You get a ZIP built from the contents of your GZ file, an archive that Windows and macOS open without extra software.
To convert GZ to ZIP, add the .gz file, keep ZIP as the output format and download the result. A GZ holds one compressed stream, so indox unpacks it and packs what comes out into a new ZIP. The ZIP can be a little larger than the .gz, and if the GZ wraps a .tar, the ZIP holds the files from inside that tar.
Transfers use HTTPS, and files converted on the free tier are deleted after 24 hours, so the result is not a long-term archive. Quality depends on the source file, so open the ZIP file once before you share it.
GZ (gzip)
gzip compresses exactly one data stream with the DEFLATE method and stores a CRC-32 and the original size in a trailer. It has no notion of folders or several files, which is why bundles are first packed with tar and shipped as .tar.gz.
ZIP (PKZIP archive)
A container that lists every file by name in a central directory and compresses each entry on its own, usually with DEFLATE. Windows and macOS open it from the file manager, and a single file can be pulled out without unpacking the rest.
A 48,000-row synthetic server log, server-log.csv.gz (gzip -9), converted on indox.org
A .gz file has no built-in support in the Windows file manager, so a Linux export often arrives as a file nobody can open. The ZIP made here opens from the context menu on Windows and macOS, with no command line.
You do not need gzip, 7-Zip or zip installed. Add the file in your browser and download the ZIP, which helps on a locked-down work PC where you cannot add software.
Many files named .gz are really a tar archive that was compressed afterwards. If the unpacked result is a single .tar, indox unpacks that as well, so the ZIP shows the files and folders themselves and you do not have to open a tar afterwards.
Drop the .gz file on the box or choose it from your device. Keep the original: the conversion never changes it.
Check that ZIP is the output format and start. There are no options to set for this pair, such as compression level, password or file name.
Save the ZIP and open it once. The download is named with a random id and ends in .zip, so rename it if you like. Check that the file you expected is listed, and if your GZ held a tar, check that the folder structure is there.
You add a GZ and get back a ZIP built from its contents, ready to open on Windows and macOS. The archive is unpacked and repacked on indox servers, so the tool runs in the browser and nothing is installed on your PC. A tar inside the GZ is unpacked, so you receive the files themselves. In our test the click-to-finish time was 5.8 seconds for a 492 KB file.
The upload box shows the live size limit before you add a file. Signing in raises it; a paid plan does not change it.
GZ in, ZIP out. Pick another output on the converter if you need a different format.
Files are encrypted in transit over HTTPS and processed on indox infrastructure.
Free-tier files are kept for 24 hours after the job finishes, then deleted automatically.
| What you see | Why | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The ZIP is larger than the GZ | The data is unpacked and compressed again at a lower deflate level, so the size can grow a little (6.7% in our test) | Compare the size of the file you get out of the ZIP with the size of the file inside your GZ |
| The ZIP shows folders instead of a .tar | The GZ wrapped a tar, and indox unpacks it | Use the folders directly, or pick a tar target such as GZ to TAR if you need the tar kept |
| The conversion is rejected | The unpacked size or number of entries is above the service cap | Split the source, or unpack it locally with 7-Zip |
| The ZIP asks for no password | This pair cannot set one | Protect the ZIP with an archive tool on your own machine |
| Compared on | GZ | ZIP |
|---|---|---|
| What it holds | One compressed stream, usually one file | Many files, each as its own entry |
| Folders | None, so bundles are packed with tar first | Stored in the archive |
| File list | None | A central directory at the end of the archive |
| Compression | DEFLATE, with a CRC-32 check | Usually DEFLATE, applied to each entry |
| Opening on Windows | Needs a tool such as 7-Zip | Opens from File Explorer |
| Taking one file out | Unpack the whole stream | Pull out a single entry |
Facts checked on November 4, 2026
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Add the .gz file to the converter, leave ZIP selected and download the result. indox unpacks the GZ and packs its contents into a new ZIP. There are no settings to change.
Yes, in the sense that the archive is unpacked and then packed again. indox extracts the GZ to a working folder and builds the ZIP from the extracted file. It does not reuse the compressed stream, and the lower deflate level can make the ZIP slightly larger. In our test a 491,945 byte .gz (gzip -9) became a 525,033 byte ZIP, 6.7% larger. The data inside is identical.
A .gz holds one compressed file. A .tar.gz is a tar archive of many files that was compressed with gzip afterwards. The tar part carries the folders and file names. Unpacking a .gz gives you the tar, and unpacking that gives you the files.
indox unpacks the tar as well. The ZIP holds the files and folders from inside it, with no .tar file.
Add the file to the converter and download the ZIP. If you prefer to work offline, extract the archive with 7-Zip or tar and select the extracted files to create a ZIP from them. For plain tgz and tar.gz phrasing, see [TGZ to ZIP](/convert/tgz-to-zip).
Yes. Run gzip -dc file.gz > file to unpack it, then zip file.zip file to pack it. That is the same unpack-and-pack route this converter uses, run on your own machine.
Windows File Explorer does not open .gz files by default. A tool such as 7-Zip does. If you cannot install anything, converting to ZIP is the way to get a format Explorer can open.
No. This pair has no options, so the ZIP is created without a password. GZ itself has no password feature either.
In our test, yes. The ZIP held one entry named server-log.csv, with the original name and the modified time from the gzip header. A GZ may or may not record a name, and we did not test one without it. The download file is named with a random id, so rename it if you need a specific name.
The data is unpacked and compressed again at a lower deflate level than gzip -9 uses. That can add a few percent. In our test the ZIP was 6.7% larger. The contents are unchanged.