Loona TAR.GZ File Extractor - Open TAR.GZ & TGZ Files Online
If you download source code, WordPress backups, server snapshots or anything from the Linux world, it arrives as .tar.gz - a TAR bundle squeezed with gzip. Windows Explorer cannot open it, which leaves many people stuck with a file they cannot even peek into. This page opens it with a WebAssembly port of libarchive, entirely in your browser.
How to use the TAR.GZ File Extractor
- Drop your .tar.gz or .tgz file onto the box above, or click it and pick the file from your device.
- Wait a moment while the archive is read - on first use the extraction engine (about 1 MB) loads once and is then cached by your browser.
- Browse the list of files inside the archive, with their folders and sizes.
- Click Download next to any single file, or use Download all as ZIP to save the whole archive as one standard ZIP file.
How it works
A .tar.gz is two layers: an outer gzip layer that compresses, and an inner TAR layer that bundles many files into one stream. This page peels both with libarchive compiled to WebAssembly - gzip decompression first, then a walk over the TAR headers to list every entry with its path and uncompressed size. Files are extracted only when you download them, and the Download all as ZIP option re-packs them with JSZip so the result opens anywhere.
Worked example
Your hosting panel gives you a full site backup as backup-2026-11-01.tar.gz (260 MB). You open it here, navigate the listing to wp-content/uploads, and download the three photos you accidentally deleted (4 MB total) - instead of restoring the entire backup or installing tools to look inside it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between .tar.gz and .tgz?
None - they are exactly the same format. The .tgz name is just a shortened version from the days when file extensions were limited to three characters. This page accepts both.
I have a plain .gz file, not .tar.gz. Will it work here?
A plain .gz holds exactly one compressed file, not an archive. Use the GZ File Extractor linked below for those - it decompresses the single file directly. This page is for archives that contain many files.
Can this tool create .tar.gz files?
No, this page is an extractor only. To bundle files into an archive here, use the ZIP File Creator - ZIP opens everywhere, including on the Linux systems that produce .tar.gz files.
Why did my archive open but show strange long names or links?
TAR archives from servers often contain symbolic links and device entries alongside regular files. This tool lists and extracts regular files; links are shown in the listing where the format records them, but they are not recreated as links in your downloads.
Are my files uploaded anywhere for extraction?
No. Decompression runs in WebAssembly inside your browser tab. The backup and everything inside it stay on your device from start to finish.
Related Developer Tools
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