Convert TAR 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 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 to ZIP time (last 10k jobs): 284ms per MB

How it works

1 · Drop your archives
Drag & drop .tar, .tar.gz, .tgz, .tar.bz2, or .tbz2 files. No account required—paid plans unlock bigger batches and higher limits.
2 · We convert securely
Archives are extracted and repacked as ZIP on our dedicated servers. Zip bomb protection enabled. We never store filenames.
3 · Download & auto-delete
Grab your ZIP files in seconds. Files delete automatically after 1 hour. Delete anytime after downloading with one click.

About TAR →

TAR (Tape Archive) is the standard archive format on Unix and Linux systems, dating back to 1979. Unlike ZIP, TAR doesn't compress files-it bundles them into a single file while preserving directory structure, Unix permissions (chmod bits), ownership, and symbolic links. For compression, TAR is typically wrapped with gzip (.tar.gz) or bzip2 (.tar.bz2).

Learn more: TAR on Wikipedia

TAR remains essential for Linux software distribution, server backups, source code packages, and Docker image layers. The format's preservation of Unix permissions makes it ideal for deploying executable scripts and maintaining file hierarchies. Windows has no native TAR support, requiring tools like 7-Zip or WinRAR to extract TAR archives.

About ZIP →

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 files?

TAR is a Unix/Linux archive format. Windows doesn't include native support—you'd need to install 7-Zip, WinRAR, or similar software. ZIP, by contrast, has been built into Windows since XP. Converting TAR to ZIP eliminates the need for third-party software.

What's the difference between .tar, .tar.gz, and .tar.bz2?

TAR is just a container—it bundles files together but doesn't compress them. TAR.GZ (.tgz) adds gzip compression for smaller files. TAR.BZ2 (.tbz2) uses bzip2 compression, which is slower but often achieves better compression ratios. We support all three as input and automatically detect the compression type.

Are file permissions preserved when converting to ZIP?

No. Unix file permissions (chmod bits) don't translate to Windows and are stripped during conversion. The ZIP will contain the file contents with standard permissions. If you need to preserve executable bits for scripts, consider keeping the original TAR for Unix systems.

Can I convert a TAR file with thousands of files?

We limit archives to 10,000 entries for performance and security reasons. This prevents zip bomb attacks where malicious archives contain millions of tiny files to exhaust server resources. For archives with more entries, consider splitting them first.

Why did my output ZIP end up larger than the input TAR.GZ?

This is normal! TAR.GZ uses gzip compression, which often achieves better ratios than ZIP's Deflate compression. The content is identical—ZIP just compresses less efficiently for certain file types. The tradeoff is universal Windows compatibility.

What happens to symbolic links in my TAR archive?

Symlinks are stripped for security. Including symlinks in web conversions could enable path traversal attacks. If you need symlinks preserved, use a local tool like 7-Zip instead.

Can I convert password-protected TAR files?

TAR archives themselves don't support encryption. If your .tar.gz was created with GPG or another encryption tool, you'll need to decrypt it first before uploading. We don't support encrypted archive inputs.

What are the limits for this converter?

Tier	Max File Size	Max Files/Batch	Parallel Processing
Guest/Free	200 MB	50 files	3 at once
Pro	2048 MB	1000 files	6 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:

Tier	Daily Limit	Monthly Limit
Guest	100 credits/day	—
Free	100 credits/day	—
Pro	—	12,000 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.

Answers at a Glance

Quick answers to common questions.

What's New in TAR to ZIP

Latest improvements to this converter

Last updated January 4, 2026

Jan 4, 2026

Initial release of TAR 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

See Pricing →

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