MMegaConvert

Convert ZIP to TAR

Free online ZIP to TAR converter. No signup required.

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Max file size: 100 MB

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How to Convert ZIP to TAR

Follow these simple steps to convert your file in seconds.

  1. 1

    Upload your .zip file

    Drag and drop your .zip file into the upload area, or click "Browse" to select it from your device. Your file is uploaded securely and processed on our servers.

  2. 2

    Click "Convert to TAR"

    Once your file is uploaded, press the convert button to start the ZIP to TAR conversion process.

  3. 3

    Wait for the conversion to complete

    The conversion usually takes just a few seconds. You can see the progress in real time while your file is being processed.

  4. 4

    Download your converted .tar file

    When the conversion is finished, click the download button to save your new .tar file. The file is ready to use immediately.

Understanding ZIP and TAR Formats

Learn about the source and target file formats to understand what happens during conversion.

Source Format

ZIP Archive

application/zip

ZIP is the most widely used archive format, combining file bundling and compression in a single container. Developed by Phil Katz in 1989, it uses per-file DEFLATE compression and supports password-based encryption. ZIP is natively supported by Windows, macOS, and Linux without requiring additional software, making it the universal choice for file distribution and sharing.

Advantages

  • Natively supported by all major operating systems without third-party software
  • Each file is compressed independently, allowing selective extraction
  • Supports password protection and AES-256 encryption

Limitations

  • DEFLATE compression is less efficient than modern algorithms like LZMA or Zstandard
  • Legacy ZIP encryption (ZipCrypto) is weak and easily broken
  • No native support for Unix permissions and symbolic links in all implementations

Common Uses

  • General-purpose file compression and distribution
  • Email attachments bundling multiple files
  • Software distribution and download packages

Target Format

Tar Archive

application/x-tar

TAR (Tape Archive) is a Unix archive format that bundles multiple files and directories into a single file while preserving file permissions, ownership, timestamps, and symbolic links. TAR itself performs no compression; it is purely an archival format. TAR is almost always used in combination with a compression tool like gzip, bzip2, or xz to create compressed archives.

Advantages

  • Preserves Unix file permissions, ownership, symbolic links, and timestamps
  • Standard archival format on all Unix and Linux systems
  • Extremely simple and reliable format with decades of proven use

Limitations

  • No built-in compression; must be combined with a separate compression tool
  • No random access to individual files without reading the entire archive
  • No built-in encryption or password protection

Common Uses

  • Linux and Unix software distribution and source code packaging
  • System backup and file archival on Unix platforms
  • Bundling files before applying compression with gzip, bzip2, or xz

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about converting ZIP to TAR.

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