GPX vs TCX

Use TCX when the workout matters, because laps, heart rate and cadence are part of the format. Use GPX for routes, waypoints and maps, because more apps read it.

Open either format in the GPX viewer. It runs in your browser, and the file never leaves your device.

What GPX and TCX files can store

Data	GPX	TCX
Recorded tracks	Yes	Yes
More than one track	Yes	Yes
Track segments	Yes	Yes
Planned routes	Yes	YesAs a Course
Waypoints	Yes	YesOnly as course points
File name and title	Yes	No
Description	Yes	YesActivity notes
Author	Yes	No
Creation time	Yes	Yes
Links	Yes	No
Track names	Yes	No
Activity type	Yes	YesRunning, Biking or Other
Elevation	Yes	Yes
Timestamps	Yes	Yes
Heart rate	With an extensionGarmin TrackPointExtension	Yes
Cadence	With an extensionGarmin TrackPointExtension	Yes
Power	With an extensionGarmin PowerExtension, not read by every app	With an extensionGarmin ActivityExtension v2
Temperature	With an extensionGarmin TrackPointExtension	No
Speed	With an extensionGarmin TrackPointExtension v2	With an extensionGarmin ActivityExtension v2

This table comes from the code of TrackLoupe, and the notes say how each field is stored. The converters use the same table to tell you what a conversion keeps and what it loses.

The main differences

Difference	GPX	TCX
Made for	Exchanging GPS data	Recording workouts
Laps	None	Laps with time, distance, calories and heart rate
Heart rate, cadence	Through Garmin’s TrackPointExtension	Part of the format
Power	Through an extension	Through Garmin’s ActivityExtension
Temperature	Through Garmin’s TrackPointExtension	None
Distance per point	None, apps compute it from the points	Distance covered so far, on every point
Sport	Free text in the track’s `<type>`	`Running`, `Biking` or `Other`
Waypoints	Yes	Only the course points of a course

Both are XML text, and both store times, positions and elevation on every point.

When to use TCX

To move a workout between training services with its laps.
When heart rate and cadence must survive apps that drop GPX extensions.

When to use GPX

To share a route or a list of places.
To load a track on a GPS device or into a mapping app.
When the receiving app does not read TCX.

Converting between GPX and TCX

From TCX to GPX, the laps and their totals have no place to go, and calories are lost. Heart rate and cadence can survive through Garmin’s TrackPointExtension.

From GPX to TCX, the waypoints have no place to go. A GPX file has no laps, so each track becomes an activity with a single lap.

Questions

Does Strava accept TCX and GPX?

Yes. The Strava website accepts GPX, TCX and FIT files up to 25 MB as uploads, as long as the file holds a real workout.

Which one keeps more data?

For a workout, TCX keeps more, because of the laps. For a route with waypoints, GPX keeps more. The table at the top of this page compares every field.

What about FIT?

FIT is the binary format many sport devices record in. It keeps the most data of the three. The FIT page explains it.