- Native macOS support
- Rich metadata support
- Industry standard in Apple-based studios
AIFF limitations
- Very large file sizes
- Less universal than WAV on Windows
- No compression in standard form
- Being replaced by ALAC/FLAC
Which should you use?
Both are excellent audio formats. FLAC is preferred for hi-fi music collections, while AIFF shines at professional audio on macos.
Best uses for FLAC
Hi-fi music collections
Audio archival and preservation
CD ripping at full quality
Audiophile music streaming
Best uses for AIFF
Professional audio on macOS
Logic Pro and GarageBand projects
Audio mastering
High-quality audio archival
Convert between FLAC and AIFF
Need to switch formats? Convert for free with SquishConvert.