Convert XZ TAR to TAR Online Free
Drag & drop your .tar.xz file here, or click to browse
Converts to TAR on secure servers · 1 free a day, files up to 25 MB · no signup
Your first conversion each day is free (files up to 25 MB). A $2.99 one-time Day Pass unlocks 24 hours and ends by itself.
Convert XZ-compressed TAR archives to plain uncompressed TAR by removing the XZ compression layer. Powered by 7-Zip for reliable server-side decompression.
By ChangeThisFile Team · Last updated: October 2026
ChangeThisFile converts your TAR.XZ archive to a plain uncompressed TAR file using 7-Zip on our secure servers. TAR.XZ pairs the TAR container with XZ compression (LZMA2), offering the best compression ratio among common TAR variants. Converting to plain TAR strips only the XZ layer, preserving all files, Unix permissions, and symlinks intact. Encrypted in transit, auto-deleted, free with no signup.
XZ TAR vs TAR: Format Comparison
Key differences between the two formats
| Feature | TAR.XZ | TAR |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | XZ (LZMA2) — best ratio | No compression |
| Compression ratio | Highest among gzip/bzip2/xz | No compression |
| Decompression speed | Faster than bzip2, comparable to gzip | Instant (no decompression) |
| Memory usage | Higher memory during decompression | Minimal |
| File append | Cannot append without full recompression | Append with `tar rf archive.tar file` |
| Common use | Linux kernel, Arch Linux packages, modern distributions | Active manipulation, pipeline input |
| Extensions | .tar.xz or .txz | .tar |
When to Convert
Common scenarios where this conversion is useful
Append files to an XZ-compressed archive
TAR.XZ does not support appending files without full decompression and recompression. Converting to plain TAR first lets you use `tar rf archive.tar additionalfile` to add content, then optionally recompress.
Reduce memory usage during processing
XZ decompression requires significantly more memory than gzip. Converting TAR.XZ to plain TAR removes the memory-intensive decompression step for systems with limited RAM, such as embedded Linux devices or constrained CI runners.
Inspect or extract individual files faster
Extracting a single file from TAR.XZ requires decompressing the entire stream up to that point. A plain TAR allows direct random access to specific files, speeding up selective extraction on large archives.
Repackage kernel sources or distribution archives
Linux kernel releases and many Arch Linux packages use TAR.XZ. Converting to plain TAR enables repackaging into ZIP, TAR.GZ, or other formats for distribution through systems that do not support XZ compression.
Who Uses This Conversion
Tailored guidance for different workflows
Developers
- Convert XZ TAR packages to TAR for compatibility with build tools or deployment pipelines
- Transform XZ TAR release archives to TAR for distribution to users on different operating systems
System Administrators
- Convert XZ TAR backup archives to TAR for long-term storage or migration to a new system
- Transform XZ TAR log archives to TAR for tools that require a specific archive format
IT Professionals
- Convert XZ TAR archives to TAR for sharing with clients or partners who need a specific format
- Transform XZ TAR compressed files to TAR when migrating data between Windows, macOS, and Linux
How to Convert XZ TAR to TAR
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1
Upload your TAR.XZ file
Drag and drop your .tar.xz (or .txz) file onto the converter, or click to browse. Files up to 50 MB are supported for free.
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2
Server-side decompression
Your file is securely uploaded to our servers where 7-Zip decompresses the XZ layer and extracts the TAR stream, then repacks it as a plain uncompressed TAR archive.
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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.
Developers: convert via API →
Frequently Asked Questions
TAR.XZ is an excellent format for storage and transfer but cannot have files appended and requires full stream decompression for access. Plain TAR enables file appending, faster selective extraction, and recompression with a different algorithm.
Your first conversion each day is free, with no signup and no watermark, for files up to 25MB. For more conversions the same day or files up to 100MB, a one-time $2.99 Day Pass unlocks unlimited conversions for 24 hours. No account or subscription is needed.
Yes. The TAR container stores full POSIX permissions, ownership, timestamps, and symlinks. Removing the XZ compression layer does not alter this metadata.
Yes. XZ achieves excellent compression ratios, so the uncompressed TAR can be significantly larger — sometimes 3-5x larger — than the TAR.XZ input, depending on content type.
Yes: `unxz -k file.tar.xz` decompresses to `file.tar` on Linux without extraction. ChangeThisFile is useful when you need this done on a device without Linux or the xz command.
Yes. .txz is a shorthand extension for XZ-compressed TAR archives, identical to .tar.xz. The converter accepts both extensions.
ChangeThisFile offers TAR.XZ to TAR.GZ conversion for switching from XZ to gzip compression in a single step without going through plain TAR manually.
Yes. Files are transferred over encrypted HTTPS connections. Your data is protected in transit.
Yes. Files up to 15MB are deleted as soon as the converted file is sent back; larger files run as a background job and are deleted automatically about a day later.
Files up to 50 MB are supported. The compressed TAR.XZ file must be under 50 MB to upload.
The conversion uses 7-Zip (p7zip) on our secure servers, which has built-in XZ decompression support.
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