Convert ZIP to TAR Online Free
Convert ZIP archives to uncompressed TAR format — the Unix standard for preserving file permissions, ownership, and symlinks. Powered by 7-Zip.
ChangeThisFile converts your ZIP archive to an uncompressed TAR file using 7-Zip on our secure servers. TAR is the Unix archive standard and preserves file permissions, ownership, and symlinks that ZIP cannot store. The plain .tar output suits Linux pipelines and server deployments. Encrypted in transit, auto-deleted, free with no signup.
Convert ZIP to TAR
Drop your ZIP file here to convert it instantly
Drag & drop your .zip file here, or click to browse
Convert to TAR instantly
ZIP vs TAR: Format Comparison
Key differences between the two formats
| Feature | ZIP | TAR |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | Per-file DEFLATE compression | No compression (container only) |
| Unix permissions | Limited (no ownership, partial mode bits) | Full POSIX permissions, ownership, symlinks |
| Platform | Universal (Windows, macOS, Linux) | Unix/Linux standard; supported on Windows via WSL, 7-Zip |
| Streaming | Random-access (file index at end) | Sequential streaming friendly |
| Pipe-friendly | No | Yes — pipe to gzip, xz, bzip2 |
| Open standard | Yes (PKWARE) | Yes (POSIX/IEEE) |
| Best for | General sharing, Windows-centric workflows | Linux servers, Unix toolchain, Docker images |
When to Convert
Common scenarios where this conversion is useful
Preserve Unix permissions for Linux deployment
ZIP stores limited permission information. Converting to TAR ensures executable bits, ownership, and symlinks are preserved when deploying files to Linux servers or Docker containers.
Pipe into compression utilities
A plain TAR file can be piped directly into gzip, xz, or bzip2 on Linux: `tar cf - . | gzip > output.tar.gz`. Converting ZIP to TAR first gives you a standard input for these Unix compression pipelines.
Linux server and CI/CD compatibility
Many CI/CD systems, build tools, and Linux package managers work natively with TAR. Converting ZIP archives received from Windows users to TAR removes the need for unzip tooling in server environments.
Docker and container image layers
Docker image layers are stored as TAR archives. Converting application ZIP bundles to TAR makes it straightforward to inspect or inject files into container image layers using standard tools.
How to Convert ZIP to TAR
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1
Upload your ZIP file
Drag and drop your .zip 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 ZIP contents and repacks them as an uncompressed TAR archive, preserving directory structure.
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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
TAR is the native Unix archive format and stores full POSIX permissions, ownership, and symlinks. ZIP has limited support for these attributes. TAR is essential for Linux server deployments where permissions matter.
Yes, completely free. Convert ZIP to TAR with no cost, no signup, and no watermarks.
Permissions stored within the ZIP are transferred to the TAR where present. However, ZIP's permission storage is limited; a fully permission-accurate archive requires the files to have been originally packaged in TAR.
No. The output is a plain uncompressed TAR file. To compress it, pipe through gzip (`gzip file.tar`) or xz (`xz file.tar`) after downloading, or use ChangeThisFile's ZIP to TAR.GZ converter for a compressed output.
Yes. All files and subdirectories inside the ZIP archive are preserved with the same layout in the output TAR file.
No. Password-protected archives must be unencrypted before conversion. Upload only unprotected ZIP archives.
Yes. Windows 10 and 11 include native TAR support via the built-in tar.exe command. TAR files can also be opened with 7-Zip or WinRAR on Windows.
Archives up to 50 MB are supported for free conversion.
There is no limit on the number of files within the archive. The total archive size must be under 50 MB.
The conversion uses 7-Zip (p7zip) on our secure servers to extract the ZIP and repack as TAR.
No. Files are automatically deleted immediately after conversion completes. Nothing is retained.
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