GPX File

What are GPX files and how to open them

Are you having problems opening a GPX file or are you simply curious about its contents? We're here to explain the properties of these files and provide you with software that can open or handle your GPX files.

What is a GPX file?

GPX files have multiple uses, and GPS Exchange Format Data is one of them. Read more about the other uses further down the page.

GPS Exchange Format Data

Files that contain the .gpx file extension are commonly referred to as GPS Exchange Format files. The information contained in a GPX file can include waypoints, tracks, and routes.

This data format allows for the exchange of GPS information between different applications and users. It is an open standard file format and can be used by various software programs. The initial GPX file format was released in 2002. Then in 2004, GPX 1.1 was introduced. Since then, it has been the default XML standard for the interchange of GPS data.

The GPX file format is based on XML formatting, allowing it to be imported by various GPS applications and devices.

How to open GPX files

We have identified five GPX openers that are compatible with this specific type of GPX file.

Programs that open GPS Exchange Format Data files

Last updated: August 6, 2026

All known file formats using extension .GPX

While GPS Exchange Format Data is a popular type of GPX-file, we know of 2 different uses of the .GPX file extension. Different software may use files with the same extension for different types of data.

Guitar Pro Tablature Data

Guitar Pro Tablature Data (.GPX) files are documents created by version 6 of Guitar Pro - a music notation and tablature editor made by Arobas Music - used to store musical compositions for guitar, bass, drums and other instruments. These files encode both standard music staff notation and tablature, along with song metadata (tempo, key signature, track info, lyrics, etc.), effects, tunings, and layout/display settings. They do not store recorded audio; the notation is played back using Guitar Pro's built-in synthesis and sound engine. Known programs that create these files are Guitar Pro 6.

.GPX files are read by Guitar Pro 6 and can be imported into newer versions like Guitar Pro 7 and 8. Users may export their compositions from a .GPX file into other formats such as MIDI, MusicXML, ASCII tablature, audio files like WAV, or printable formats like PDF and PNG.

Internally .GPX uses a proprietary container format known as BCFZ or BCFS: a binary container holding multiple component files. Among them are score.gpif (the main XML file representing the musical score), misc.xml (auxiliary display settings), and binary files for layout, stylesheet, part configuration, and other visual/layout information. Files begin with a "BCFZ" header signature.

GPX opener for Windows

We have identified one GPX opener that is compatible with this specific type of GPX file.

Various apps that use files with this extension

These apps are known to open certain types of GPX files. Remember, different programs may use GPX files for different purposes, so you may need to try out a few of them to be able to open your specific file.

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