How do RTF and HTMLcompare? Here's everything you need to know to choose the right format — and how to convert between them.
Rich Text Format
RTF is a cross-platform document format that supports basic formatting like bold, italic, fonts, and colors. It's a universal middle ground between plain text and full document formats.
HyperText Markup Language
HTML is the standard markup language for creating web pages. While primarily a web technology, HTML files are also used as a portable document format with rich formatting and multimedia support.
| Specification | RTF | HTML |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Rich Text Format | HyperText Markup Language |
| Extension | .rtf | .html |
| MIME type | application/rtf | text/html |
| Category | Document | Document |
| Developer | Microsoft | W3C / WHATWG |
| Year introduced | 1987 | 1993 |
RTF and HTML serve different purposes. RTF is ideal for cross-platform document sharing, while HTML excels at web pages and email newsletters.
Need to switch formats? Convert for free with SquishConvert.