LZH to GZ Converter
Processing entirely on your device — large files may take a moment.
LHA/LZH Archive and Gzip Compressed File exist for different jobs: LZH (LHA) is the archive format of the Japanese PC-98 era and Amiga scene — still attached to old downloads and doujin material. Unpack a .gz into a normal file or repack it as ZIP/TAR when the receiving tool does not understand gzip.
Because the whole conversion happens on your device, it is instant, unlimited and genuinely private — no accounts, no watermarks, no files on anyone's server. Multiple files are converted in one go.
How LZH compares to GZ
| LZH | GZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | LZ (LHA variants) | DEFLATE |
| Bundling | Multi-file | Single file |
| Best for | Retro software archives | Logs, dumps, datasets |
How to convert LZH to GZ
- 1
Select your files
Select your LZH file.
- 2
Convert instantly
The file bytes are gzip-compressed in place — the same archive your server or build tool produces, made locally.
- 3
Download results
Download the .gz file — ready to upload, serve or attach.
About the LZH format
LZH (also LHA) is the archive format that ruled Japanese PCs in the 8.3-filename era and the Amiga scene elsewhere. It compresses with a simple LZ scheme, predates ZIP's dominance, and still shows up attached to retro software, doujin archives and old BBS downloads.
No modern OS opens it natively, and LHA tools are niche. Converting LZH to ZIP is the one-step rescue: same files, universal container, no retro software hunt required.
+Strengths
- ✓The retro Japanese/Amiga archive standard
- ✓Simple, well-documented compression
!Limitations
- −No native OS support today
- −Weak compression by modern standards
About the GZ format
A .gz file is one file squeezed by gzip — not an archive. kernel.org tarballs are “tar inside gz”, but plenty of logs, JSON dumps and CSV exports travel as plain .gz. Opening one means decompressing it back to the original bytes.
Repacking into ZIP or TAR gives the decompressed file a container that every GUI tool opens without a second thought.
+Strengths
- ✓Everywhere on Linux and macOS
- ✓Fast, well-understood compression
- ✓Streams natively from any tool
!Limitations
- −Single file only — no directory tree
- −No encryption or integrity metadata
Why convert LZH to GZ?
Converting makes sense where the strengths of GZ meet what LZH cannot give you. Everywhere on Linux and macOS Meanwhile No native OS support today One pass through the converter above puts your file on the right side of that trade-off.
Frequently asked questions
Is this LZH to GZ converter really free?
Yes — completely free, with no sign-up, no watermark and no daily conversion limits. The site is supported by advertising.
Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. The conversion runs entirely inside your browser using WebAssembly, so your files never leave your device — that is what makes it instant and private.
Does it work on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android?
Yes. Anything with a modern browser works: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS. No software installation is required.
Is there a file size limit for LZH to GZ?
The only limit is your device's memory, since nothing is uploaded. Files up to a few hundred megabytes work fine on a modern desktop browser; very large files simply take a little longer.
Are the files inside my LZH archive modified?
No. Contents are unpacked in memory and repacked into GZ byte-for-byte — the conversion changes the container, never the files inside it.
Is there a size limit for archive conversion?
There is no upload cap because nothing is uploaded — the practical limit is your device memory. A few hundred megabytes of unpacked content works comfortably on a modern computer.