How do I open a .GZ file on Windows or Mac?

You can open .GZ files using 7-Zip, PeaZip, GNU gzip, WinRAR, macOS Archive Utility. If you do not have native software installed, you can use OpenAnyFile's free File Identifier or convert .GZ to a standard format in your browser.

Is a .GZ file safe to open?

This format carries a safety rating of Low Risk. Gzip compresses single files; tar is used to package multiple files before gzip

Can I convert a .GZ file to other formats?

Yes! .GZ can be converted to formats such as .ZIP, .TAR directly in your web browser.

What should I do if a .GZ file is corrupted or won't open?

If your .GZ file displays an invalid header or signature error, check its magic bytes hex header (Varies) using OpenAnyFile's Magic Byte Detector or follow our step-by-step file repair guide.

How do I open .GZ files?

You can open .GZ files using 7-Zip, PeaZip, GNU gzip, WinRAR, macOS Archive Utility.

Archives • MIME: application/gzip

.GZ – GZ File Format

Q: What is a .GZ file?

A .GZ file is a GZ File Format associated with Archives. GZ is a single-file compression format created by Jean-loup Gailly and Mark Adler for the GNU project using the DEFLATE algorithm as a free replacement for compress.

GZ is a single-file compression format created by Jean-loup Gailly and Mark Adler for the GNU project using the DEFLATE algorithm as a free replacement for compress.

Primary Category Archives

MIME Type application/gzip

Magic Bytes Signature Varies

Security Risk Rating Low Risk

Recommended Software to Open .GZ

7-Zip

windows, mac, linux • Free

PeaZip

windows, mac, linux • Free

GNU gzip

windows, mac, linux • Free

WinRAR

windows, mac, linux • Free

macOS Archive Utility

windows, mac, linux • Free