Extract TAR.GZ Files Online — Decompress .tar.gz & .tgz
TAR.GZ (also written as .tar.gz or .tgz) is the standard archive format for Linux and macOS software distribution. It combines two tools: tar (which bundles files and preserves directory structure and permissions) with gzip compression (which makes the bundle smaller). The result is a single compressed file containing a full directory tree.
FastZip extracts TAR.GZ archives entirely inside your browser — no terminal, no command line, no software installation required. This is especially useful on Windows where TAR.GZ support is limited, or when you receive a .tgz file on a mobile device.
Understanding the TAR + compression layers — TAR itself doesn't compress; it just bundles files together like a ZIP without compression. The compression comes from the outer layer: gzip (.tar.gz), bzip2 (.tar.bz2), or xz (.tar.xz). FastZip handles all of these variants. The listing you see after scanning shows the original files inside the tar, not a single compressed blob.
Linux file permissions and symlinks — TAR archives can store Unix file permissions (rwxr-xr-x) and symbolic links. FastZip shows these metadata fields in the file listing. When you download extracted files on Windows or macOS, the permissions metadata is not applied (the OS doesn't support it the same way), but the files and folder structure are preserved exactly.
Why developers use TAR.GZ — Node.js packages published to npm are distributed as .tgz files. Python source distributions are .tar.gz. Most open-source Linux software releases are .tar.gz. If you're setting up a development environment, downloading source code, or receiving files from a Linux user, TAR.GZ is likely what you'll encounter.
TAR.GZ vs ZIP for the same data — gzip compression is somewhat weaker than LZMA (7Z) or DEFLATE (ZIP) for random data, but for source code it performs very well because source files are highly repetitive. A typical Node.js project as .tgz is often 30–40% smaller than the equivalent ZIP.
Format & Feature Reference
| Format | Compression | FastZip Support |
|---|---|---|
| .tar.gz / .tgz | gzip | Full |
| .tar.bz2 / .tbz2 | bzip2 | Full |
| .tar.xz / .txz | xz (LZMA) | Full |
| .tar.lz4 | lz4 | Full |
| .tar.zst | zstd | Full |
| .tar (uncompressed) | None | Full |
| Symlinks in archive | — | Displayed |
| Unix permissions | — | Displayed |
Opening TAR.GZ Files on Windows
Windows 11's built-in tools can now extract basic TAR archives, but .tar.gz decompression is inconsistent and .tar.bz2 / .tar.xz may not work at all without third-party software. FastZip handles every TAR variant from a single browser tab with no installation.
To extract: navigate to fastzip.io in Edge or Chrome, click the drop zone, select your .tar.gz file, and click "Extract all files". The resulting files download in their original folder structure. If the archive contains a top-level directory (common for source code releases), you'll get that directory as a folder in your Downloads.
Extracting npm Package Archives (.tgz)
npm packages are distributed as .tgz files. Sometimes you need to inspect what's inside a package before installing it — either for security review or to grab a single configuration file. FastZip's preview mode lets you browse the full package contents without installing anything.
The .tgz from npm always contains a package/ top-level folder with the package files inside. You'll see package/package.json, package/dist/, etc. Handy for checking the built output of a package without running npm pack.
TAR.GZ on macOS — When Terminal Isn't an Option
macOS has built-in tar support, and Archive Utility opens .tar.gz by double-clicking. But on a shared or managed Mac (school, corporate), you may not have Terminal access or the right permissions. FastZip runs entirely in Safari — no admin rights, no software installation, no Terminal.
For Apple Silicon Macs, FastZip's WebAssembly engine runs natively through Rosetta-free Safari WebKit. Large archives may decompress slightly faster in Chrome on M-series Macs due to V8's WASM JIT.