XPS vs PDF: What's the Difference and Which Should You Use?
If you've received a file with a .xps extension and aren't sure what to do with it, you're not alone. Most people are familiar with PDFs but have never seen an XPS file in their life. This guide explains the differences between the two formats and why most users end up converting XPS to PDF.
What is XPS?
XPS stands for XML Paper Specification. Microsoft created the format in 2006 as a fixed-layout document standard, intended as a competitor to Adobe's PDF. The idea was that any document — once exported to XPS — would render identically on every system, just like a PDF.
XPS gained some traction inside the Windows ecosystem (a "Microsoft XPS Document Writer" virtual printer ships with every copy of Windows) but never broke out beyond it. Today XPS is mostly seen as the output of older Windows applications and document scanners.
What is PDF?
PDF (Portable Document Format) is the global standard for fixed-layout documents. Adobe invented it in 1992 and made it an open ISO standard in 2008. PDF readers exist for every operating system, every web browser, every smartphone, and most embedded systems.
If you save an invoice, sign a contract, or download a manual, it's almost certainly going to be a PDF.
Side-by-side comparison
| Feature | XPS | |
|---|---|---|
| Native support on Windows | Yes (built-in viewer removed by default in Windows 10 v1803+) | Yes (Edge opens PDFs) |
| Native support on macOS | No | Yes (Preview) |
| Native support on iOS / Android | No | Yes |
| Native support in browsers | No | Yes (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari) |
| File size | Slightly smaller for plain documents | Comparable; better compression of images |
| Encryption / DRM | Limited | Yes (industry-standard) |
| Digital signatures | Yes | Yes (legal-grade in most jurisdictions) |
| Editing software | Almost none outside Microsoft tools | Adobe Acrobat, Foxit, PDFescape, dozens of others |
| Open standard? | Yes (Ecma-388 / ISO/IEC 29500-2) but adoption is Microsoft-centric | Yes (ISO 32000) |
When should you keep XPS?
Honestly — almost never. The only reason to keep a document in XPS is if you're working entirely inside an older Windows-only workflow that already supports the format end-to-end. The moment you need to share the file with someone on a Mac, send it to a phone, attach it to an email that will be read on multiple devices, or upload it to a cloud service for review, you should convert it to PDF.
When should you convert to PDF?
- You need to send the file to anyone using a Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, or Android device.
- You need to attach the file to an email or upload it to a cloud service.
- You want it to open instantly in a browser without anyone installing extra software.
- You need to digitally sign or password-protect the document.
- You want long-term archival — PDF/A is an ISO archival standard; XPS is not.
How to convert XPS to PDF
Drop your XPS files at XPS2PDF.co.uk and download the PDF in seconds. No account, no watermark, files deleted within 60 minutes. You can convert up to 20 files at a time and grab them as a single ZIP.
Frequently asked questions
Is XPS the same as OXPS?
Almost. OXPS is the open ECMA standard version; XPS is Microsoft's earlier proprietary version. See our OXPS vs XPS guide for details — practically every reader handles both.
Will I lose quality converting XPS to PDF?
No. Both are vector-based fixed-layout formats. Conversion is a re-render, not a re-encode — text stays text, images stay sharp.
Can I convert XPS to a Word document?
Not directly with our tool — we output PDF or JPG. To get an editable Word document you'd need OCR (optical character recognition). The pragmatic workflow is XPS → PDF → Word via Adobe Acrobat or Microsoft Word's "Open PDF" feature.
Last updated: April 2026