Fonts

TTF vs OTF vs WOFF vs WOFF2: Which Font Format Should You Use?

October 8, 2026

Short answer: install TTF or OTF on a computer, and serve WOFF2 on a website. WOFF is only needed as a fallback for very old browsers. Everything else about these four formats is detail, and the detail is below.

Convert TTF to WOFF2

The four formats in plain words

TTF (TrueType) is the classic font file. It works on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and in nearly every design and office program. If an app asks for "a font file" and you are not sure, TTF is the safe answer.

OTF (OpenType) is a newer format that can hold more: ligatures, alternate letters, small caps and better spacing rules for many scripts. Professional and designer fonts are often shipped as OTF. It also installs everywhere on a desktop.

WOFF (Web Open Font Format) is not a different kind of font. It is a TTF or OTF packed into a compressed file made for websites, so visitors download less.

WOFF2 is the same idea with stronger compression. According to this comparison, a WOFF2 file is roughly 30% smaller than the WOFF of the same font, and every modern browser reads it.

Which one do I need?

You want to…	Use
Install a font on Windows or Mac	TTF or OTF
Use a font in Word, Photoshop, Figma or Canva	TTF or OTF
Put a font on your website	WOFF2
Support very old browsers too	WOFF2, plus WOFF as a fallback
Use a font in an app that only accepts TTF	TTF

The thing people trip over: a website can load a plain TTF, but WOFF2 is smaller, and a computer cannot install a WOFF. Web formats are for browsers, desktop formats are for installing.

How to use WOFF2 on a website

Put the file on your server and point to it in your CSS:

@font-face {
  font-family: "My Font";
  src: url("/fonts/my-font.woff2") format("woff2"),
       url("/fonts/my-font.woff") format("woff");
  font-display: swap;
}

The browser takes the first format it understands, so modern browsers load the smaller WOFF2 and only very old ones fall back to WOFF. font-display: swap shows text in a normal font right away and swaps in yours when it has loaded, so the page never looks blank.

Does converting change the font?

It depends on the pair, and this is where most guides are vague.

TTF or OTF to WOFF or WOFF2 is lossless. The font data is only compressed, so every glyph, kerning pair and ligature is kept.
WOFF or WOFF2 back to TTF or OTF is also lossless, and it gives you an installable file again.
OTF to TTF is the one that changes things. OpenType fonts with PostScript outlines have to be redrawn into TrueType curves. The letters look the same at normal sizes, but kerning, ligatures and alternate glyphs are not carried over, and hinting is lost.
TTF to OTF is not offered, because it would not give you anything: the outlines stay TrueType even if the extension changes.

On Ident Convert you can do these conversions with TTF to WOFF2, OTF to WOFF2, WOFF2 to TTF, WOFF to TTF and OTF to TTF. Font files up to 4 MB are supported, which covers most Latin, Cyrillic and Greek fonts but not large CJK fonts.

Check the license first

A font file you can open is not a font you may publish. Converting a font does not change its license, and many commercial fonts do not allow web embedding at all, or only through the vendor's own hosting. Look for a "web" or "webfont" license before you convert a purchased font to WOFF2. Fonts under open licenses (for example from Google Fonts) usually allow it.

Frequently asked questions

Is OTF better than TTF?

Not automatically. OTF can store more typographic features, but for everyday use on a computer the two behave the same. Use whichever your font came in.

Can I use TTF directly on my website?

Yes, browsers can load it. But a WOFF2 file is smaller, so pages load faster. If you are choosing, choose WOFF2.

Why is my converted OTF to TTF slightly different?

Because the outlines are redrawn from PostScript curves to TrueType curves. If the font has fine kerning or special ligatures, expect to check those in a test. If you only need it on a website, convert to WOFF2 instead, which keeps everything.

Are my font files kept after converting?

No. Files are processed for the conversion and removed afterward. The Privacy Policy has the exact details.

Related guides

Convert a font

Need a WOFF2 for your website, or a TTF you can install?

Convert Font to WOFF2