QOI to TAR Converter
Processing entirely on your device — large files may take a moment.
QOI (Quite OK Image) is a 2022 lossless format with a ~200-line spec — PNG-class simplicity that compresses similarly fast. TAR preserves the exact file tree and permissions that Linux tooling expects.
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 QOI compares to TAR
| QOI | TAR | |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | Lossless (RLE/delta) | None (pair with gzip/zstd) |
| Best for | Hobby engines, lossless simplicity | Linux packaging and source trees |
How to convert QOI to TAR
- 1
Select your files
Select your QOI file — it never leaves your device.
- 2
Convert instantly
The engine packs the file, byte for byte, into a TAR container — no re-encoding, no quality change.
- 3
Download results
Download the finished TAR archive.
About the QOI format
QOI (Quite OK Image, 2021) is a lossless format defined in one short specification document: a stream of simple run-length and delta ops over linear pixels. An encoder fits in 300 lines, decodes faster than PNG, and compresses comparably for photographic content.
It has found a home in emulators, demoscene projects and hobby engines — anywhere people want images without a codec dependency. Viewers rarely support it, so converting QOI to PNG is the way to bring these files into normal tools.
+Strengths
- ✓Radically simple spec (~200 lines)
- ✓Lossless with fast decode
- ✓No patent or licensing questions
!Limitations
- −Almost no viewer support
- −Larger than modern codecs for many images
About the TAR format
TAR (tape archive) is Unix's fifty-year-old answer to bundling: it concatenates files with headers into a single stream, preserving POSIX permissions, ownership and symlinks — but compressing nothing. It is the container half of the classic .tar.gz pairing and the native format of Linux source trees and backups.
Being pure bundling, TAR pairs with a compressor: gzip (the classic), bzip2, zstd. Alone, a TAR is the same size as its contents. Windows 10+ ships bsdtar, so even Windows can unpack it now — permissions aside, where NTFS has no room to be faithful.
+Strengths
- ✓Preserves Unix permissions and symlinks
- ✓Streamable: works over pipes and tapes
- ✓The standard of Linux distribution and backup
!Limitations
- −No compression by itself
- −No built-in encryption
- −Permissions meaningless on Windows filesystems
Why convert QOI to TAR?
Converting makes sense where the strengths of TAR meet what QOI cannot give you. Preserves Unix permissions and symlinks Meanwhile Almost no viewer support One pass through the converter above puts your file on the right side of that trade-off.
Frequently asked questions
Is this QOI to TAR 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.
Will I lose quality converting QOI to TAR?
No — TAR is a lossless format, so every pixel of the converted image matches your original QOI file. You can also adjust the quality/size balance before converting when the target format supports compression.
Can I convert several QOI files at once?
Yes — drop as many files as you like into the tool and they are converted in one batch. When more than one file comes out, everything is bundled into a ZIP for a single download.
Will transparent areas survive the conversion to TAR?
Transparency is kept whenever TAR actually supports an alpha channel. If the target format has none (like JPG), transparent areas are flattened onto a white background — that is a property of the format, not of this tool.