If you’ve ever downloaded a script, a dataset, or a piece of open-source software, you’ve likely encountered the .gz extension. While Windows users are historically accustomed to the .zip format, the .gz (Gzip) format is the gold standard in the Linux and Unix worlds.
Since 2017, Windows has included the tar utility (specifically bsdtar) by default in both Command Prompt and PowerShell. This is the most efficient way to create .gz or .tar.gz files without installing extra software.