Archives & disk images · .gz
What Is a GZ File?
A .gz file is a file compressed with gzip, often a .tar.gz archive.
- Extension
- .gz
- Full name
- Gzip compressed file
- Type
- Archive
- MIME type
- application/gzip
- Developed by
- GNU Project (1992)
Free GZ Tools
These run in your browser. Your GZ files are never uploaded.
About GZ Files
Gzip compresses a single file. It can't hold several files by itself, so folders are first bundled with TAR and then compressed, producing .tar.gz files. Gzip is everywhere on Linux and servers: log files are rotated to .gz, software is shipped as .tar.gz, and web servers use the same compression to send pages faster. Most archive tools open .gz files.
How to Open a GZ File
- Mac & Linux
- Double-click it, or run gunzip file.gz (or tar -xzf file.tar.gz) in a terminal.
- Windows
- Windows 11 opens .gz in File Explorer. Otherwise use 7-Zip, or tar -xzf in Command Prompt.
GZ File Questions
What's inside a .tar.gz file?
A TAR archive compressed with gzip. Extract it once to get the files and folders.
Can gzip compress a folder?
Not on its own. Bundle the folder with tar first, or use tar -czf, which does both.