What happens when you convert TAR to 7Z
- The TAR is unpacked and packed again as a 7Z by 7-Zip, the open-source archiver, on our conversion server, with every file and folder, their names and dates.
- 7-Zip compresses with LZMA2 at its normal level, which usually makes a smaller archive than ZIP, especially for text, documents and program files. Photos and videos, which are already compressed, hardly shrink.
- Symbolic links are stored as links. Paths that would climb out of the archive folder, and links that point outside it, are dropped for safety, as 7-Zip does by default.
- Password-protected archives cannot be converted, because they cannot be opened without the password. Archives that unpack to more than 1 GB, or hold more than 20,000 files, are refused.
- This conversion runs on our server: the file is uploaded, converted, and deleted together with the result as soon as the result has been sent back to you. Nothing is kept. Files up to 25 MB are accepted.
How to convert TAR to 7Z online
- Press "Choose TAR files" and select one or more files, or drag them onto the box. Files up to 25 MB each can be converted.
- There are no settings to choose: the converter keeps everything the target format can hold.
- Press "Convert to 7Z". The file is uploaded to our conversion server, converted in a few seconds, and deleted together with the result as soon as the result is sent back.
- Save each 7Z with its download button. Our server has already deleted both your TAR and the 7Z by then.
Why convert TAR to 7Z?
TAR files usually come from software source code and Linux and Mac backups. People convert them to 7Z to make an archive smaller for storage or sending, or because a program, a game mod manager or a server asks for 7Z.
How to convert TAR to 7Z on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android
On Windows
Open this page in Chrome, Edge or Firefox, drag your TAR files in from File Explorer, and press Convert. Each 7Z is saved to your Downloads folder.
On a Mac
Safari, Chrome and Firefox all work. Drag the TAR files from Finder onto the drop zone and the 7Z files land in Downloads.
On iPhone and iPad
Open the page in Safari and tap Choose TAR files. You can pick from Photos or from the Files app. The converted 7Z appears in Files, in the Downloads folder.
On Android
Open the page in Chrome, tap Choose TAR files and pick them from Files or your gallery. The 7Z is saved to the Download folder, where any file manager can find it.
Best settings for TAR to 7Z
There are no settings: the 7Z uses LZMA2 at 7-Zip's normal level, a good balance between size and speed, with no password.
The 7Z opens in 7-Zip on Windows, in Keka or The Unarchiver on a Mac, and with 7z or p7zip on Linux. Windows 11 opens it without extra software since 2023.
TAR vs 7Z: the differences
| TAR | 7Z | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Tape archive | 7-Zip archive |
| Type | archive | archive |
| Created by | Unix developers at Bell Labs | Igor Pavlov |
| First released | 1979 | 1999 |
| Compression | Lossless | Lossless |
| What it holds | files and folders joined end to end, without compression | files compressed with LZMA or LZMA2 |
| In a browser | opens natively on macOS and Linux, and with tar or 7-Zip on Windows | opens natively in Windows 11 since its 2023 update; older Windows needs 7-Zip and a Mac needs The Unarchiver |
| Common uses | software source code and Linux and Mac backups | maximum compression for backups and software distribution |
| MIME type | application/x-tar | application/x-7z-compressed |
About TAR and 7Z files
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.
What is a 7Z file?
7Z usually compresses tighter than ZIP by using the LZMA algorithm across files. The trade-off is that fewer built-in tools can open it.
TAR to 7Z not working? Common problems
- "Files up to 25 MB can be converted." Server conversions have a size limit. Split the archive, or pack it with 7-Zip on your own computer.
- "The conversion took too long and was stopped." Very long or complex files can pass the 90 second limit. Split the file and convert the parts.
- "The archive could not be converted." It may be password protected, damaged, or unpack to more than 1 GB.
Convert TAR to 7Z from the command line
7-Zip does the same on your own computer:
7z x input.tar -oextracted
cd extracted && 7z a -t7z ../output.7z .Converting on your own computer keeps the file entirely local, which is worth it for very large or very sensitive documents. For everything else, the converter on this page does it without installing anything.
TAR to 7Z converter FAQ
Will I lose quality converting TAR to 7Z?
No. Archives are lossless: every file comes out byte for byte identical.
Why is the 7Z a different size from the TAR?
Usually smaller than the TAR, because 7Z compresses more tightly and TAR does not compress at all. Files that are already compressed, such as photos and videos, stay about the same size.
Are my TAR files uploaded?
Yes, for this conversion. A faithful TAR to 7Z conversion needs 7-Zip, the open-source archiver, which cannot run in a browser. The file travels over an encrypted connection, is converted in a private temporary folder, and is deleted together with the 7Z as soon as the result has been sent back to you. We do not keep, read or share it.
Can I convert several TAR files to 7Z at once?
Yes. Select or drop as many files as you like; they are converted one after another and each gets its own download button.
How do I open a 7Z file?
7Z opens natively in Windows 11 since its 2023 update; older Windows needs 7-Zip and a Mac needs The Unarchiver. 7Z is common for maximum compression for backups and software distribution.
Is this TAR to 7Z converter free?
Yes. There is no sign-up and no watermark. Because this conversion uses our server, there is a fair-use limit of 25 MB per file and a number of files per hour, which stops the service being overloaded.
Can I convert TAR to 7Z on my phone?
Yes. It works in Safari on iPhone and iPad and in Chrome on Android. The conversion happens on our server, so it is as fast on a phone as on a computer; the 7Z is saved to your Downloads folder.