glTF vs FBX
glTF is the open, royalty-free scene format from the Khronos Group, designed to be loaded quickly by real-time engines and browsers. FBX is Autodesk's long-established proprietary format. Both carry materials, skeletons and animation. The .gltf variant is JSON, which makes it inspectable; FBX is usually binary. New web and AR pipelines generally standardise on glTF, while many studio tools still default to FBX.
Side by side
| glTF | FBX | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | GL Transmission Format (JSON) | Autodesk Filmbox |
| Created by | Khronos Group | Kaydara, now Autodesk |
| Introduced | 2017 (glTF 2.0) | 1996 (as Filmbox) |
| Encoding | JSON plus .bin and image files (or embedded data) | proprietary binary or ASCII |
| File size | about a third larger than GLB when data is embedded | medium; can embed textures |
| Materials | Yes | Yes |
| Textures | Yes | Yes |
| Animation | Yes | Yes |
| Colour | PBR materials; textures embedded as data URIs in our export | materials and textures (often referenced externally) |
| Units | metres by convention | usually centimetres |
| Best for | debugging and hand-editing scene data | Maya, 3ds Max, Unity and Unreal pipelines |
Choose glTF when
- •You want an open standard with a public specification.
- •The asset is for the web, AR or Godot.
- •You want to inspect the scene as readable JSON.
Choose FBX when
- •Your engine or DCC presets are tuned for FBX.
- •A client or marketplace requires FBX.
- •You're exchanging animation between Autodesk tools.
Which apps open them
Of the 15 3D apps in our software guides, 7 open glTF without conversion and 10 open FBX. Only FBX opens directly in Maya, 3ds Max, PowerPoint.
Questions
- Is glTF better than FBX?
- Neither is better everywhere. You want an open standard with a public specification: choose glTF. Your engine or DCC presets are tuned for FBX: choose FBX.
- Can I convert glTF to FBX?
- Use a 3D app such as Blender: import the glTF, then export FBX.
- Which file is smaller, glTF or FBX?
- glTF: about a third larger than GLB when data is embedded. FBX: medium; can embed textures. Actual size depends mostly on polygon count and texture resolution.
Written with AI assistance by the Renderlyst team in October 2026. Format support reflects each app's current release as we understand it, and we link the official documentation so you can confirm it for your version. Spotted something out of date? Email alishbakhalid766@gmail.com.