---
title: "Extract LHA / LZH Online — Retro Archives | Compress Pro"
description: "Open LHA and LZH archives in your browser — the format of 90s Japan, Amiga scenes and retro software. Extracted locally; nothing gets uploaded."
canonical: https://compress-pro.com/extract-lha
---

# Extract LHA/LZH archives.

> Open LHA and LZH archives — retro formats, done locally.

LHA (.lzh) ruled Japanese software distribution and the Amiga scene long before ZIP won globally — and retro archives, abandonware collections and old game mods still carry it. Drop one here and **its files extract in your browser**, no vintage tooling required.

**No uploads · No ads · Free & open source.**

## How it works

1. Drop files anywhere on the page, click to browse, or paste with Ctrl/⌘ + V.
2. Pick a quality or preset — or set an exact target size and let the tool find it.
3. Compress, compare before/after, and download — individually or as a ZIP.

## Rescuing old archives

Retro collections mix formats freely — LHA next to [ARJ](https://compress-pro.com/extract-arj) next to early ZIP. Everything opens on the same [archive tab](https://compress-pro.com/zip-files), and once extracted, repacking into a modern [7Z](https://compress-pro.com/create-7z) keeps the bytes and drops the archaeology.

## Frequently asked questions

### LHA or LZH — which is it?

The same format: LHA is the archiver, .lzh its usual extension (with .lha common on Amiga). Both extensions open identically here.

### Do Japanese file names decode correctly?

Usually — but archives from 90s Japanese systems often store names in Shift-JIS, which no modern tool can always guess right. File CONTENT extracts perfectly either way; a garbled name is cosmetic and can be fixed after download.

### What made LHA special back then?

It was free with source code when PKZIP was shareware — so Japanese vendors, id Software (DOOM shipped in LHA!) and the Amiga community standardized on it. A nice reminder that formats win on licensing as much as on ratio.

### Is it private?

Yes. The archive is opened and unpacked on your own device — its contents are never uploaded, and a password, if one is needed, is used locally and never transmitted. The server does nothing but deliver this page. Want proof? Run one file through, switch your connection off, and run another — it still works.

## Related tools

- [Extract ARJ archives](https://compress-pro.com/extract-arj)
- [Zip & Unzip files](https://compress-pro.com/zip-files)
- [Create 7Z archives](https://compress-pro.com/create-7z)

---

Part of [Compress Pro](https://compress-pro.com/) — every tool page has a markdown twin at `<page url>.md`. Full tool index: [llms.txt](https://compress-pro.com/llms.txt)