Fonts · Best format for…

Best Font Format for Websites

Web fonts are a size and compatibility problem. The format you design in (TTF/OTF) is rarely the format you should ship. Compress for the network, then keep a fallback path for older clients.

Quick take: WOFF2 is the best default for websites. Keep WOFF as a legacy fallback. Use TTF/OTF for design and desktop installs — convert to WOFF2 before shipping to the browser.

WOFF2 WOFF TTF OTF TTF → WOFF2 OTF → WOFF2 TTF → WOFF OTF → WOFF

Formats to consider

WOFF2

Best default for modern sites

Brotli-compressed web font — usually the smallest download.

Pros

Smallest typical payload
All modern browsers

Cons

Not for desktop installers

What is WOFF2?WOFF2 hub

WOFF

Best legacy web fallback

Older web-font container still useful in dual-format stacks.

Pros

Wide historical support

Cons

Larger than WOFF2

What is WOFF?WOFF hub

TTF

Best desktop / design source

TrueType for editing and OS install — heavy on the web.

Pros

Universal design tooling

Cons

Larger than WOFF2 for sites

What is TTF?TTF hub

OTF

Best when you need OpenType features in design

OpenType CFF or similar — convert before web delivery.

Pros

Rich typographic features

Cons

Not ideal as the only web format

What is OTF?OTF hub

Recommendations by situation

Production website CSS @font-face

Pick: WOFF2 (optional WOFF fallback)

Smallest bytes for the browsers your visitors actually use.

You only have a designer TTF/OTF

Pick: Convert TTF/OTF → WOFF2

Keep the source for design; ship the compressed web format.

Must support very old browsers with one file

Pick: WOFF or TTF

Compatibility over compression when you cannot dual-serve.

Convert now

Turn the recommendation into a file — every converter between these formats is linked below. Processing stays in your browser.

TTF → WOFF2 OTF → WOFF2 TTF → WOFF OTF → WOFF WOFF → WOFF2 WOFF2 → TTF WOFF → TTF OTF → TTF TTF → OTF WOFF2 → WOFF WOFF2 → OTF WOFF → OTF

Related “best format” guides

Best Image Format for Websites Best Image Format for Logos

FAQ

Do I still need WOFF if I ship WOFF2?

Only if you still care about older browsers. Most modern traffic is fine with WOFF2 alone.

Should I put TTF files on my CDN?

Prefer WOFF2 for @font-face. Keep TTF/OTF for design handoff and desktop installs.

Browse all best format guides or jump to every converter.