Extract .TAR.GZ Files Online
(No Size Limits)
Open, view, and unpack source archives securely in your browser tab. 100% safe from data leaks, lightning-fast processing, and optimized for large developer packages.
About Decompression of TAR.GZ
A .tar.gz file is two formats stacked. TAR bundles many files into one without compressing anything, then gzip compresses the bundle. The short form is .tgz, which is the identical format under a shorter name. Both layers have to come off in that order, which is why a tool that understands only one of them reports a corrupt file.
The most common archive you will meet outside Windows
Almost everything in the Unix world ships this way. Source code releases, npm packages, Docker image layers, server backups, and most of what you download from a project's releases page. If a developer sent you a file and it is not a .zip, this is usually what it is.
| System | Opens it natively | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Windows 11 (23H2 and later) | Yes | Right-click, Extract All |
| Windows 10 | No | Install 7-Zip, or extract on this page |
| macOS | Yes | Double-click, Archive Utility handles it |
| ChromeOS | No | Extract on this page |
| Linux | Yes | tar -xf archive.tar.gz |
Windows 10 is the awkward one. It has understood .zip since 1998 but never gained .tar.gz, so a file that opens with a double-click everywhere else needs software there.
Why gzip, when xz and zstd compress better
Gzip dates from 1992 and compresses less than either newer format. It survives because it is everywhere: every Unix system for thirty years has been able to read it, no install required, no version check. For a source tarball that has to open on a machine you know nothing about, that certainty is worth more than a smaller download.
| Format | Compression ratio | Decompression speed | Chosen when |
|---|---|---|---|
| .tar.gz | Moderate | Moderate | It must open anywhere, without question |
| .tar.xz | Highest | Slowest | Download size matters most |
| .tar.zst | Comparable to gzip | Fastest | Speed matters most, as in package managers |
How large a .tar.gz can be
There is no ceiling. The gzip layer is decompressed as a stream and each TAR entry is written out as it appears, so memory use stays flat whether the archive is 5 MB or 5 GB. Nothing is uploaded, so there is no server-side limit to run into either.
Doing it from a terminal instead
GNU tar detects gzip automatically:
tar -xf archive.tar.gzTo see what is inside before extracting anything:
tar -tf archive.tar.gzWhat does not work
Multi-volume archives split across several files are not supported. Gzip has no encryption of its own, so a password-protected .tar.gz is really an encrypted container holding one, and that outer layer has to come off first.
Related reading
TAR.GZ FAQ
Everything you need to know about how unpk.app processes TAR.GZ locally.
Is it safe to extract TAR.GZ files online with unpk.app?
Yes, extracting TAR.GZ files on unpk.app is completely secure. The entire decompression process runs locally in your browser memory via WebAssembly. Your TAR.GZ archive is never uploaded to a server, keeping your confidential contents entirely private.
Can I unpack large TAR.GZ archives like 5GB or 10GB files?
Yes! There are no artificial file size caps or upload limits for TAR.GZ archives. Since unpk.app extracts TAR.GZ files entirely within your browser using WebAssembly, you are only limited by your device's physical memory (RAM).
Do I need an app like WinRAR or 7-Zip to extract TAR.GZ files?
No software installation or browser extensions are needed to open TAR.GZ files. unpk.app decompresses TAR.GZ archives directly in your browser tab, making it ideal for restricted school Chromebooks or locked-down corporate environments.
Can unpk.app extract password-protected or encrypted TAR.GZ files?
Yes! unpk.app supports unlocking password-protected TAR.GZ archives locally. Since the password prompt and decryption run completely client-side in your browser, your passwords are never sent over the network or stored on any server.
Can I decompress TAR.GZ files on mobile browsers like iOS Safari?
Yes! You can extract and view the contents of TAR.GZ files directly on iOS Safari or Android Chrome. unpk.app runs smoothly on mobile devices, allowing you to open TAR.GZ archives on the go without installing extra apps.
Is there a limit on how many TAR.GZ files I can extract for free?
No. unpk.app offers unlimited, free TAR.GZ file extractions. Because the processing runs locally on your computer rather than our servers, we don't charge any fees or enforce any bandwidth or volume limits.
What other formats can I extract here besides TAR.GZ?
In addition to TAR.GZ, unpk.app supports 9 other formats: ZIP, RAR, 7Z, TAR, GZ, TAR.GZ, XZ, TAR.XZ, BZ2, and ISO. All formats are unpacked entirely locally inside your browser via WebAssembly.