BZ to ZIP Converter

Convert BZ files to ZIP online, for free, with nothing to install.

To convert BZ to ZIP, select or drop your .bz file above, check that ZIP is chosen as the output, and click Convert. Files up to 200 MB are converted right in your browser, so they never leave your device.

What is a BZ file?

BZ – bzip compressed file. BZ is a single file compressed with bzip, the short-lived predecessor of bzip2. Few programs still create it.

BZ Converter →

What is a ZIP file?

ZIP – ZIP archive. ZIP is the most widely supported archive format: every operating system opens it without extra software. It compresses each file separately, usually with Deflate, so single files can be pulled out quickly.

ZIP Converter →

How to convert BZ to ZIP

  1. Click Select File, or drop your .bz files anywhere on this page. You can add several at once.
  2. Check that ZIP is chosen as the output format. On this page it is picked for you.
  3. Click Convert. When a file has to go to our server, the button says Upload and convert instead.
  4. Click Download next to each file when it's done.

BZ vs ZIP: how they compare

BZZIP
TypeCompressed single fileArchive
HoldsOne fileMany files and folders
CompressionBurrows–Wheeler with arithmetic codingDeflate
EncryptionNoneAES-256, or the weak legacy ZipCrypto
Created byJulian Seward, 1996Phil Katz (PKWARE), 1989
Best forOpening old filesSharing files with anyone

Good to know

  • a BZ file holds a single compressed file, so the result is a ZIP archive with that one file in it.
  • BZ is an old format that today's computers rarely open by themselves. ZIP files are much easier to open, share and keep.
  • Symbolic links, hard links and special files (such as devices) are left out of the result for safety; the page tells you when it does this.

Frequently asked questions

Is converting BZ to ZIP free?

Yes. Everyone gets 25 free credits a day, with no account needed. Conversions on our server use one credit per started minute of work, so most cost a single credit. Credits reset at midnight UTC.

Are my BZ files uploaded anywhere?

Files up to 200 MB never leave your device: ConvertKitty runs 7-Zip inside your browser. Only larger files, or formats your browser cannot handle, are sent to our server, over an encrypted connection, and deleted 72 hours after the conversion. The button says "Upload and convert" whenever that happens.

How large can the BZ file be?

Files up to 200 MB are converted right in your browser. Larger files, up to 1 GB, are converted on our server.

Will the folders inside my BZ be kept?

a BZ file holds just one file, so there are no folders to keep: the ZIP will contain that one file.

Can I convert several BZ files at once?

Yes. Add as many files as you like; they are converted one after another, and each one gets its own Download button.

Convert BZ to other formats

Convert other files to ZIP

Just need the files inside?

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