CBZ vs CBR vs CBT: What's the Difference?
Learn how CBZ, CBR and CBT files differ, which one most comic readers support and when a real conversion is needed.
CBZ, CBR and CBT are three ways to bundle comic page images. CBZ uses ZIP, CBR uses RAR and CBT uses TAR. CBZ is the easiest default because ZIP support is everywhere.
Changing one to another does not need to change the page images at all. A good conversion extracts the pages and packages the same images in the new archive type.
The letters describe the archive
The final letter is the useful clue: Z for ZIP, R for RAR and T for TAR. Comic apps use the extension to decide how to open the bundle, then show the images as pages.
Simply renaming `.cbr` to `.cbz` does not convert it. The contents are still RAR, so a reader expecting ZIP may reject it.
How to choose or convert the format
Try the comic in your reader
If it already opens and page order is correct, you may not need to convert it.
Choose CBZ for widest convenience
It is the simplest archive type to inspect and is accepted by most comic readers.
Convert rather than rename
Drag the comic into How to Convert, choose CBZ and click Convert. Keep the original until you test the result.
Check the page order
Open the cover, a page around 9 to 11, and the final page. Those checks catch common naming problems quickly.
Common problems
Renamed CBZ will not open
The file still contains a RAR or TAR archive.
Perform a real conversion instead of changing the extension.
Page 10 appears before page 2
The filenames were not padded with zeros.
Rename them consistently and rebuild the archive.
A reader does not support CBT
TAR-based comic support is less common.
Convert it to CBZ.
Frequently asked questions
Which format should I use?
Use CBZ unless a particular reader or existing library gives you a reason not to.
Does CBR to CBZ lose quality?
Not when the page images are copied unchanged into the new archive.
Can 7-Zip open these files?
It can open CBZ and many CBR files because they are archives with comic extensions.
What is CBT used for?
It is the same comic-archive idea using TAR, but it is less common in everyday readers.
Extra: How page order is decided
Comic readers normally sort the filenames inside the archive. Names such as `1.jpg`, `2.jpg` and `10.jpg` can be sorted badly by simple software. Names such as `0001.jpg`, `0002.jpg` and `0010.jpg` are safer.
A conversion that only changes ZIP, RAR or TAR can keep the image bytes exactly the same. There is no reason to recompress the pages unless you deliberately want smaller or resized images.
