Bzip2 files.
Bzip2-compress files in your browser — smaller than gzip.
Drop any files here
or browse your files
Paste with ⌘V · or drop files anywhere on the page
Files never leave your device. Everything runs in your browser, nothing touches a server — tools you've used even work offline.
Bzip2 sits between gzip and xz: noticeably smaller output than gzip on text, without the xz build times. Drop files and each comes back as its own .bz2, compressed on your device — the exact format bunzip2 and every unix toolchain expect.
How it works
- Drop files anywhere on the page, click to browse, or paste with ⌘V.
- Pick a quality or preset — or set an exact target size and let the tool find it.
- Compress, compare before/after, and download — individually or as a ZIP.
The three unix compressors, ranked
gzip: fastest, universal, good-enough ratios. bzip2: slower, ~10-20% smaller on text. xz: slowest, smallest, the modern archival pick — XZ files builds those. All three wrap around tar the same way; Create TAR.GZ offers each as a one-step tarball.
Frequently asked questions
When is bzip2 the right pick?
When a consumer specifically expects .bz2 (plenty of scientific datasets, Wikipedia dumps and older pipelines do), or when you want better-than-gzip text compression and xz feels slow. For new greenfield choices, gzip for speed or xz for size are the usual endpoints.
Why is my .bz2 not smaller than a .gz of the same file?
On already-compressed content (media, archives) no compressor helps — all of them hover near the original size. Bzip2 wins on text and structured data; that is where its block-sorting algorithm gets traction.
One file in, one file out — where is the archive?
Bzip2 is a stream compressor like gzip: no bundling, no file list. Each input becomes input.bz2. For one archive holding everything, build a tar.bz2 on the Create TAR.GZ page (switch the format pill) or a ZIP.
Is it private?
Yes. Archives are built and converted entirely in your browser — neither the archive nor the files inside it are ever uploaded, and any password you set is applied locally. The server does nothing but deliver this page. Want proof? Run one file through, switch your connection off, and run another — it still works.