RAR to TAR Converter
Convert RAR to TAR online for free. Change archive format while keeping files organized in a package that is easier to extract, share, store, or use in your operating environment.
Converting RAR to TAR extracts all files and folder structure from the source archive and re-packages them into the TAR format. Folder hierarchy, file permissions, and the complete contents are preserved during re-compression.
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Checking files and selected output formats.
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Convert RAR Archives in 3 Steps
Repackage archived files for better compatibility, compression, or extraction support without installing desktop archive software.
Drag and drop your .rar file into the converter above, or click "Choose Files" to browse your device.
Click "Convert All" and our server re-packs your files from RAR into TAR format while preserving the complete folder structure.
Your converted .tar archive is ready instantly. Click Download to save it to your device.
Why Convert RAR to TAR
TAR is the native archive format of Unix, Linux, and macOS. System administrators, developers, and DevOps engineers use TAR daily for packaging source code, backups, and deployment bundles.
TAR archives preserve file permissions, ownership, symbolic links, and timestamps exactly as they exist on disk. No other archive format maintains Unix filesystem metadata as faithfully as TAR.
TAR can create and extract archives from data streams without random access. This makes TAR ideal for pipe-based workflows, network transfers, and backup scripts that process data sequentially.
TAR separates archiving from compression, allowing you to pair it with gzip, bzip2, xz, zstd, or any compression algorithm. This modular approach lets you choose the best compressor for your data.
Docker images, container layers, and deployment packages use TAR as their archive format. Cloud-native workflows and CI/CD pipelines expect TAR archives for building and shipping software.
RAR vs TAR: Side-by-side
Technical comparison of the two formats — useful for deciding which to use, or for confirming what changes during conversion.
| Property | RAR | TAR |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Roshal Archive | Tape Archive |
| Year introduced | 1993 | 1979 |
| Developer / standard body | Eugene Roshal | AT&T Unix |
| MIME type | application/vnd.rar | application/x-tar |
| File extension | .rar | .tar |
| Compression | RAR (proprietary) | None (often paired with gzip → .tar.gz) |
| Color / data depth | N/A | N/A |
| Max dimensions / size | Unlimited (RAR5) | 8 EB file size |
| Transparency | No | No |
| Animation | No | No |
| Standard / specification | RAR (proprietary, WinRAR) | POSIX / IEEE 1003.1 |
| Best for | Better compression than ZIP, password protection, recovery records | Unix / Linux backups, source-code distribution |
About the RAR Format
RAR (Roshal Archive) is a proprietary archive format created by Eugene Roshal in 1993. It uses a proprietary compression algorithm and offers several advanced features including solid compression, which compresses multiple files together as a single data stream to achieve better compression ratios than compressing each file individually. RAR is particularly popular for large file distribution across the internet.
RAR supports built-in recovery records that allow damaged archives to be partially or fully repaired, as well as multi-volume splitting for distributing large archives across multiple smaller files. Creating RAR archives requires WinRAR or compatible licensed software, though many free tools like UnRAR can extract them. While RAR is being gradually supplemented by open alternatives like 7Z, it remains common for file distribution due to its robust error recovery and strong compression capabilities.
RAR to TAR FAQ
Quick answers about compatibility, quality, metadata handling, and the most common reasons to convert RAR files to TAR.
How do I convert RAR to TAR online?
Why would I convert RAR to TAR?
Will converting RAR to TAR preserve folder structure?
Will the TAR archive be smaller than the RAR archive?
Is TAR a better archive format for Linux or deployment workflows?
Can I batch convert multiple RAR archives to TAR?
Is it safe to convert RAR to TAR online?
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