RAR to TAR Converter
Processing entirely on your device — large files may take a moment.
RAR is WinRAR’s proprietary archive format, everywhere on old download mirrors and share links. Creating RAR requires WinRAR, but reading it is open — so converting RAR to ZIP is fully doable locally. TAR preserves the exact file tree and permissions that Linux tooling expects.
iLoveConverter processes everything locally on your computer, which makes it private and fast: no upload wait, no server storage, no limits. Add as many files as you like — batch conversion is built in.
How RAR compares to TAR
| RAR | TAR | |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | Proprietary RAR algorithm | None (pair with gzip/zstd) |
| Encryption | AES-256 (RAR5) | None |
| Bundling | Volumes + recovery records | Unix-faithful bundling |
| Best for | Split transfers, fault-tolerant archives | Linux packaging and source trees |
How to convert RAR to TAR
- 1
Select your files
Drag & drop your RAR files onto the area above, or click to browse. You can add multiple files at once for batch conversion.
- 2
Convert instantly
Click "Convert to TAR". The conversion runs entirely inside your browser using WebAssembly — no upload, no queue, no waiting.
- 3
Download results
Download each converted TAR file individually, or grab everything at once as a ZIP archive.
About the RAR format
RAR (Roshal ARchive, 1993) is a proprietary format whose decoder is free but whose compressor is the paid WinRAR/RAR products. It pioneered features everyone copied: recovery records that repair damaged archives, solid compression, and split volumes that reconstruct on any target. RAR5 added real AES-256 and larger dictionaries.
In practice you mostly receive RARs (scene releases, split downloads) rather than create them. Any modern tool extracts RAR; creating one requires WinRAR or compatible licensed software. Converting RAR to ZIP is the standard way to hand its contents to platforms that only speak ZIP.
+ Strengths
- ✓Recovery records can repair damaged archives
- ✓Mature split-volume support
- ✓Strong RAR5 encryption (AES-256)
! Limitations
- −Creating RAR requires paid software
- −Proprietary format
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 RAR to TAR?
Converting makes sense where the strengths of TAR meet what RAR cannot give you. Preserves Unix permissions and symlinks Meanwhile Creating RAR requires paid software One pass through the converter above puts your file on the right side of that trade-off.
Frequently asked questions
Is this RAR 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.
Is there a file size limit for RAR to TAR?
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.
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.
Are the files inside my RAR archive modified?
No. Contents are unpacked in memory and repacked into TAR byte-for-byte — the conversion changes the container, never the files inside it.