Compress a file as XZ or create a tar.xz archive from multiple files and folders directly in your browser. Read more

What is XZ create?

XZ is a high-ratio container format commonly using LZMA2, documented by the .xz format specification. XZ compresses byte streams rather than providing a multi-file directory. This tool creates .xz for one file; for multiple files or folders it creates TAR first, then XZ-compresses it as .tar.xz or .txz.

How to use this tool

Add files or folders, review their relative archive paths, select preset 0–9, and choose a matching output filename. Use .xz for a single compressed stream and .tar.xz or .txz when TAR holds multiple entries. Use XZ Extract to restore the result.

Output modes

Download (default) keeps the generated result in browser memory and provides a reusable Download button. You can rename the download without recompressing while the content is unchanged.
Save directly to a file writes the archive incrementally to a local file you choose. It uses less peak memory for large outputs, but there is no repeat Download button without creating again. Availability depends on browser support for the File System Access API in a secure context.

Files are still processed locally and are not uploaded.

Choosing the right format

XZ supplies compression; TAR preserves multiple names and directories. Higher presets increase dictionary size and may increase decompressor memory as well as compressor cost. The default level 6 is generally a more portable choice than automatically selecting 9.

Important limitations

XZ and TAR do not encrypt content or paths. Download mode retains the generated output in memory. Direct Save avoids retaining the complete output, though codec state and bounded chunks still use memory. Use native streaming tools for large folders or when exact Unix metadata and links must be preserved.

Frequently asked questions

Why can another program not open the result?

Determine whether the output is a single .xz stream or XZ-compressed TAR. Running unxz on .tar.xz produces a .tar, which then needs TAR extraction. Legacy .lzma is a different container.