Convert ZIP to TAR.GZ Online

How to convert ZIP to TAR.GZ online

1. Drop the .zip file onto the box above, or click to choose it.
2. If the ZIP has a password, enter it. The files are written into a tar archive and compressed with gzip on your device.
3. The .tar.gz downloads when it is ready. Unpack it on the target machine with tar -xzf.

When you need a tarball instead of a ZIP

Much Linux and Unix tooling is built around .tar.gz. Deployment scripts, package build recipes, container build steps and many hosting control panels expect a tarball, and a minimal server image may not have an unzip program installed at all, while tar almost always is.

If someone handed you a ZIP export and the next step in your pipeline wants a .tar.gz, this page does the repack without a terminal.

Permissions and symlinks are not carried over

People often convert to tar because tar can store Unix permissions and symbolic links. This conversion does not transfer them from the ZIP. Scripts and binaries will need their executable bit set again after unpacking, for example with chmod +x.

If exact permissions and links are the reason you need a tarball, create it with tar on the machine where the files live. For moving content, configuration or data, the converted tarball is fine.

Speed, size and encryption

Gzip compression in the browser is single-threaded and slower than a desktop or command-line tool. The conversion runs on your own device, so a large ZIP takes as long as the device needs. A progress bar and a cancel button are shown while it works.

A .tar.gz cannot hold a password, and the output here is never encrypted, even when the source ZIP was. Gzip and ZIP use the same Deflate algorithm, so do not expect a big change in size.

Frequently asked questions

Will the .tar.gz keep executable permissions?

No. Unix permissions and symbolic links are not carried over in the conversion. Set them again after unpacking, or build the tarball with tar on the source machine if they must be exact.

Is the tarball smaller than the ZIP?

Usually only slightly. Both formats use Deflate. A tarball compresses all files as one stream, which helps a little when the archive contains many small, similar files.

Can I get .tgz instead of .tar.gz?

They are the same format under two names. Rename the downloaded file from .tar.gz to .tgz if your tooling expects that extension.

Can it produce .tar.xz or .tar.bz2?

Not as a conversion. Converted downloads can be ZIP, 7z, TAR.GZ or plain TAR. To create a TAR.XZ or TAR.BZ2 from files on your computer, use the tarball creator on this site.

Is the ZIP uploaded to convert it?

No. The ZIP is read and the tarball is written locally in your browser, so the files never leave your device.