Convert TAR.BZ2 to ZIP Online — Works on Every Windows PC

No 7-Zip Required. No WinRAR. Just Drop Your File.

Drop up to 50 archives at once — no install, no sign-up required.

Drop TAR.BZ2 Files Here

200 MB per file Up to 50 archives 3 parallel conversions 1 credit per 5 MB

Encrypted EU Servers Auto-delete 1h

Median TAR.BZ2 to ZIP time: 1.5s per MB

How it works

  1. 1 · Drop your archives

    Drag & drop .tar.bz2 or .tbz2 files. No account required—paid plans unlock bigger batches.

  2. 2 · We convert securely

    Archives are decompressed and repacked as ZIP. Zip bomb protection enabled.

  3. 3 · Download & auto-delete

    Grab your ZIP files in seconds. Files delete automatically after 1 hour.

TAR.BZ2 combines TAR archiving with bzip2 compression, using the Burrows-Wheeler algorithm for higher compression ratios than gzip. Files are typically 10-20% smaller than TAR.GZ equivalents, at the cost of slower compression and decompression speeds. The .tbz2 extension is equivalent to .tar.bz2.

Learn more: Bzip2 on Wikipedia

TAR.BZ2 is preferred when minimizing file size matters more than speed-common for archival, bandwidth-limited transfers, and large software distributions. Linux source code releases often provide both .tar.gz (faster) and .tar.bz2 (smaller) options. Like TAR.GZ, Windows has no native support and requires third-party tools.

ZIP is the most universally supported archive format, created by Phil Katz in 1989. Unlike TAR, ZIP combines archiving and compression in one format, with each file compressed individually using Deflate. This allows extraction of single files without decompressing the entire archive. ZIP has been natively supported by Windows since XP (2001), macOS, and all Linux distributions.

Learn more: ZIP on Wikipedia

ZIP's universal compatibility makes it the default choice for software distribution, email attachments, and cross-platform file sharing. While 7z and RAR achieve better compression ratios, ZIP requires no additional software on any modern operating system. The format supports AES-256 encryption, large files over 4GB (ZIP64), and stores file metadata including timestamps and permissions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why can't Windows open TAR.BZ2 files natively?

TAR.BZ2 combines two formats: TAR (archiving) and BZIP2 (compression). Windows doesn't include native support—you need 7-Zip or WinRAR. ZIP is universally supported on Windows, Mac, and Linux.

What's the difference between .tar.bz2 and .tbz2?

They're identical! .tbz2 is just a shorter extension for .tar.bz2, commonly used on systems with 8.3 filename limits. We accept both.

Is BZIP2 better than GZIP compression?

BZIP2 typically achieves better compression ratios than GZIP but is slower. For maximum compatibility, ZIP uses Deflate compression which opens everywhere.

What are the limits for this converter?

TierMax File SizeMax Files/BatchParallel Processing
Guest/Free200 MB50 files3 at once
Pro2048 MB1000 files6 at once

Note: File size limits are specific to this converter. Batch and parallel processing limits apply to all images converters site-wide. See all converter limits →

How are credits calculated for this conversion?

Cost: 1 credit per 5 MB

How it works:

  • Files up to 5 MB: 1 credit
  • 6-10 MB: 2 credits
  • 11-15 MB: 3 credits
  • 16-20 MB: 4 credits

Example: A 5 MB file = 1 credit. A 95 MB file = 19 credits.

Why per-megabyte? Larger files require more resources (processing, bandwidth, storage).

What are my daily and monthly credit limits?

Credit allocations vary by account tier:

TierDaily LimitMonthly Limit
Guest100 credits/day
Free100 credits/day
Pro12,000 credits/month

Daily credits (Guest & Free tiers) reset every day at midnight UTC. Monthly credits (Pro) reset on your billing cycle date.

Note: With 1 credit per 5 MB, archive files under 5 MB cost 1 credit each. Pro users can convert 12,000 archive files per month.

What's New in TAR.BZ2 to ZIP

Latest improvements to this converter

Last updated January 4, 2026
Jan 4, 2026

Initial release of TAR.BZ2 to ZIP converter with zip bomb protection and batch support.

Need to get more done? Pro starts from $5.

1 GB files 1,000 per batch Priority queue Web + API

No subscription required.