TAR to TAR.GZ Converter

What happens when you convert TAR to TAR.GZ

• The TAR is compressed with gzip in your browser exactly as it is, so every file and folder inside it keeps its name, date and permissions. Nothing is uploaded.
• TGZ and TAR.GZ are the same format with two spellings. tar on Mac and Linux, Windows 10 and later, 7-Zip and The Unarchiver all open both.

How to convert TAR to TAR.GZ online

1. Press "Choose TAR 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.GZ". Nothing large needs to download: your browser compresses the file itself, in a moment for most files.
4. Save each TAR.GZ with its download button. Close the tab and every trace of the files is gone from memory.

Why convert TAR to TAR.GZ?

TAR files usually come from software source code and Linux and Mac backups. People convert them to TAR.GZ because TAR.GZ is the usual way to ship files to Linux and Mac servers, and tar unpacks it on every Linux, Mac and Windows 10 or later computer.

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

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

Best settings for TAR to TAR.GZ

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

TAR vs TAR.GZ: the differences

About TAR and TAR.GZ 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 TAR.GZ file?

A .tar.gz file is made in two steps: the files are joined into a TAR, which keeps folders and Unix permissions, and the TAR is compressed as a whole with gzip. TGZ is the same format with a shorter extension.

TAR to TAR.GZ 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 TAR to TAR.GZ from the command line

gzip, built into Mac and Linux, compresses the TAR as it is:

gzip -c input.tar > output.tar.gz

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