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Commonly confused · IT Support & Hardware

NTFS vs FAT32 vs exFAT: What's the Difference?

NTFS is the Windows system file system with permissions, encryption, and journaling. FAT32 is an old, universally compatible file system limited to 4 GB files. exFAT removes the 4 GB file limit while staying lightweight and cross-platform, making it ideal for large flash drives and SD cards.

NTFSFAT32exFAT
Max file sizeEffectively unlimited (16 TB+ in practice)4 GB minus 1 byte16 EB theoretical
Permissions (ACLs)YesNoNo
Encryption and compressionEFS, BitLocker volumes, compressionNoNo
JournalingYesNoNo
CompatibilityFull on Windows; read-only on macOS by defaultNearly every OS and deviceWindows, macOS, most modern devices
Typical useWindows system and data drivesSmall USB drives, older devices, UEFI system partitionLarge USB flash drives, SDXC cards
Remember it

NTFS for Windows, FAT32 for everything old, exFAT for big files on removable media.

Exam tip

The 4 GB file limit of FAT32 is the most common exam trap: if a user cannot copy a 6 GB video to a USB drive, reformat it as exFAT or NTFS. Also note that only NTFS supports NTFS permissions.

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