FBX vs GLB: Difference and Which Format to Choose

FBX is Autodesk's format for animation and games; GLB is the compact open standard for the web. The difference and which to choose.

FBX and GLB are both popular 3D formats, but they were built for different worlds. FBX is Autodesk's proprietary format, king of animation, rigging and game pipelines. GLB is the open standard of the web: it's the binary version of glTF — compact, self-contained and designed to display instantly in a browser. In short: FBX to produce and animate inside 3D software, GLB to deliver and share on the web, in AR or on mobile.

FBX: the format for animation and game pipelines

FBX (Filmbox), developed and later acquired by Autodesk, is the reference exchange format between 3D creation tools: Maya, 3ds Max, Blender, MotionBuilder and game engines. It faithfully carries meshes, materials, skeletons (rigs), animations and complex hierarchies. It's an excellent production format, but it's proprietary, often bulky and not designed to be loaded as-is in a browser.

• Autodesk proprietary format, widespread in DCC and games
• Excellent support for rigging and animations
• Preserves hierarchies, cameras and complex materials
• Heavy files, not optimized for the web

GLB: the open standard of web 3D

GLB is the binary variant of glTF (GL Transmission Format), the open, royalty-free standard maintained by the Khronos Group and often nicknamed 'the JPEG of 3D'. A .glb file packs geometry, textures, PBR materials and animations into a single binary. The result: fast loading and native compatibility with browsers, three.js, the model-viewer component and mobile AR.

• Open Khronos standard (glTF), royalty-free
• A single self-contained file: geometry + textures + PBR materials
• Lightweight and optimized for instant web loading
• Compatible with browsers, mobile AR, three.js, model-viewer

FBX vs GLB: comparison table

• Maintainer — FBX: Autodesk (proprietary) | GLB: Khronos (open)
• Primary use — FBX: DCC, animation, games | GLB: web, AR, e-commerce
• Weight — FBX: heavy | GLB: compact (Draco compression available)
• Materials — FBX: varied software materials | GLB: standardized PBR
• Animation / rigging — FBX: excellent | GLB: good (skinning, morph targets)
• Browser loading — FBX: needs conversion | GLB: native
• File self-containment — FBX: textures sometimes external | GLB: all embedded

Should you convert FBX to GLB?

For any web use — e-commerce product page, online viewer, AR, portfolio — the answer is almost always yes. The typical flow is to model and animate in FBX inside your software, then export to GLB for delivery. Conversion cuts the file size, standardizes materials to PBR and guarantees faithful rendering in the browser. Blender, for instance, imports an FBX and exports a GLB in a few clicks.

Open and share an FBX or a GLB without software

Opening an FBX requires 3D software; a GLB displays in a browser, but you still need a viewer. OmniView 3D opens both directly: you upload your FBX or GLB, you get a shareable interactive viewer in 60 seconds, and your recipient — client, colleague, prospect — rotates the model on any device with nothing to install.

1. 1Upload your FBX or GLB file to omniview3d.com (free plan available)
2. 2OmniView generates an interactive 3D viewer in under 60 seconds
3. 3Copy the shareable link and send it by email, Slack or WhatsApp
4. 4Your recipient opens the model in their browser — no software required