beacen.

File formats field answer 008

GPX vs FIT vs TCX: which file do you need?

Reading time
7 minutes
Reviewed
Scope
Route and activity files

The short answer

Use GPX when you need a portable route line for beacen or broad mapping compatibility. Use FIT when a compatible device or service needs compact activity, course, workout or sensor data. Use TCX when a training service expects Garmin's XML format for activities, workouts or courses. The correct choice depends on the destination, not the filename alone.

The useful difference

Each format was built around a different job.

GPXPortable geographic data

An open XML format for waypoints, routes and tracks. It is a straightforward choice for moving a route line between mapping tools.

FITStructured fitness data

A compact binary protocol with defined file types for activities, courses and workouts. Activity files can include laps, GPS, sensor data and events.

TCXTraining data in XML

Garmin's Training Center schema can represent activities, workouts and courses, with an extension mechanism for additional data.

None is simply a better version of the others. A GPX can be ideal for a walking route and unsuitable for a structured interval workout. A FIT file can preserve detailed recorded data yet be unreadable to a route app that accepts only GPX.

Start at the destination

Ask what must survive the transfer.

  • A route line for beacenExport GPX. beacen imports GPX files that contain a route or track.
  • A completed activityFIT or TCX may be appropriate when the destination supports the format and you need laps, timing, sensor readings or recorded events.
  • A device courseUse the course format named by that device's current documentation. FIT course support is not the same as general FIT activity support.
  • A structured workoutUse FIT or TCX only when both ends support the required workout fields. A route line does not contain the same training instructions.

Look at the import options in the receiving service before exporting. Device model, app version and file type can all affect support. The three-letter extension is useful only when the file contents match the format.

Changing formats

Conversion keeps selected data, not the whole meaning.

Renaming a file from .fit or .tcx to .gpx does not convert it. A conversion tool must read the source structure and write a new document in the target format. It must also decide which source fields have a valid destination.

Turning a recorded FIT activity into GPX may preserve its geographic track and timestamps while dropping workout steps, device messages or sensor fields. A service may simplify the line, join gaps or calculate new elevation values. Converting GPX into FIT does not recreate sensor data that was never present.

A successful conversion means the target file opened. It does not mean every source field survived.

A controlled handover

Check the outcome before deleting the source.

  1. Name

    Identify the receiving app and task.

    Route navigation, activity analysis and workout execution need different information.

  2. Export

    Choose a supported format at the source.

    Use GPX for a beacen route. Keep any option that preserves the original file as well.

  3. Inspect

    Compare the new file with the original.

    Check start, finish, line shape, gaps, distance and any fields that matter to the task.

  4. Retain

    Keep the highest-fidelity copy.

    A later tool may support more of the original data than today's destination.

All three formats can reveal location and activity details. Share the minimum file needed and check for private start points or timestamps first.

Sources & scope

What this answer is based on.

Compatibility varies by product and version. Check the destination's current documentation before choosing a training or device-specific format.

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