File Converter Format Matrix by Family
Sort a converter by family: image, audio, document, video. A single total hides which library does the work.
Read on 2026-10-29 from the pages named in Sources. We did not upload a test file, time a conversion, or audit a deletion job.
Families, not a single total
The VERT README says the project supports over 250 file formats. The ImageMagick homepage says over 200 formats. We did not open a format catalog and count rows, so those totals stay attributed to the pages that printed them.
The useful matrix is the one the FAQ already implies. VERT says it uses ImageMagick for images, FFmpeg for audio and video, and Pandoc for documents. The video doc adds Mediabunny for in-browser video when that path works.
Who names which family
| Family | Named by | What that page is for |
|---|---|---|
| Images | ImageMagick, via VERT's FAQ | The ImageMagick homepage describes converting and editing images, and shows a magick command. |
| Audio | FFmpeg, via VERT's FAQ | FFmpeg's about page describes decoding, encoding, and a command-line converter. |
| Documents | Pandoc, via VERT's FAQ | The Pandoc homepage lists markup and word-processor formats, including Markdown, docx, HTML, LaTeX, and EPUB. |
| Video | FFmpeg, Mediabunny, or vertd | VERT's video doc says the browser path uses Mediabunny when it can, and a Rust FFmpeg wrapper when it cannot. |
Archives stay with the extractor already listed
HatchZip is the directory row for unpacking an archive on disk. The row was added on 2026-10-24. The README, read on 2026-10-29, names ZIP, ZIP64, 7z, tar, .tar.gz, split archives, and RAR in the release builds. A default cargo install hatchzip refuses RAR. Those names are formats the extractor reads. They are outside the four families in the table above.
The README prints timing and disk-space figures from the project's own runs. This note does not copy them. We did not extract a sample archive. Font and CAD formats remain unnamed. The privacy sentence for this program is on upload or on-device. The install path is on self-host a file converter.
How to use the matrix
Pick the family first. An image that must stay on the device follows the non-video rule in the FAQ. A document that must become Markdown for a later step is Pandoc's job, whether you run it in the browser build or in a terminal. A video that the browser cannot finish is a daemon job, described in self-host a file converter.
The choice among those paths is how to choose an online file converter. Privacy of an upload is upload or on-device. Preparing a file for a model, which is not the same as scoring the model, is convert files before an AI model. The directory row is VERT. Every note is on the Front blog index.
Gaps we are leaving open
- No cell above is a compatibility grid. A format named on a homepage can still fail on a particular file.
- We did not compare visual quality, subtitle handling, or document layout.
- Font and CAD formats are still outside this matrix. CloudConvert's marketing mentions more categories; we did not build a second catalog from that. Archive names live in the HatchZip section above.
Keep reading on Front
Every post, newest first, is on the Front blog index.
- How to choose an online file converter: where the file goes, before which logo you pick.
- FFmpeg, ImageMagick, and Pandoc: when the shell is the right worker.
- Convert files before an AI model: prep is not a model score.
- Self-host a file converter: the video daemon on a machine you administer.
FAQ
Does VERT convert every format with WebAssembly?
The FAQ assigns images, audio, documents, and video to ImageMagick, FFmpeg, and Pandoc, and says non-video work is on device. Video can still move to a server. The README's 250 is their total, not a list we checked.
Is Pandoc an image converter?
No. The Pandoc homepage describes markup and document formats. ImageMagick is the image suite named on VERT's FAQ and on imagemagick.org.
Where do I look for video specifically?
VERT's video conversion doc. It names Mediabunny for the local browser path and vertd for the server path. The default port is part of the self-host note, not of this matrix.
Is ZIP one of the four families?
No. The table is images, audio, documents, and video. ZIP, 7z, tar, and RAR are names on the HatchZip README. We did not copy that README's timing table.