GLB vs FBX vs OBJ vs STL vs USDZ: Which 3D Format to Use

Most 3D tools can export a dozen formats, but in practice you'll meet five. Each was designed for a different job, and picking the right one saves you from missing textures, giant files and models that import at the wrong size.

The short answer

Destination	Use
Website, three.js, Babylon.js	GLB
Godot	GLB
Unity, Unreal (static models)	FBX or GLB
Unity, Unreal (rigged and animated)	FBX
Android AR	GLB
iPhone and iPad AR	USDZ
3D printing	STL (or 3MF for colour)
Older or CAD-adjacent software	OBJ

GLB: the default for almost everything new

GLB is the binary form of the open glTF standard. One file holds the mesh, PBR materials, textures and animation. It loads fast and looks consistent across viewers. If you don't know which format to choose, choose GLB.

FBX: the animation workhorse

FBX is Autodesk's proprietary format. Its strength is moving rigged, animated characters between Maya, Blender, Unity and Unreal. Its weaknesses are inconsistent material import and frequent scale or axis surprises.

OBJ: the universal fallback

OBJ is a plain-text format from the 1980s that nearly everything reads. It carries geometry and UVs well, but materials live in a separate .mtl file with its textures, so files go missing easily. It has no animation and no modern materials.

STL: for printers only

STL is just triangles: no colour, no materials, no units. That's exactly what a slicer wants, and almost nothing else. Always check the scale after importing one.

USDZ: for Apple's AR

USDZ packages Pixar's Universal Scene Description for Apple devices. Tap one in Safari on an iPhone and the object appears in your room. If you publish AR on the web, ship a USDZ alongside your GLB.

Side by side

	GLB	FBX	OBJ	STL	USDZ
Single file	Yes	Usually	No	Yes	Yes
Textures and materials	PBR	Yes, inconsistent	Basic	No	PBR
Animation and rigs	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes
Open standard	Yes	No	De facto	De facto	Yes (USD)

Converting between them

Blender imports and exports all five (USD in place of USDZ, which Apple's Reality Converter can package). Our converters give you the most useful formats directly: GLB from every 3D engine, STL from the relief and low-poly engines, and FBX, OBJ and USDZ from AI reconstruction when the provider returns them. Try image to 3D, or download any model from the library as a GLB to experiment.