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TAR.Z to ZIP converter, without the upload.

Turn TAR.Z archives into ZIP. It is converted in your browser, so the file never leaves your device.

Drop TAR.Z files here

or choose from your computer paste with Ctrl V

Ready · other file types work too0 bytes uploaded, ever

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How to convert TAR.Z to ZIP

  1. Add your TAR.Z archives

    Drop TAR.Z (compress, .Z) files onto the box above, or click it to choose them. ToAny reads the file's contents to detect the type, so a wrong extension does not matter.

  2. ZIP is already chosen

    Press Convert. There is nothing else to set. The work happens in this tab.

  3. Download

    Save the ZIP, or download everything as one ZIP if you converted several files.

Why ToAny

  • Private by construction

    The TAR.Z to ZIP converter is part of this page and runs inside your browser. Your archives are never sent to ToAny or to anyone else.

  • No upload, no queue

    Nothing has to travel to a server and back, so the conversion starts the moment you press Convert, even on a slow connection.

  • Free, without an account

    No sign-up, no email address and no watermark. Add several files and download them together as a ZIP.

TAR.Z to ZIP: what to expect

TAR.Z is obsolete and compresses poorly by today's standards. ZIP opens on every computer and phone without extra software. TAR.Z is at home in very old Unix software and archives; ZIP is the usual choice for sending several files as one.

A password-protected archive is refused, since its contents cannot be read without the password. TAR.Z can be unpacked here but not created, because the 7-Zip build ToAny uses has no encoder for it; the files are repacked into ZIP.

TAR.Z vs ZIP

TAR.Z

Compress-compressed TAR archive

A .Z file is compressed with the Unix compress program, which uses the LZW algorithm; a .tar.Z is a TAR archive compressed that way. Patent concerns about LZW were one reason gzip was written, and compress has been obsolete for decades. You find .Z files mainly in old software archives.

Opens in Linux and Unix tools, 7-Zip

TAR.Z converter
ZIP

ZIP archive

ZIP bundles files and folders into one compressed file. Every operating system can open it without installing anything, which makes it the safe choice for sharing.

Opens in Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android without extra software

ZIP converter
TAR.Z compared with ZIP
TAR.ZCompress-compressed TAR archiveZIPZIP archive
Stands forUnix compress archiveZIP
TypeCompressed archiveCompressed archive
CompressionLossless (LZW)Lossless (Deflate)
Introduced1984, by Spencer Thomas and others (Unix compress)1989, by Phil Katz (PKWARE)
Opens inLinux and Unix tools, 7-ZipWindows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android without extra software
Best forVery old Unix software and archivesSending several files as one
File extension.tar.z, .taz, .z.zip

Questions

Are my archives uploaded anywhere?

No. The TAR.Z to ZIP conversion runs inside your browser, on your own phone or computer. The file is not sent to ToAny or to anyone else.

Is anything lost when converting TAR.Z to ZIP?

No. The files inside are repackaged unchanged.

Can I convert several TAR.Z files at once?

Yes. Add as many as you like, convert them together and download each result or all of them as one ZIP.

How do I convert TAR.Z to ZIP on Windows, Mac, iPhone or Android?

The steps are the same everywhere because ToAny runs in the web browser: open this page in a current version of Chrome, Edge, Safari or Firefox, add the TAR.Z file, press Convert and save the ZIP. There is nothing to install.

Is there a file size limit?

Yes. An archive can be up to 500 MB, unpack to at most 1 GB and hold up to 50,000 files; beyond those limits the page says so. Beyond that the limit is your device's memory, since nothing is uploaded; a computer copes with large files better than a phone.