All formats
GLB vs FBX
FBX is the interchange format between Maya, 3ds Max and Unity, with deep support for rigs, animation and scene data. GLB is open, smaller, and the format the web and AR viewers actually take. Author in FBX inside the pipeline, ship GLB out of it.
Side by side
| Spec | GLB | FBX |
|---|---|---|
| Type | 3D model | 3D model |
| Extensions | .glb | .fbx |
| Introduced | 2017 | 1996 |
| Compression | Both | Both |
| MIME type | model/gltf-binary | application/octet-stream |
| Use it when | Showing a 3D model on the web, in a game engine, or in AR. | Moving animated or rigged assets into a game engine. |
| Avoid it when | Printing the model (use STL) or continuing to author it in a DCC tool (use its native format). | Delivering to the web or AR, or printing. Convert to GLB or STL. |
Where the usual answer breaks
Complex character rigs. FBX still carries skeletal and animation data that glTF exporters routinely simplify.
GLB
- Everything in one file: meshes, PBR materials, textures, animation
- Designed for fast runtime loading, not for editing
- Native support in browsers, game engines and AR viewers
- Not an editing format; round-tripping through it loses authoring data
- Not accepted by 3D printing slicers
FBX
- Carries rigs, skinned meshes, animation, cameras and lights
- The de facto standard for game engine asset pipelines
- Widely supported across professional 3D software
- Proprietary, with no fully open specification
- Version differences cause real interoperability problems
- Heavier than needed for simple static geometry
Tools for these formats
Local only
GLB to STL Converter
Pulls mesh geometry out of GLB or glTF files and exports clean, printable STL, handy for slicing software and 3D printers.
GLB → STL
Local only
GLB to OBJ Converter
Extracts mesh geometry from GLB or glTF files and exports it as Wavefront OBJ for editing in older desktop 3D modeling tools.
GLB → OBJ
Local only
FBX to GLB Converter
Converts Autodesk FBX files, animation included, into GLB for three.js scenes, Unity and Godot projects, and AR pipelines.
FBX → GLB
Other comparisons
Last updated 2026-08-03