Archive Converter
Convert between ZIP, RAR, 7Z and other archive formats online for free.
Click or drag a ZIP file here
How to use Archive Converter
Click the Upload Button
Select the blue 'Choose File' button in the center of the converter. Browse your computer and select your archive file (ZIP, RAR, 7Z, TAR, ISO, or other supported formats). The file will appear in the upload preview area.
Select Your Output Format
From the 'Convert To' dropdown menu on the right side, choose your desired archive format (ZIP, RAR, 7Z, TAR, or TAR.GZ). A preview icon shows the selected format. Click the dropdown arrow to see all 8+ supported output formats.
Press Convert and Download
Click the green 'Convert Now' button to start processing. A progress bar displays the conversion status. Once complete, click 'Download' to save your converted archive file directly to your device.
Related Tools
Archive converter online free: convert ZIP, TAR, GZIP, and 7Z in your browser
Archive converter online free: convert ZIP, TAR, GZIP, and 7Z in your browser
Convert any archive file between ZIP, TAR, GZIP, and 7Z formats instantly with ToolHQ's archive converter, your file never leaves your device.
An archive converter changes a compressed file from one format to another. A ZIP file becomes a TAR, a GZIP becomes a ZIP, a 7Z becomes a standard ZIP that Windows can open natively. The format changes but the contents stay intact.
The problem with most online archive converters is that they require you to upload your file to a remote server. If the archive contains source code, contracts, personal documents, or proprietary data, that upload is a meaningful privacy risk, even with SSL encryption and promises of auto-deletion. ToolHQ's archive converter processes everything in your browser using local compute. Your file never leaves your device.
Key takeaways
- ToolHQ converts between ZIP, TAR, GZIP, and 7Z entirely in your browser
- Your file never leaves your device, no upload, no server, no size limit
- Supports all four major archive formats used across Windows, macOS, and Linux
- Once loaded, the tool works without an active internet connection
- Free with no account required
What are archive formats and how does compression work
An archive file bundles one or more files into a single container, often compressing them to reduce size. Most archive formats use a compression algorithm, ZIP and GZIP use DEFLATE, a combination of LZ77 and Huffman coding; 7Z uses LZMA2 for higher compression ratios.
The formats have different strengths:
| Format | Best for | OS support | Compression |
|---|---|---|---|
| ZIP | Universal compatibility, email attachments | Windows, macOS, Linux (native) | Good (DEFLATE) |
| TAR | Preserving Unix file permissions and symlinks | Linux, macOS (native), Windows (WSL) | None (bundling only) |
| GZIP (.tar.gz) | Compressed TAR for server transfers | Linux, macOS (native) | Good (DEFLATE) |
| 7Z | Maximum compression of large files | Windows (7-Zip), macOS/Linux with apps | Excellent (LZMA2) |
TAR alone does not compress, it just bundles files into one archive while preserving metadata. To compress a TAR, you pipe it through GZIP (producing.tar.gz or.tgz) or BZIP2. This is why Linux distributions ship as.tar.gz files. The Wikipedia article on ZIP explains the DEFLATE algorithm in detail if you want the technical background.
ToolHQ's browser-based converter handles all of these formats without any server interaction. Your file never leaves your device.
When you need to convert an archive format
Format mismatches happen constantly between operating systems and tools. Here are the most common situations.
Windows to Linux transfers: You create a ZIP on Windows and need to deploy it on a Linux server. The server expects.tar.gz to preserve symlinks and permissions correctly. Convert locally before uploading to the server.
Sharing with non-technical recipients: A 7Z file with maximum compression is great for personal storage but most Windows users do not have 7-Zip installed. Convert to ZIP for universal compatibility before sharing.
macOS Gatekeeper archives: macOS natively extracts ZIP but may warn on other formats. ZIP is the safest format for sharing files with Mac users who may not have additional decompression tools.
Legacy system compatibility: Some older business systems only accept specific archive formats. Converting locally before submission avoids the need to install extra software.
Reducing email attachment size: Convert to 7Z for maximum compression before attaching a large file to an email, then convert back to ZIP if the recipient cannot open 7Z.
Lena, a backend developer at a software consultancy, needed to deploy a vendor's source code archive to a staging server. The vendor had delivered the files as a single.zip. The deployment script expected a.tar.gz. She had no admin access to install anything on her work laptop, and uploading the source code to a third-party website was not permitted by her company's data policy. She opened ToolHQ's archive converter in her browser, dropped in the ZIP, selected TAR. GZ as the output, and downloaded the converted file in under a minute. The deployment ran without issue.
Convert your archive file now, browser-based, no upload required
How to convert an archive file with ToolHQ
Open the tool. Go to https://www.toolhq.app/tools/archive-converter.
Select your file. Click the upload area or drag and drop your archive. Accepted input formats: ZIP, TAR, GZIP (.gz, .tar.gz, .tgz), and 7Z.
Choose the output format. Select the format you want from the dropdown, ZIP, TAR, TAR. GZ, or 7Z.
Convert. Click Convert. The browser processes the file locally. For large archives, the conversion may take a few seconds depending on your device's CPU speed.
Download the result. The converted archive downloads automatically or appears as a download link.
Since no upload occurs, there is no waiting for a server queue, no file size limit imposed by a server plan, and no latency from a slow connection. Your file never leaves your device.
Understanding archive format differences: a practical guide
Choosing the right output format depends on where the converted file is going and who will open it.
Choose ZIP when: you are sending a file to someone on any OS and cannot be sure they have extra software installed. ZIP is the only format natively supported by Windows Explorer, macOS Finder, and most Linux file managers. Every email client and browser handles ZIP downloads without prompts.
Choose TAR when: you need to bundle files for a Linux/Unix system and want to preserve file permissions, ownership, and symlinks. TAR does not compress, use it as the input to further compression (TAR. GZ) or when the contents are already compressed (images, videos) and a second compression pass would be wasteful.
Choose TAR. GZ (GZIP) when: deploying to Linux servers, distributing open-source packages, or working in DevOps pipelines. .tar.gz is the standard format for nearly all Linux software distributions and server-to-server transfers.
Choose 7Z when: you want the smallest possible file size for archiving or storage. 7Z achieves 30-70% better compression than ZIP on text-heavy content like source code. The tradeoff is that recipients need 7-Zip or a compatible tool to extract it.
Rahul, a systems administrator managing backups for a small office, had been storing monthly backups as ZIP files. After reading about 7Z's compression efficiency, he ran a test: his 4GB ZIP backup converted to 7Z came out at 2.3GB, saving nearly 43% of storage. He switched the backup routine to 7Z, set the office PC to keep three months of rolling backups, and freed up enough space to delay a storage expansion by over a year.
For related tools, the MIME type checker identifies what type of file you are working with, and the PDF compressor reduces PDF size before archiving.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to upload my file to use this converter?
No. ToolHQ's archive converter runs entirely in your browser. Your file never leaves your device. This makes it safe for sensitive files, work archives, and proprietary code.
What is the maximum file size?
Because processing is local, there is no server-imposed size limit. Very large archives may take longer to process depending on your device's CPU. Files over a few hundred megabytes will work but may take a minute or two.
Will the converter preserve file names and folder structure?
Yes. The contents of the archive, file names, folder hierarchy, and (where supported by the format) metadata, are preserved during conversion. What changes is only the container format and compression method.
Can I convert a password-protected archive?
Password-protected archives cannot be converted without first entering the correct password to decompress them. ToolHQ's converter handles unprotected archives and standard compression.
Is there a difference between.gz and.tar.gz?
Yes. A.gz file is a single file compressed with GZIP. A.tar.gz (or.tgz) is a TAR bundle of multiple files that has been compressed with GZIP. If you have a folder of files to compress, you need TAR. GZ. If you have a single file, .gz alone works.
The short version
Archive format mismatches are a daily friction point for developers, system admins, and anyone moving files across operating systems. ToolHQ's browser-based archive converter resolves the problem without uploading your data anywhere.
Convert between ZIP, TAR, GZIP, and 7Z with a single drag-and-drop. No server, no account, no wait. Your file never leaves your device.
If you are also working with ebook files, the ebook converter handles EPUB, MOBI, and PDF conversions with the same browser-local approach.
Convert your archive file free, no upload, no install, no account