How do TXT and CSVcompare? Here's everything you need to know to choose the right format — and how to convert between them.
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.
Comma-Separated Values
CSV is the simplest tabular data format — rows of values separated by commas. It's the universal exchange format for data between databases, spreadsheets, and programming languages.
| Specification | TXT | CSV |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Plain Text File | Comma-Separated Values |
| Extension | .txt | .csv |
| MIME type | text/plain | text/csv |
| Category | Document | Document |
| Developer | N/A (universal standard) | IBM (original concept) |
| Year introduced | 1960s | 1972 |
TXT and CSV serve different purposes. TXT is ideal for configuration files and logs, while CSV excels at data import and export.
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