Convert glTF to GLB
Free glTF to GLB converter that runs in your browser. See real dimensions before you download.
Why convert glTF to GLB?
Converting glTF to GLB packs a multi-file model into a single binary file. A .gltf typically travels with a .bin buffer and several texture images, which are awkward to email, upload to a CMS, attach to a chat or drop into an AR viewer that accepts only one file. GLB embeds all of that, so you handle one self-contained asset. Nothing about the model changes: geometry, hierarchy, materials, textures, units and animations are the same data in a different container. This is a lossless repackaging, not a conversion of the shape. It is also handy when a tool accepts GLB but not glTF, such as many marketplaces, social platforms and AR Quick Look pipelines. Upload the .gltf together with the files it references.
How to convert glTF to GLB
- Drop your glTF file (with its textures, if separate) onto the converter — it opens in your browser, nothing is uploaded.
- Check the preview and the dimensions in mm; fix units or the up axis in “Units & orientation” if the size or orientation looks wrong.
- Choose GLB as the output and click Convert. Several files download as one ZIP.
What carries over from glTF to GLB
| glTF | GLB | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colour / materials | Yes | Yes | Kept |
| Textures | Yes | Yes | Kept |
| Units stored in file | Yes | Yes | Written as mm → metres |
| Separate parts | Yes | Yes | Kept |
| Usual up axis | Y | Y | Unchanged |
What changes
- Nothing in the model changes; only the file container does.
- External .bin and image files are embedded in the GLB.
- Metres and Y-up remain, as both formats share the same conventions.
- The resulting GLB can be larger or smaller depending on how textures were stored before.
Tips
- Select the .gltf, the .bin and all texture images together when uploading.
- Open the GLB in the viewer to check that textures loaded correctly.
- Resize very large textures first if the GLB is for a web page.
- Keep the .gltf version if you need to edit the JSON by hand.
About glTF files
glTF was developed by the Khronos Group, the body behind OpenGL and Vulkan, and version 2.0 was released in 2017 and later adopted as ISO/IEC 12113. The design goal was a lean transmission format that engines can load without heavy processing. In its text form, a .gltf file is JSON that lists scenes, nodes, meshes, materials, animations and accessors, and it points to external .bin buffers and image files, though buffers can also be embedded as base64 data. The same content packed into one file is called GLB. Because the JSON is readable, glTF is popular for tooling, pipelines and debugging, and for projects that want to diff or hand-edit assets. It uses metres, a right-handed coordinate system and +Y up, and its physically based materials are supported by most web and game engines.
About GLB files
GLB is the binary container for glTF 2.0, the format the Khronos Group describes as the JPEG of 3D. One .glb file bundles a JSON scene description, binary mesh buffers and embedded images, so nothing can go missing in transit. The format was designed for efficient delivery and loading on the web, and it is now used by Three.js, Babylon.js, model-viewer, Google Search 3D results, Meta platforms, Unity and Unreal importers, and many marketplaces such as Sketchfab. glTF defines a physically based metallic-roughness material model, a node hierarchy, cameras, skins and animations. Coordinates are in metres with +Y up and a right-handed system. It is excellent for display and game assets, but it is a presentation format rather than a manufacturing one, so print workflows usually convert it first.
3D printing notes
glTF is a display format, so a slicer will not open it. Convert it to STL or 3MF first. As with GLB, the main traps are metres versus millimetres and the Y-up axis. A character exported from a game pipeline can also contain separate shells for eyes, clothing and hair that overlap; slicers see overlapping volumes and may print them unevenly. MeshShift reads glTF in the browser, shows dimensions, applies the ×1000 metre-to-millimetre scale by default, and rotates the model upright. The print check rebuilds a single closed solid when you need one. When writing glTF, MeshShift embeds the buffers, so the output is a single self-contained file.
Frequently asked questions
Does glTF to GLB lose quality?
No. It repackages the same data into one binary file, so geometry, textures and materials are identical.
When should I use GLB instead of glTF?
When you want a single file that is easy to share or upload. Use glTF when you want to read or edit the JSON and keep textures as separate files.
Is this glTF to GLB converter free and private?
Yes. The conversion runs in your browser with JavaScript and WebAssembly, so your glTF file is never uploaded to a server. There is no sign-up, no watermark and no daily limit; very large files are limited only by your device's memory.