TAR to ZIP

Upload a TAR file and download it as ZIP. Free to start.

Drop files here, or press Enter to choose them. Up to 50 MB per file.
Drop a TAR file hereFree · up to 50 MB · 10 operations in total without an account · or paste with Ctrl+V
  • Sent over HTTPS · link expires in 24 h

How it works

  1. Step 1:

    Drop the TAR file on the orange block above, or press “Choose TAR”.

  2. Step 2:

    Press “Convert to ZIP”. The block shows the progress while the server converts the file.

  3. Step 3:

    Press “Download” to save the ZIP file. On Free the link works for 24 hours.

How TAR to ZIP conversion works

The Tape Archive format concatenates files into a single stream without compression, commonly paired with gzip or bzip2 for compressed tarballs on Unix systems. Converting to ZIP produces an archive file that bundles multiple files using DEFLATE or Store compression with a central directory index, supported natively on every major operating system. This conversion changes the file's encoding, compression method, and supported feature set. The contained files are extracted and re-packed with the target format's compression; the files themselves stay bit-for-bit identical; only the container and ratio change. This makes ZIP the practical choice when the destination system requires it or when the target format offers better compatibility or compression. 1converter runs this conversion on the server: your file is uploaded encrypted over HTTPS, converted using trusted open-source libraries, and the output is held for 24 hours before automatic deletion.

When to convert

What the ZIP file is good for and why people convert to it.

  • ZIP typically compresses better than TAR’s default uncompressed packaging
  • Preserves directories and filenames inside the ZIP for easy extraction
  • Compressing a Linux source release tarball into a smaller ZIP for sharing
  • Packaging a folder tree from a tar archive for Windows users who prefer ZIP

Where your file goes

  • It travels to our server over an encrypted HTTPS connection and is converted there.
  • The ZIP file comes back as a private link. It stops working after 24 hours on Free and 7 days on paid plans, and then the files are deleted.

Questions and answers

What people ask before converting TAR to ZIP.

Ask supportAll questions
Does converting TAR to ZIP change file quality?
No—TAR stores files as-is without compression, so the conversion only changes the container and compression method. Any binary content remains unchanged.
Will the ZIP be smaller than the TAR?
Often yes, because ZIP applies compression to file data (with compression levels determined by the tool). If your TAR already contains mostly compressed data, size gains may be limited.
Can I extract the ZIP without special tools?
Yes. ZIP is supported by standard archive utilities on Windows, macOS, and Linux, while TAR typically requires TAR-capable tools (and often separate compression like .tar.gz).
Is the folder structure preserved during TAR to ZIP conversion?
The ZIP will reflect the paths stored inside the TAR, so directories and filenames are retained. If the TAR used relative paths, those are preserved in the ZIP entries.

More about this pair

Many files at once? Starter converts 5 at a time, 100 a day.

See plans