Open any .gz file in your browser - a single compressed log, a .tar.gz or .tgz full of folders, even a multi-gigabyte dump. TAR contents appear as a browsable file tree (or try the TAR File Viewer), text and logs open with search, and the BZ2 and XZ File Opener handle the other Linux formats. To unpack a batch of archives in one go, use the Archive Extractor.
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1 GB+ files TAR browser Checksums verified No upload
Compressing...
file.gz
The original file name and date are stored inside, so gunzip -N and this opener restore them. Need several files in one archive? The Archive Creator makes .zip, .tar.gz and .tar.xz files.
Add your .gz file. Drop a .gz, .tgz or .tar.gz file anywhere on the page, browse for it, paste it, or try a sample.
Let it unzip. The file is decompressed in your browser with a live progress bar - big files stream through in slices, so the page stays responsive.
Look inside. A .tar.gz opens as a folder tree with previews; logs, CSV, JSON and other text open with search; images show up as pictures.
Download. Save the decompressed file, single files from the archive, or everything as a ZIP. The Details tab shows the header and checksum results.
GZ opener features
Browse .tar.gz like a folder
Folders, files, sizes and dates in a fast tree. Click any file to preview it or download just that one.
Built for huge files
Data streams through a Web Worker in slices, so gigabyte archives open without freezing your tab.
Native speed
Uses your browser's own gzip engine when it can, and falls back to pako for every unusual variant.
Checks every CRC
Each gzip member's CRC-32 and size are verified, and you see exactly which part failed.
Log friendly
Compressed logs open as searchable text, with a jump to the Log File Viewer for deeper analysis.
Rescues damaged files
A cut-off download still gives you everything up to the break, ready to save.
Create .gz too
Switch to Create .gz to compress any file with gzip, keeping its original name inside.
100% private
Your file is read by your browser and never uploaded. Close the tab and it is gone.
What is a .gz file?
A .gz file is a single file squeezed with GZIP, the compressor that ships with every Linux and macOS system.
It holds exactly one file - a log, a database dump, a web page or a TAR archive.
GZIP uses the DEFLATE algorithm (the same one inside ZIP), so it is fast to pack and very fast to unpack. Text usually shrinks to 10-30% of its size.
Every .gz starts with a small header that can store the original file name, its date and the system it came from. A CRC-32 checksum at the end proves the data came out intact - this opener shows all of it in the Details tab.
.gz, .tar.gz and .tgz - what is the difference?
Extension
What it is
What you get here
.gz
One compressed file, for example access.log.gz
The file itself, previewed and ready to download
.tar.gz / .tgz
A TAR archive (many files and folders) compressed with GZIP
A browsable folder tree, previews, single downloads and Download all as ZIP
GZIP compresses one stream at a time, which is why Linux tools bundle files with TAR first. Want the reverse - many files packed into one .tar.gz? The Archive Creator builds it in your browser.
How to open .gz files on Windows, Mac and Linux
This page works on every system with a browser, including Chromebooks, phones and locked-down work PCs.
If you prefer the command line, these are the classic ways to do the same thing:
Linux and macOS - gunzip file.gz unpacks a single file, tar -xzf archive.tar.gz extracts a whole archive.
Windows 10 and 11 - tar -xzf archive.tar.gz works in Command Prompt or PowerShell; for single .gz files install 7-Zip.
Keep the original - gunzip -k file.gz keeps the .gz next to the unpacked file.
No terminal at hand? Drop the file above - it is quicker than installing anything, and the file never leaves your device.
Compressed logs, dumps and data
Servers rotate their logs into access.log.1.gz, syslog.2.gz and friends.
Open one here and you can read and search it right away - no unpacking step, no 2 GB text file on your desktop.
The opener recognises what was inside and points you to the right next tool:
Logs - search here, or open them in the Log File Viewer for level filters and charts.
Database dumps - .sql.gz backups read nicely in the SQL File Viewer.
Genomics files compressed with bgzip (.vcf.gz, .fastq.gz) are made of many small gzip members. They open here too, with the member count shown in Details.
Damaged or "not in gzip format"?
When a .gz will not open, the reason is usually one of three things.
It is not really gzip - a renamed ZIP, RAR or 7z file. The opener reads the first bytes, tells you the real type and links the right tool, such as the RAR File Viewer or 7Z File Viewer.
The download was cut off - you get everything up to the break, ready to download, plus a clear note that the file is incomplete.
The data is corrupt - the CRC-32 check fails, and you see exactly which member is affected.
Got a plain .tar with no compression? Open it in the TAR File Viewer. For RAR, 7z, ISO and everything else there is the Archive Viewer and the full list of file viewers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Drop the .gz file onto this page or click to browse. It is decompressed right in your browser and the contents appear at once: a folder tree for .tar.gz archives, searchable text for logs and data, a picture for images.
Then download the decompressed file, single files or everything as a ZIP.
Open it here and the TAR archive inside is listed as folders and files. Click a file to preview or download it, tick files or folders to download just those, or press Download all as ZIP to get everything in a format Windows and macOS open natively.
You can also download the plain .tar and open it in the TAR File Viewer.
There is no fixed limit. The file is read in 4 MB slices and decompressed in a background worker, so 1 GB+ archives work on a desktop browser.
The text preview shows the first 32 MB, while downloads always contain the whole file. Phones have less memory, so very large files are best opened on a computer.
No. The whole job runs inside your browser and the file never leaves your device, which makes this safe for private logs, backups and database dumps.
Nothing is stored after you close the tab.
Every gzip file stores a CRC-32 checksum of the original data. If the checksum we calculate does not match, the file was damaged after it was made, usually by a bad download or a failing disk.
The data is still shown and can be downloaded, but parts of it may be wrong, so fetch a fresh copy if you can.
Yes. If the file stops early, the opener keeps everything it could decompress up to the break and offers it as a download, together with a note saying how much was recovered.
This is handy for log files that were still being written or downloads that failed near the end.
Switch to the Create .gz tab above the drop zone and pick any file. It is compressed with gzip in your browser and downloaded as name.gz, with the original file name and date stored inside.
To pack several files or folders into one .tar.gz, use the Archive Creator.
All three compress a single file and are usually paired with TAR. GZIP (.gz) is the fastest and most common, BZIP2 (.bz2) packs a little tighter but is slower, and XZ (.xz) packs the smallest and is the standard for Linux software downloads.
