Convert RAR to TAR Online Free
Convert proprietary RAR archives to uncompressed TAR format — the Unix standard for file archiving with full permission and symlink support. Powered by 7-Zip.
ChangeThisFile converts your RAR archive to an uncompressed TAR file using 7-Zip on our secure servers. RAR is proprietary and requires licensed software; TAR is an open POSIX standard natively available on every Linux and Unix system. The plain .tar output preserves directory structure. Encrypted in transit, auto-deleted, free with no signup.
Convert RAR to TAR
Drop your RAR file here to convert it instantly
Drag & drop your .rar file here, or click to browse
Convert to TAR instantly
RAR vs TAR: Format Comparison
Key differences between the two formats
| Feature | RAR | TAR |
|---|---|---|
| Open standard | No (proprietary, WinRAR) | Yes (POSIX/IEEE) |
| Compression | Built-in proprietary compression | No compression (container only) |
| Unix permissions | Limited support | Full POSIX permissions, ownership, symlinks |
| Recovery records | Built-in recovery support | Not supported |
| Tool requirement | WinRAR or 7-Zip to extract | Built-in tar on all Unix/Linux systems |
| Platform | Primarily Windows | Linux, Unix, macOS native |
| Pipe-friendly | No | Yes — usable in Unix pipelines |
When to Convert
Common scenarios where this conversion is useful
Remove proprietary format dependency on Linux servers
RAR requires the unrar or WinRAR binary to extract, which is not installed by default on most Linux servers. Converting RAR to TAR produces an archive extractable with the built-in `tar` command — no extra packages needed.
Cross-platform team file sharing
Teams working on Linux and macOS systems can receive TAR archives and extract them without any additional software. Converting Windows-created RAR archives to TAR removes the format barrier for Unix-based team members.
Open-source project distribution
Open-source communities prefer TAR-based archives for distributing source code and release assets. Converting proprietary RAR releases to plain TAR or TAR.GZ aligns with open-source distribution conventions.
Unix toolchain integration
TAR is deeply integrated into Unix toolchains: `find`, `cpio`, `rsync`, and many build systems expect or produce TAR output. Converting RAR to TAR enables seamless integration with these standard utilities.
Script and automation compatibility
Shell scripts on Linux typically use `tar` for archive operations. Converting RAR inputs to TAR lets you process them with existing `tar`-based automation without rewriting scripts around unrar.
How to Convert RAR to TAR
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1
Upload your RAR file
Drag and drop your .rar file onto the converter, or click to browse. Files up to 50 MB are supported for free.
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2
Server-side conversion
Your file is securely uploaded to our servers where 7-Zip extracts the RAR contents and repacks them as an uncompressed TAR archive, preserving directory structure and filenames.
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3
Download the result
Once conversion is complete, click Download to save your .tar file. Your uploaded file is automatically deleted from our servers.
Frequently Asked Questions
RAR is a proprietary format requiring licensed software to create and non-standard tooling to extract on Linux. TAR is an open POSIX standard built into every Unix/Linux system, making it the universal choice for server and toolchain use.
Yes, completely free. Convert RAR to TAR with no cost, no signup, and no watermarks.
No. The output is a plain uncompressed TAR file. For a compressed output, use ChangeThisFile's RAR to TAR.GZ converter, or compress the TAR with `gzip file.tar` after downloading.
Yes. The complete directory structure and file contents from the RAR archive are preserved in the TAR output.
No. Password-protected RAR archives cannot be extracted or converted. Upload only unencrypted RAR files.
Only single-file RAR archives are supported. Combine multi-volume RAR parts before uploading.
Yes. Windows 10 and 11 include native TAR support. TAR files can also be opened with 7-Zip, WinRAR, or Windows Subsystem for Linux.
Yes. Files are transferred over encrypted HTTPS connections. Your data is protected in transit.
Files are automatically deleted immediately after conversion. No files are retained beyond the conversion session.
The conversion uses 7-Zip (p7zip) on our secure servers to extract the RAR and repack as an uncompressed TAR archive.
Archives up to 50 MB are supported for free conversion.
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