glTF vs OBJ
glTF and OBJ both have readable text forms, but glTF describes a whole modern scene with PBR materials, hierarchy and animation, while OBJ describes a static mesh with basic materials. glTF's binary data lives in a .bin file or is embedded; OBJ is all text. For anything beyond a simple static mesh, glTF keeps far more.
Side by side
| glTF | OBJ | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | GL Transmission Format (JSON) | Wavefront OBJ |
| Created by | Khronos Group | Wavefront Technologies |
| Introduced | 2017 (glTF 2.0) | late 1980s |
| Encoding | JSON plus .bin and image files (or embedded data) | plain text, with a separate .mtl file |
| File size | about a third larger than GLB when data is embedded | large for dense meshes, because it's text |
| Materials | Yes | Yes |
| Textures | Yes | No |
| Animation | Yes | No |
| Colour | PBR materials; textures embedded as data URIs in our export | basic materials in a separate .mtl file |
| Units | metres by convention | unitless |
| Best for | debugging and hand-editing scene data | older 3D software and CAD-adjacent tools |
Choose glTF when
- •You need PBR materials, hierarchy or animation.
- •The destination is a modern engine, viewer or the web.
- •You want an actively maintained open standard.
Choose OBJ when
- •You need the simplest possible static mesh.
- •The destination tool is old.
- •You want to edit vertex data as plain text.
Which apps open them
Of the 15 3D apps in our software guides, 7 open glTF without conversion and 14 open OBJ. Only OBJ opens directly in Maya, 3ds Max, Bambu Studio, OrcaSlicer, PrusaSlicer, UltiMaker Cura, PowerPoint.
Questions
- Is glTF better than OBJ?
- Neither is better everywhere. You need PBR materials, hierarchy or animation: choose glTF. You need the simplest possible static mesh: choose OBJ.
- Can I convert glTF to OBJ?
- Yes. Our glTF to OBJ converter runs in your browser. Textures are dropped, because OBJ can't store them.
- Which file is smaller, glTF or OBJ?
- glTF: about a third larger than GLB when data is embedded. OBJ: large for dense meshes, because it's text. 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 Spotted something out of date?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.