tar vs tar.gz: What are the differences?

1. Compression Method: Tar is used for archiving files without compression, while tar.gz is used for archiving files with gzip compression. 2. File Extension: Tar files have the extension .tar, while tar.gz files have the extension .tar.gz. 3. Compression Ratio: Tar.gz achieves higher compression ratios compared to tar because of the gzip compression it uses. 4. Checksum Verification: Tar.gz files have built-in checksum verification to ensure data integrity during compression and extraction, which is not present in tar files. 5. Compatibility: Tar.gz files are widely supported across different platforms due to the popularity of gzip compression, while tar files may face compatibility issues on certain systems. 6. Extraction Speed: Tar files can be extracted faster than tar.gz files due to the absence of the compression step during extraction.

In Summary, the key differences between tar and tar.gz lie in their compression method, file extension, compression ratio, checksum verification, compatibility, and extraction speed.