What is a GZIP file?
A GZIP file is a compressed archive that is created with the standard gzip (GNU zip) compression algorithm. The compressed archive may contain multiple files including compressed files, directories and file stubs. Most of the Unix systems include the open source gzip (GNU Zip) compressor utility for compression/decompression of files. GZIP files can be opened with applications such as WinZip.
GZIP File Format - More Information
GZIP uses the DEFLATE algorithm to compress files to archives. Two RFCs, RFC1952 and RFC 1951, define the specifications of the gzip wrapper format and deflate compressed data format, respectively.
GZIP files are often saved as GZ file format.
How to Open and Extract GZIP Files?
GZIP files use the .gz file extension and can be opened using:
- Built-in UNIX/Linux utilities (gzip, gunzip)
- Windows applications like WinZip, 7-Zip, and WinRAR
- macOS tools such as The Unarchiver
To extract a GZIP file in Linux or macOS, use:
gunzip filename.gz
For multi-file archives (tar.gz or .tgz files), use:
tar -xvzf filename.tar.gz
Common Uses of GZIP Files
- Web Optimization – GZIP compression is widely used in web servers (Apache, Nginx, IIS) to compress website content for faster page loading speeds.
- File Compression & Storage – Reduces disk space usage by compressing large log files, backups, and data archives.
- Data Transfer – Improves network efficiency by minimizing file size during file transfers.
- Software Packaging – Used in Linux package distributions and software repositories.
Limitations of GZIP Files
- Single File Compression – Unlike ZIP or RAR, GZIP compresses only one file at a time unless used with tar.
- No Built-in Encryption – Does not support password protection or encrypted archives.
- Less Efficient Compression – Compared to 7z and RAR, GZIP prioritizes speed over extreme compression rates.
