Archive Converter

Create, extract and convert ZIP, 7Z, TAR, TAR.GZ, GZ, BZ2 and XZ archives, and unpack RAR, in your browser. Supports encrypted 7z and AES ZIP.

The interactive tool loads here when JavaScript runs.

About this tool

What is the Archive Converter?

The Archive Converter packs files and folders into ZIP, 7Z, TAR, TAR.GZ, TAR.BZ2, TAR.XZ, GZ, BZ2 or XZ, opens those formats plus RAR, and converts one archive type into another. Drop a folder and its structure is kept; drop an archive and you get a file list with a download button on every file, plus a "download all as ZIP" option.

Nothing is uploaded. ZIP and gzip run on fflate, a JavaScript compression library, and everything else runs on a WebAssembly build of 7-Zip 24.09 that is downloaded (about 1.6 MB) the first time you need it. The work happens in a background worker, so the page stays responsive while a large archive is processed.

Each result shows the original data size, the archive size and the compression ratio, so you can see whether 7Z at maximum is worth it over a quick ZIP for your particular files.

  • Create ZIP, 7Z, TAR, TAR.GZ, TAR.BZ2, TAR.XZ, GZ, BZ2 and XZ from files or whole folders
  • Extract all of those plus RAR, with per-file download and download-all as ZIP
  • Convert between formats in one step
  • AES-256 encryption for 7Z (optionally hiding file names) and ZIP, plus legacy ZipCrypto
  • Zip-slip path checks, zip-bomb size checks and symlink skipping
  • Compression ratio for every archive you create or open
  • Runs locally in a Web Worker with fflate and 7-Zip compiled to WebAssembly
Read the guide: ZIP vs 7z vs tar.gz vs bz2: Choosing an Archive Format

How to use the Archive Converter

  1. To create: open the Create tab, drop files or a folder (or use Choose a folder), pick a format and compression level, then click Create and Download.
  2. To protect a ZIP or 7Z, type a password. ZIP offers AES-256 or the older ZipCrypto; 7Z uses AES-256 and can also hide the file names.
  3. To extract: open the Extract tab, drop the archive, enter its password if it has one, and click Extract. Download single files from the list or everything as one ZIP.
  4. To convert: open the Convert tab, drop the archive, choose the target format and click Convert. The tool extracts every file and repacks it.

Worked examples

A source folder as ZIP versus 7Z

Input

A folder of text source files

Output

ZIP (Normal) and 7Z (Normal) results, each with its ratio

Text compresses well in both. 7Z is usually smaller on many similar files because solid LZMA2 compresses across file boundaries, while ZIP restarts its dictionary for every file.

Turning a .tgz into a .zip for a Windows colleague

Input

release-1.4.tgz

Output

release-1.4.zip with the same folder tree

The gzip layer is removed, the tar stream is read into files and folders, and those are written to a ZIP that File Explorer has been able to open since Windows XP.

Background and insight

Archive formats solve two separate problems: bundling many files into one, and making the bytes smaller. ZIP (PKWARE, 1989) does both at once and compresses every file on its own, which is why you can pull a single file out of a huge ZIP instantly. The Unix tradition splits the jobs. tar, which dates from Seventh Edition Unix in 1979, only concatenates files with their names and permissions; gzip (1992), bzip2 (1996) or xz (2009) then compress that single stream. That is why a .tar.gz is a two-step format and why a plain .gz can only ever hold one file.

Compressing the whole stream at once is called solid compression, and 7z does it by default with LZMA2. Repeated content across files, such as the same licence header in 400 source files, gets compressed once instead of 400 times, so solid archives are often much smaller than ZIP. The trade-off is that extracting one file can mean decompressing everything before it.

Archives are also an attack surface. A "zip-slip" entry named ../../.bashrc tries to escape the extraction folder, and a zip bomb declares a tiny file that inflates to gigabytes. This tool rejects any path containing "..", strips drive letters and leading slashes, refuses to follow symbolic links, and reads the declared sizes from the ZIP central directory or the 7-Zip listing before decompressing anything.

Common use cases

  • Opening archives on a locked-down machine

    Extract a 7z, RAR or tar.xz on a work laptop or Chromebook where you cannot install 7-Zip or The Unarchiver.

  • Sending files to someone on another OS

    Convert a .tar.gz from a Linux server into a ZIP for Windows users, or a ZIP into tar.gz for a deploy script.

  • Shrinking a backup before upload

    Compare ZIP, 7Z and TAR.XZ ratios on the same folder and keep whichever is smallest.

  • Inspecting a suspicious download

    List what is inside an archive, spot traversal paths or oversized entries, and download only the file you need.

  • Password-protecting a handover

    Pack documents into an AES-256 7Z with encrypted file names and share the password over a different channel.

Tips and limitations

  • GZ, BZ2 and XZ compress exactly one file. For several files or a folder choose TAR.GZ, TAR.XZ, ZIP or 7Z.
  • AES-encrypted ZIPs do not open in Windows File Explorer or macOS Archive Utility; recipients need 7-Zip, WinRAR or Keka. ZipCrypto opens almost everywhere but is weak and should not protect anything sensitive.
  • RAR is extract-only. The RAR format is proprietary and only licensed WinRAR software may create it.
  • Limits are set by browser memory: 512 MB per input and 1 GB of extracted data, 20,000 entries. Very large archives are better handled by a desktop tool.
  • Already-compressed files (JPEG, MP4, PDF, other archives) barely shrink. Use Store or Fast for them to save time.
  • File permissions, owners and symbolic links are not preserved. TAR archives created here store regular files with mode 644 and folders with 755.
  • Single-file .bz2 and .xz archives do not record their uncompressed size, so the size check for them happens after decompression rather than before.

Frequently asked questions

Are my files uploaded when I create or extract an archive?

No. All processing happens in your browser tab. The only network request is the one-time download of the 7-Zip WebAssembly engine from this site when you first use 7Z, BZ2, XZ, RAR or an encrypted ZIP.

What is the difference between .tar.gz and .zip?

ZIP compresses each file separately and keeps an index at the end, so single files come out quickly. A .tar.gz first joins all files into one tar stream and then gzips the whole thing, which often compresses better but has no index, so reading one file means decompressing up to it.

Can this tool create RAR archives?

No. RAR is a proprietary format and creating it requires licensed WinRAR software. The tool can extract RAR files through 7-Zip's unRAR code, and you can convert them to ZIP or 7Z.

Why can't my colleague open the encrypted ZIP I made?

You probably chose AES-256, which Windows File Explorer and macOS Archive Utility do not support. They need 7-Zip, WinRAR, Keka or a similar tool. If you need built-in support, choose ZipCrypto, but treat it as a lock against casual opening only.

Why does a .gz only accept one file?

gzip is a compressor for a single stream of bytes, not an archive format, so it has no place to store several file names. The usual answer is to tar the files first and gzip the result, which is exactly what the TAR.GZ option does.

How does the tool protect me from zip-slip and zip bombs?

Entry names with ".." segments are refused, absolute paths are made relative, and symbolic links are not followed. Before decompressing, the declared sizes are checked, and extraction stops past 1 GB of output or 20,000 entries.

Is 7z always smaller than ZIP?

Often, not always. Solid LZMA2 wins on many similar files such as source code or logs. On a few large files that are already compressed, like photos or videos, both formats end up close to the original size. The ratio shown after each run tells you for your data.

Is there an in-depth guide to the Archive Converter?

Yes. “ZIP vs 7z vs tar.gz vs bz2: Choosing an Archive Format” covers the background, how it works, common pitfalls and worked examples. Read the full guide.

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