Open, view, decompress, and extract XZ (.xz) files directly in your browser - completely free, no software needed. Works for compressed source archives, log files, database dumps, and any single-file .xz. Have a multi-file .tar.xz tarball? This opener auto-detects it and hands off to the Archive Viewer in one click. Working with other formats? Check out our GZ Opener, BZ2 Opener, 7Z Viewer, or browse all file viewers.
or click to browse - works for .xz, .txz, .tar.xz, and .log.xz files
Drag and drop your .xz file onto the upload area, or click to browse. Works for any XZ-compressed file - source archives, logs, database dumps, or large datasets. Up to 500 MB.
The file is automatically decompressed in your browser using a self-contained WebAssembly XZ decoder. Text and log files appear inline with line numbers, search, and match navigation. Binary files show a hex preview plus the file metadata.
Use the search bar to find specific entries inside text content - jump through matches with the up/down arrows. Click Download Decompressed to save the original file, or Copy for text. If the file is a .tar.xz, a one-click Open in Archive Viewer button appears so you can browse all the files inside.
Files are decompressed locally using a self-contained WebAssembly XZ decoder. No server round-trip, no upload wait.
XZ produces the smallest files of the common single-file compressors - about 30% tighter than GZIP.
Find text inside the decompressed content. Jump between matches with prev/next, see exact match counts.
Detects when a .xz is really a .tar.xz and offers a one-click handoff to the Archive Viewer.
Detects images (PNG, JPG, WebP, etc.) and renders them inline. Shows hex preview for any other binary content.
All processing happens in your browser. Files never leave your device - safe for sensitive logs and confidential dumps.
The XZ format was released in 2009 as a successor to LZMA, built on the LZMA2 algorithm - the same compression engine that powers 7-Zip. XZ typically produces files about 30% smaller than GZIP and 15% smaller than BZIP2 for the same source data. A reliable .xz file opener is essential for anyone working with modern Linux source code, since most projects now distribute as .tar.xz.
Like GZIP and BZIP2, XZ is a single-file compressor - it does not bundle multiple files on its own. That is why it is most often paired with TAR as .tar.xz (sometimes shortened to .txz). This opener auto-detects that case and offers a one-click handoff to the Archive Viewer so you can browse the contents without a separate decompress-then-untar step.
XZ compresses tighter than BZIP2 and decompresses two to three times faster. Since most files are compressed once and downloaded many times, that balance is ideal for software distribution. The Linux kernel switched to .tar.xz years ago precisely because a 30% bandwidth saving across millions of daily downloads is enormous. You will find .xz everywhere in modern Linux: kernel source, distribution packages, and release tarballs.
The three single-file compressors trade speed for ratio. GZIP (.gz) is fastest but compresses least. BZIP2 (.bz2) sits in the middle. XZ compresses the smallest but is the slowest to compress (though fast to decompress). To bundle multiple files into a compressed archive, use our Archive Creator which produces ZIP, TAR, and TAR.GZ output. To browse a .tar.xz tarball directly, open it in the TAR Viewer or the Archive Viewer.
Upload your .xz file by dragging it onto the upload area or clicking to browse. The file is decompressed automatically in your browser - no software, no signup, no upload to any server. Text contents appear inline so you can read and search them; binary files can be extracted with one click using the Download Decompressed button.
Upload your .xz file here and click Download Decompressed to extract it to your device. The .xz format compresses a single file, so extraction produces one output file. No 7-Zip, xz-utils, or command line needed - it works on Windows, Mac, Chromebooks, and mobile. For multi-file .tar.xz archives, use our TAR Viewer or Archive Viewer.
A .xz file is a single file compressed with the XZ format, released in 2009 and built on the LZMA2 algorithm (the same engine that powers 7-Zip). XZ produces files roughly 30% smaller than GZIP for the same data. Like GZIP and BZIP2, XZ compresses one file at a time, so it is usually paired with TAR as .tar.xz for multi-file archives.
A .xz file is a single compressed file. A .tar.xz file (also called .txz) is a TAR archive containing multiple files that has then been compressed with XZ. This opener auto-detects when a .xz contains a TAR archive and shows a one-click Open in Archive Viewer button so you can browse all the files inside. You can also open it directly in the TAR Viewer.
XZ compresses the smallest of the three - about 30% tighter than GZIP (.gz) and 15% tighter than BZIP2 (.bz2) - and decompresses faster than BZIP2. The trade-off is slow compression. Because most files are compressed once and downloaded many times, XZ has become the default for Linux source releases. GZIP remains fastest for real-time use.
When you distribute millions of downloads per day, a 30% smaller file is an enormous bandwidth saving. XZ also decompresses quickly despite its slow compression, so end users are not penalized. That balance is exactly why kernel.org and most major distributions moved from .tar.bz2 to .tar.xz.
Yes - XZ is increasingly used to compress archived logs because of its strong ratio. This opener decompresses and displays these text-based log files inline, lets you search through the content with match navigation, and extracts them to your device. Ideal for inspecting archived syslog, journald, or application log exports.
Yes - all decompression happens locally in your browser using a self-contained WebAssembly XZ decoder. Your files are never uploaded to our servers, which makes this safe for sensitive log files, database exports, and confidential documents. Still having trouble? Please contact us and we'll be happy to help!