GZ to TAR Converter

What happens when you convert GZ to TAR

• The GZ is unpacked in your browser. If it holds a TAR archive, as a .tar.gz does, every file and folder inside is packed into a new TAR with the same structure; a plain .gz holds one file, which becomes the only file in the TAR, under the name stored in the GZ. Nothing is uploaded.
• TAR does not compress, so the result is about the size of all the files added together.

How to convert GZ to TAR online

1. Press "Choose GZ files" and select one or more files, or drag them onto the box. You can add files of any size your device can hold in memory.
2. There are no settings to choose: the converter keeps everything the target format can hold.
3. Press "Convert to TAR". The archive engine, about 1 MB, loads the first time; then the time depends on how much is inside the archive.
4. Save each TAR with its download button. Close the tab and every trace of the files is gone from memory.

Why convert GZ to TAR?

GZ files usually come from compressed logs, database dumps and downloads, and Linux software as .tar.gz. People convert them to TAR because TAR is what Linux and Mac tools, servers and build systems expect.

In short, GZ is good at what it was made for, and TAR is the more practical choice when the file has to open, upload or print somewhere else. GZ opens natively on macOS, Linux and Windows 11 since its 2023 update, and with 7-Zip on older Windows, while TAR opens natively on macOS and Linux, and with tar or 7-Zip on Windows.

How to convert GZ to TAR on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android

On Windows

Open this page in Chrome, Edge or Firefox, drag your GZ files in from File Explorer, and press Convert. Each TAR is saved to your Downloads folder.

On a Mac

Safari, Chrome and Firefox all work. Drag the GZ files from Finder onto the drop zone and the TAR files land in Downloads.

On iPhone and iPad

Open the page in Safari and tap Choose GZ files. You can pick from Photos or from the Files app. The converted TAR appears in Files, in the Downloads folder.

On Android

Open the page in Chrome, tap Choose GZ files and pick them from Files or your gallery. The TAR is saved to the Download folder, where any file manager can find it.

Best settings for GZ to TAR

There is nothing to set: every file in the GZ is copied into the TAR as it is.

Large archives are unpacked into your browser's memory, so very big ones, several gigabytes, are better handled by a desktop program such as 7-Zip. Archives split into several parts (.part1.rar, .part2.rar) need all parts, which this tool does not join.

GZ vs TAR: the differences

About GZ and TAR files

What is a GZ file?

Gzip compresses a single file, not a folder. That is why folders are packed into a TAR first and then gzipped, giving .tar.gz, and why a plain .gz holds exactly one file, usually named like the .gz without its extension.

What is a TAR file?

A TAR file bundles files without compressing them; it keeps Unix permissions and folder structure. It is usually compressed again with gzip, giving a .tar.gz or .tgz file.

GZ to TAR not working? Common problems

• The archive will not open. It may be password protected, damaged, or one part of a multi-part archive.
• The browser tab stops on a big archive. Everything is unpacked in memory; very large archives are better handled by 7-Zip or The Unarchiver.
• Files have odd names. Archives made on some older systems store names in a local character set; the files themselves are intact.

Convert GZ to TAR from the command line

On a Mac or Linux, gunzip unpacks the file inside, keeping the original, and zip or tar packs it again:

gunzip -k input.gz
tar -cf output.tar input

The converter on this page does the same job in your browser, without installing anything.