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For still images PNG wins on every axis. For animation, WebP or MP4 almost always beats GIF on size and quality.

WebP is 25–35% smaller at the same quality and supports transparency. JPG is the universal fallback. Serve both via `<picture>`.

APK delivers Android apps; IPA delivers iOS apps. They differ mostly in sideload permissiveness and store gatekeeping.

CSV uses commas; TSV uses tabs. The decision hinges on whether your data contains commas, quotes, or newlines — and on how the file will be consumed.

DOCX is for documents still being edited; PDF is the locked-down final delivery. Attach both if the recipient might need either one.

EPUB reflows to fit the screen; PDF preserves exact layout. Pick EPUB for reading comfort, PDF for page fidelity.

EXE installers are freeform; MSI is Microsoft's transactional package. Enterprise deployment strongly prefers MSI.

Apple markets HEIF/HEVC as a "high-efficiency" format that tends to produce smaller files at the same perceived quality. JPG remains the safer default for universal compatibility.

.jpg and .jpeg are byte-for-byte identical. The only reason to pick one over the other is compatibility with ancient tools that still only know the three-letter form.

Markdown is easier to author; HTML is what the browser ultimately renders. Modern pipelines author in Markdown and publish HTML.

MP3 is lossy, compact, and universally compatible. FLAC is lossless, twice as big, and ideal for archival. Pick based on whether it is the master or a day-to-day copy.

Both MP4 and MOV build on ISO BMFF. MP4 wins on broad compatibility; MOV is preferred inside Apple's editing ecosystem.

MP4 has unrivalled compatibility; WebM with VP9 or AV1 delivers smaller payloads. Serve both for resilient web delivery.

RTF is OS-agnostic lightweight rich text; DOCX is the official modern Word format. DOCX wins for almost every use case.

SVG for logos, icons, and diagrams; PNG for photos, screenshots, and bitmap assets. SVG scales infinitely, PNG is universally supported.

tar.gz is Unix-idiomatic and preserves permissions; ZIP opens natively on Windows and macOS. Choose based on your audience.

Keep the master as WAV, ship MP3 to listeners. Different jobs, different files.

xlsx carries formatting, formulas, and multiple sheets. CSV is the minimal text-only table. Pick based on the consumer.

YAML favours human editing with comments and fewer braces; JSON is unambiguous and machine-friendly. Configure with YAML, transport with JSON.

ZIP extracts anywhere but compresses less. 7z squeezes more but requires the recipient to have matching tooling. Choose based on the distribution channel.