Open LZ files in your browser
The LZMA compressor made for keeping files safe, used for GNU source code and archives. Open a .lz or .tar.lz 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 LZ
Antonio Diaz Diaz released lzip in 2008, built on LZMA, the compression of 7-Zip, in a simple format made to last and to recover from damage. GNU projects like ddrescue ship their source code as .tar.lz, and so do some Linux distributions.
A .lz file is one or more members, each an LZMA stream with a short header and a trailer holding the CRC32 and the size of what it packs. Like gzip, it holds one file, so many files go into a TAR first.
Filepeek unpacks it with 7-Zip compiled to WebAssembly, member by member: a .tar.lz opens straight to the files of the TAR, and a lone .lz opens its file at once.
lzip compressed file
.lz
Format
- MIME type
- application/x-lzip
- Made by
- Antonio Diaz Diaz, for GNU
- Released
- 2008
Inside the file
- Compression
- LZMA
- Checks
- CRC32 and size of each member
- Holds
- One file, often a TAR
- Tarballs
- .tar.lz
Opens in every browser
No browser opens a .lz file by itself. Filepeek unpacks it in Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari.
- YouChromeOpens through Filepeek
- YouEdgeOpens through Filepeek
- YouFirefoxOpens through Filepeek
- YouSafariOpens through Filepeek
Apps that open LZ
- Windowslzip, a free command line tool
- Maclzip in Terminal, from Homebrew
- iPhone and iPadNo app built in opens it
- AndroidNo app built in opens it
Questions
How do I open a .tar.lz file?
Drop it on this page or press Peek an LZ. The files of the TAR list like a folder, and each opens when you pick it.
Is lzip the same as LZMA or XZ?
All three pack with LZMA and differ in what surrounds it: lzip keeps a CRC32 and the sizes and stays simple, while XZ has more options. All of them open here.
Can I turn it into a ZIP?
Yes. Choose Export, then Save as ZIP. Phones and computers open the ZIP without an app.