GZ to ZIP Converter

What happens when you convert GZ to ZIP

• 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 ZIP with the same structure; a plain .gz holds one file, which becomes the only file in the ZIP, under the name stored in the GZ. Nothing is uploaded.
• ZIP opens on every computer and phone without extra software, which is usually the point of converting.

How to convert GZ to ZIP 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 ZIP". The archive engine, about 1 MB, loads the first time; then the time depends on how much is inside the archive.
4. Save each ZIP with its download button. Close the tab and every trace of the files is gone from memory.

Why convert GZ to ZIP?

GZ files usually come from compressed logs, database dumps and downloads, and Linux software as .tar.gz. People convert them to ZIP because ZIP opens on every computer and phone with no extra software.

In short, GZ is good at what it was made for, and ZIP 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 ZIP opens with the built-in tools of Windows, macOS, iOS and Android.

How to convert GZ to ZIP 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 ZIP 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 ZIP 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 ZIP 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 ZIP is saved to the Download folder, where any file manager can find it.

Best settings for GZ to ZIP

There is nothing to set: every file in the GZ is copied into the ZIP 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 ZIP: the differences

About GZ and ZIP 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 ZIP file?

ZIP is the one archive format every operating system opens without extra software, which is why converting other archives to ZIP is so common.

GZ to ZIP 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 ZIP 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
zip output.zip input

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