TAR Online — Create TAR and TAR.GZ Archives Free
Bundle multiple files into a TAR or TAR.GZ archive right in your browser. Choose plain TAR for compatibility or TAR.GZ for compression. Runs entirely client-side — no uploads required.
Drop files here or click to browse
Select multiple files to bundle into a TAR archive
How to Create a TAR Archive Online
- 1Drop files onto the dropzone or click Browse to select multiple files.
- 2Choose TAR.GZ (compressed) or TAR (uncompressed) from the format selector.
- 3Click Create Archive. The browser packs files into a ustar TAR, then applies GZIP if selected.
- 4Download
archive.tarorarchive.tar.gzto your device.
When to Use TAR vs TAR.GZ
Use plain TAR when you want a single bundle but compression is already handled elsewhere (e.g., sending over an encrypted channel). Use TAR.GZ when you want to reduce transfer size — it is especially effective for source code, logs, and other text-heavy content.
Tips for TAR Archives
Text files compress best
Source code, CSVs, JSON, and logs can shrink 70–90% with GZIP. Binary files like images or videos see minimal gains.
macOS and Linux native support
TAR.GZ is the standard exchange format in Unix environments. Most macOS and Linux users can open .tar.gz files natively without extra software.
Windows users
Windows 11 supports .tar natively in Explorer. For .tar.gz, 7-Zip or the built-in WSL tar command can open the archive.
Combine with encryption
TAR does not encrypt. For sensitive files, archive first, then encrypt separately using a tool like age or GPG.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between TAR and TAR.GZ?
A TAR file is an uncompressed bundle — it concatenates files without reducing their size. TAR.GZ (also called tgz) adds GZIP compression on top, significantly reducing the total size of text-based files.
Are my files uploaded anywhere?
No. Both TAR creation and GZIP compression run entirely in your browser. Your files never leave your device.
Does this preserve file permissions?
File permissions are not available via the browser File API, so they are not stored in the archive. For permission-preserving archives, use native tar on Linux/macOS.
Can I add folders?
The browser file picker does not expose folder paths, so each file is archived at the root level. The file names are preserved exactly.
What TAR format standard does this use?
The output uses the ustar format, which is compatible with GNU tar, BSD tar, and virtually all Unix/Linux systems.
How does this compare to ZIP?
TAR is more common on Linux/macOS systems and preserves Unix metadata better. ZIP has better compatibility on Windows. For web transfers, TAR.GZ and ZIP offer similar compression.