Why use TAR instead of ZIP?

TAR preserves Unix file metadata (permissions, ownership) more faithfully than ZIP. It is the default for Linux software distribution and many Docker workflows.

What is the difference between .tar and .tar.gz?

.tar is just a concatenation of files plus headers — no compression. .tar.gz is the same TAR stream piped through gzip, which compresses it. Most tools handle both.

Does .tar.gz match what `tar -czf` produces?

Yes. The output is a standard ustar-format TAR followed by gzip compression and opens cleanly with tar, 7-Zip, Keka, or any other standard tool.

How do I extract a .tar.gz on Windows?

7-Zip on Windows handles .tar.gz natively (or use the Extract ZIP tool here after converting). Modern Windows 11 includes tar on the command line.

MakeMyZip

Create TAR / TAR.GZ Archive

Compress · TAR · GZ

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Create ZIPCombine files and folders into a ZIP archive with adjustable compression levels.
Create 7zCreate .7z archives with high-ratio LZMA2 compression.
Inspect ArchiveView the contents, sizes, and metadata of any archive without extracting it.
Convert ArchiveConvert archives between formats — ZIP to 7z, TAR to ZIP, and more.

Create TAR / TAR.GZ Archive

1. Add files

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