GLB vs FBX vs USDZ: which 3D format should you export?

A pragmatic guide to picking export formats. When GLB wins, when FBX is unavoidable, and why USDZ matters for AR.

Mar 19, 20266 min read

GLB vs FBX vs USDZ: which 3D format should you export?

On this page

If you've spent more than a week in 3D, you've stared at an export dialog with five format options and wondered which one to pick. Here's the practical version. (Texture maps survive most exports unchanged — our PBR texturing explainer walks through what each map does.)

GLB — the modern web standard

GLB is glTF in a single binary file. It bundles geometry, textures, materials, and animations into one self-contained asset.

When to use: Three.js, Babylon, Spline, web AR, real-time engines that load assets at runtime.

Strengths: Compact, fast to parse, native PBR support, animations embedded, exports clean.

Weaknesses: Limited shader/material customisation compared to engine-native formats.

FBX — the DCC interchange standard

FBX is the format every DCC tool reads — Blender, Maya, 3DS Max, Cinema 4D, Houdini. It's been the de facto interchange format for 15+ years.

When to use: Anytime you're handing off to a 3D artist who needs to keep editing in Maya/Blender. Anytime you need full skeletal animation with custom blend shapes — see auto-rigging for the FBX-friendly pipeline.

Strengths: Universal compatibility, complete rigging/animation fidelity, materials with full property graphs.

Weaknesses: Larger file sizes, slower to parse, occasionally proprietary surprises (Autodesk owns the spec).

USDZ — Apple's spatial format

USDZ is Apple's zipped USD format. It's required for AR Quick Look on iOS, iPadOS, and Vision Pro. If you want users to drop your asset onto their kitchen table in AR, you need USDZ. We dive deep in the USDZ guide.

When to use: AR commerce, Vision Pro apps, iMessage previews, anywhere Apple's ecosystem is the target.

Strengths: Native AR Quick Look support, USD's strong scene graph, zip-packaged.

Weaknesses: Limited PBR feature parity with GLB on some Apple device generations.

OBJ — the lowest common denominator

OBJ + MTL is the file format your grandmother's CAD tool exports. Geometry, UVs, simple materials. No animations, no skeletons, no PBR.

When to use: 3D printing slicers, CAD interop, ancient academic tools.

STL — for 3D printing

STL is geometry-only — no materials, no UVs, no colours. It exists for one reason: 3D printers. See our sketch-to-print workflow for an end-to-end STL pipeline.

When to use: Sending to a slicer (Cura, PrusaSlicer, Bambu Studio).

Polyx defaults

By default, Polyx exports every generation as GLB + FBX + OBJ. USDZ and STL are opt-in via target_formats. The trade-off: more formats requested = slightly longer task time.