Loona GZ File Extractor - Decompress GZ Files Online
A .gz file is not an archive full of files - it is exactly one file, compressed with gzip, the workhorse of the Unix world. Server logs, data exports and database dumps travel this way, and Windows has no built-in way to open them. This page decompresses the file with your browser's own built-in gzip engine (the DecompressionStream API), so it is fast and completely private.
How to use the GZ File Extractor
- Drop your .gz file onto the box above, or click it and pick the file from your device.
- The file is decompressed immediately - watch for the line showing the original file name and its full size.
- Click Download decompressed file to save the original file (for example access.log from access.log.gz).
How it works
Gzip stores a small header (including the original file name, when the creating tool recorded one), the data compressed with the DEFLATE algorithm, and a checksum plus the original size at the end. Modern browsers ship with a native gzip decoder built in - the same one they use to receive compressed web pages - and this page pipes your file through it with the DecompressionStream API. No library is downloaded and nothing is sent anywhere: the browser inflates the data and hands you the original bytes.
Worked example
Your server gives you access.log.gz (2.1 MB). You drop it here and it decompresses to access.log (18.4 MB) in about a second. You download it and open it in a text editor to find the error from last night - without installing a single tool.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between .gz and .tar.gz?
A .gz file contains exactly one compressed file. A .tar.gz first bundles many files into a TAR archive and then compresses that bundle with gzip, so it contains a whole file tree. For .tar.gz, use the TAR.GZ File Extractor linked below.
Will the decompressed file have the right name?
Yes - this tool restores the original name by removing the .gz ending (access.log.gz becomes access.log). That matches the name recorded when the file was compressed in the vast majority of cases.
Can this tool open .zip or .rar files that end in .gz by mistake?
No - renaming a file does not change what is inside it. If the content is not really gzip data, decompression fails with a clear message. Use the Archive File Extractor for ZIP, RAR and other real archives.
Is there a size limit?
There is no limit built into the tool, but the decompressed file is held in your browser's memory. Everyday logs and exports (up to a few hundred megabytes) are fine on most devices; multi-gigabyte dumps are better handled on a desktop with a native tool.
Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. Decompression uses the browser's own built-in engine on your device. The file never leaves your machine - there is not even a library download for this tool.
Related Developer Tools
TAR.GZ File Extractor
Open .tar.gz and .tgz archives, the standard backup format of the Linux world.
Archive File Extractor
One universal opener for ZIP, RAR, 7Z, TAR, ISO and more - the format is detected automatically.
Unzip File Extractor
Open a ZIP in your browser, see what is inside and extract single files or everything.