How to convert TAR to gzip
- 1
Upload your file
Drag and drop a file or click to select one. Keep this page open while the file uploads and converts.
- 2
Convert TAR to gzip
NexMedia converts TAR to gzip on its own servers. Processing time depends on the file size and how busy the queue is.
- 3
Download the converted file
When the conversion finishes, the download appears on this page. Your converted file is kept for 2 hours, then deleted.
About TAR
TAR (tape archive) bundles many files and folders into one file and keeps their Unix permissions, but it does not compress them.
Backups and software distribution on Linux and macOS, usually combined with gzip, bzip2 or xz.
A plain .tar file is about as large as the files inside, because no compression is applied.
Convert TAR to gzip online free, no account required — gzip is a single-file compressor using Deflate.
Change TAR to gzip without losing quality — convert TAR to gzip free in your browser.
Why is my TAR file exactly the same size as its contents? TAR only bundles files together — it compresses nothing — so a 500 MB folder becomes a 500 MB archive until a compressor like gzip gets involved.
About gzip
gzip (.gz) compresses a single file with the Deflate method. It is standard on Linux and on the web, where servers use it to compress pages.
Compressing single files such as logs and database dumps, and as the outer layer of .tar.gz archives.
A .gz file holds one file only; to bundle several files, they are put into a TAR archive first.
Why convert a file to GZ? For logs and single large files on Linux servers, where gzip is the built-in, universally understood compressor.
What changes when you convert TAR to gzip
- No data is lost: every file in your TAR archive is packed into the gzip archive byte for byte, with its name and folder.
- Your TAR archive is unpacked and its files are packed again into a new gzip archive; file names and folders are kept, and the TAR file itself is not stored inside.
- A gzip file holds a single file, so when your TAR archive contains several files they are first bundled into one TAR archive inside the gzip.
Settings you can change
Before you convert TAR to gzip, you can adjust: Compression level, Split size, Password, and Root folder.
Limits
Each plan sets a maximum file size and a number of conversions per day, and video and audio files also have a maximum length. Guests can convert files up to 100 megabytes and 5 per day; a free account raises this to 500 megabytes and 25 per day; paid plans go up to 100 gigabytes.
Your converted gzip file is kept for 2 hours, then deleted.
TAR to gzip: questions and answers
Does converting TAR to gzip reduce quality?
No data is lost: every file in your TAR archive is packed into the gzip archive byte for byte, with its name and folder.
What is the difference between TAR and gzip?
TAR is an uncompressed Unix archive. gzip is a single-file compressor using Deflate.
Can I change the settings when converting TAR to gzip?
Before you convert TAR to gzip, you can adjust: Compression level, Split size, Password, and Root folder.
Do I need an account to convert TAR to gzip?
No. You can convert TAR to gzip without an account; signing in raises the file-size and daily limits.
How long is my converted gzip file kept?
The gzip file you convert from TAR is kept for 2 hours, then deleted automatically.
Does converting TAR to gzip keep my folder structure?
Your TAR archive is unpacked and its files are packed again into a new gzip archive; file names and folders are kept, and the TAR file itself is not stored inside.
Why does my gzip contain a TAR archive?
A gzip file holds a single file, so when your TAR archive contains several files they are first bundled into one TAR archive inside the gzip.