Open BZ2 files in your browser
Smaller than gzip but slower, bzip2 still packs source code and big data dumps. Open a .bz2 or .tar.bz2 right here. Nothing leaves your device.
Or drop it anywhere on this page
What you'll see
Your archive opens like a folder, its files listed on the left.
- Listed like a folder • Unpacks only what you pick
- Locked archives • Hidden file names included
- Search • Find any file by its name
- Export • Save as ZIP or Extract all
About BZ2
Julian Seward released bzip2 in 1996. It sorts blocks of data with the Burrows-Wheeler transform before compressing them with Huffman coding, which usually makes files smaller than gzip does, at the cost of speed.
Like gzip, bzip2 compresses one file, so many files go into a TAR first, as .tar.bz2, .tbz2 or .tbz. Wikipedia's database dumps are .bz2 files, and many older source code releases are .tar.bz2.
No browser opens bzip2 by itself. Filepeek unpacks it with 7-Zip compiled to WebAssembly: a .tar.bz2 opens straight to the files of the TAR, and a lone .bz2 holding one file opens it right away.
Bzip2 compressed file
.bz2 • .tbz2 • .tbz • .bzip2
Format
- MIME type
- application/x-bzip2
- Made by
- Julian Seward
- Released
- 1996
Inside the file
- Compression
- Burrows-Wheeler and Huffman
- Holds
- One file, often a TAR
- Block size
- 100 to 900 KB
- Tarballs
- .tar.bz2, .tbz2 or .tbz
Opens in every browser
No browser opens a .bz2 file by itself. Filepeek unpacks it with 7-Zip in Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari.
- YouChromeOpens through Filepeek
- YouEdgeOpens through Filepeek
- YouFirefoxOpens through Filepeek
- YouSafariOpens through Filepeek
Questions
How do I open a .tar.bz2 file?
Drop it on this page or choose Peek a BZ2. The files of the TAR inside are listed like a folder, and the one you pick opens right away, with no command line.
What's inside a .bz2 file?
One compressed file. In a .tar.bz2, .tbz2 or .tbz, that file is a TAR holding many more, and Filepeek lists those directly.
Is bzip2 better than gzip?
It usually makes smaller files, but it packs and unpacks more slowly. XZ and Zstandard have since replaced it in many places.
Can I turn it into a ZIP?
Yes. Choose Export, then Save as ZIP. Phones and computers open the ZIP without an app.
Is my file uploaded?
No. It's unpacked inside your browser and never leaves your device.