Documents conversion
Convert RTF to HTML
Updated Jul 2026
RTF is the rich text format word processors use to share formatted documents between different apps, and HTML is the markup that web pages are built from. To convert RTF to HTML, open the file in a converter and export it as HTML. Doing this on your own computer means the document never has to be uploaded anywhere to make the switch.
- Extension
- .rtf
- Type
- Documents
- Typically
- Cross-app rich text
- Extension
- .html
- Type
- Documents
- Typically
- Web pages
Convert RTF to HTML on your own computer. Nothing uploads.
How to convert RTF to HTML
- Open Morphjet and drag in the RTF file, or a whole folder of them, to convert several at once.
- Choose HTML as the output format.
- Convert. The HTML file is written right next to your original, and nothing leaves your machine.
RTF vs HTML: what actually changes
| RTF | HTML | |
|---|---|---|
| Opens in | Word processors like Word, Pages, or TextEdit | Any web browser |
| File size | Larger, formatting codes add overhead | Smaller, plainer markup |
| Layout fidelity | Preserves exact print-style layout and spacing | Reflows to fit the browser window, so exact spacing can shift |
| Text and basic formatting | Bold, italic, fonts, colors, tables | Same, carried over as HTML tags and styles |
| Editing | Edit in a word processor | Edit in a browser-based editor or any code editor |
| Embedded images | Stored directly inside the file | Can be embedded or linked separately |
When to convert, and when not to
Convert RTF to HTML when you need to publish a document on a website, paste it into a blog post or CMS, or send formatted text that opens in any browser without a word processor.
Keep the RTF if the document needs to print exactly as laid out, since RTF holds fixed spacing and page structure that HTML doesn't guarantee once it reflows for the screen.
Why not just use an online converter?
RTF documents often carry drafts, contracts, or notes you'd rather not hand to a third party just to change the file type. An online converter means uploading that text to a server you don't control. Converting on your own computer keeps the document, and whatever it says, on your machine the whole time.
Questions
Does converting RTF to HTML lose any formatting?
Text, fonts, colors, bold, italic, and tables all carry over. What doesn't carry over cleanly is anything tied to a printed page, like fixed margins or headers and footers, since HTML doesn't work in pages.
Will images in the RTF still show up in the HTML?
Yes, images convert along with the text. Depending on the converter they end up either embedded in the HTML file itself or saved alongside it and linked.
Can I edit the HTML file afterward?
Yes. Any code editor or browser-based editor can open and change it, since HTML is just text with markup tags, not a proprietary format.
Can I convert RTF to HTML without uploading the document?
Yes. A desktop app like Morphjet converts the file on your own computer, so the document never travels over the internet to do it.
Can I convert the HTML back to RTF later?
Yes, going the other direction is possible, though any layout that only exists in HTML, like CSS-based styling, won't map back perfectly.
Morphjet converts RTF, HTML, and 1,800+ other formats, all on your machine. Launching this July.