Create a TAR.GZ File Online
Pack files and folders into a .tar.gz tarball without opening a terminal. .tar.xz, .tar.bz2 and plain .tar are one menu away.
Set a password to lock the archive with AES-256 encryption. Leave blank for a normal ZIP.
How to create a tar.gz file online
- Drop your files or folders onto the box above. The Format menu is preset to TAR.GZ; switch it to TAR.XZ, TAR.BZ2 or TAR if you need one of those.
- Check the file list, remove or rename anything you like, and pick a compression level.
- Name the archive, click the create button and save the
.tar.gz.
A tarball without the command line
On Linux or macOS a tarball is one tar -czf away, but that does not help on a Windows machine without those tools, on a Chromebook, or when you simply do not want to look up the flags. A server, a build system or a colleague may still insist on a .tar.gz.
Drop a folder here and its structure is kept inside the archive. You can also create folders, drag files between them and rename files before packing.
TAR.GZ, TAR.XZ, TAR.BZ2 or plain TAR?
- TAR.GZ is the safe default: fast, and every Unix-like system can unpack it.
- TAR.XZ gives the smallest files and takes the longest to compress.
- TAR.BZ2 sits in between and is mostly needed when something specifically asks for it.
- TAR only bundles the files without compressing them, which suits content that is compressed already.
All four are in the same Format dropdown under the file list. Zstandard and LZ4 tarballs can be opened on this site but not created.
What a browser-made tarball cannot do
A web page is not shown a file’s Unix permissions or ownership, so they cannot be recorded from the originals. If a script inside must be executable, set that again after unpacking. Empty folders are not kept in TAR output.
TAR formats have no encryption, so the password box does not apply to them; choose ZIP or 7z when you need a password. And compression is single-threaded here: it is noticeably slower than a desktop tool, and Maximum on a large folder is slow and memory-hungry.
Frequently asked questions
Is a .tgz file the same as .tar.gz?
Yes, .tgz is just a shorter extension for the same thing. Create the .tar.gz here and rename it if you need the short form.
Can I password-protect a tar.gz?
No. The TAR formats have no encryption of their own. If you need a password, create a ZIP or a 7z instead; both support AES-256 here.
Which is smaller, tar.gz or tar.xz?
TAR.XZ is normally smaller, sometimes by a wide margin on text and source code, but it takes much longer to create. TAR.GZ is faster and more widely expected.
Are my files uploaded to build the tarball?
No. The archive is assembled and compressed in your browser. Your files stay on your device.
Can I split a large tarball into parts?
Yes. Pick a part size under Split and the archive is cut into numbered pieces (.001, .002 and so on). Join them again with cat on Linux or macOS, with copy /b on Windows, or by dropping all the parts into the join tool on this site.