All formats
GLB vs USDZ
USDZ is what iOS AR Quick Look requires; GLB is what Android Scene Viewer and every web 3D library require. Neither is better, they are the two halves of the same problem, and shipping AR to both platforms means exporting both.
Side by side
| Spec | GLB | USDZ |
|---|---|---|
| Type | 3D model | 3D model |
| Extensions | .glb | .usdz |
| Introduced | 2017 | 2018 |
| Compression | Both | None |
| MIME type | model/gltf-binary | model/vnd.usdz+zip |
| Use it when | Showing a 3D model on the web, in a game engine, or in AR. | Publishing a model for AR preview on iPhone or iPad. |
| Avoid it when | Printing the model (use STL) or continuing to author it in a DCC tool (use its native format). | Targeting Android or the general web. Use GLB. |
Where the usual answer breaks
None. If your model needs to open in AR from Safari on an iPhone, USDZ is not optional.
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
USDZ
- The native format for AR Quick Look on iOS and iPadOS
- Single self-contained package including textures
- Built on USD, which scales to very large scenes
- Effectively Apple-centric; Android AR uses glTF/GLB
- Tooling is less mature than for glTF
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
Other comparisons
Last updated 2026-08-03