Convert CBZ to CBR

Some comic-book readers, catalogues, and older digital-comic devices accept CBR but not CBZ. Converting changes the archive container from ZIP to RAR while normally leaving the page images, filenames, and image quality unchanged.

What the CBZ format is

CBZ is a comic-book archive based on the ZIP format. It normally contains sequentially named JPEG, PNG, or WebP page images, such as 001.jpg and 002.jpg, stored at the archive root or in a simple folder structure. Comic readers and managers such as CDisplayEx, YACReader, ComicRack, and Calibre can open CBZ files, and some e-readers support them as well. CBZ is common because ZIP creation and extraction are built into most operating systems and archive utilities.

What the CBR format is

CBR is a comic-book archive whose underlying container is RAR. Its pages are usually JPEG, PNG, or WebP images, just like those in a CBZ file. CBR has no inherent image-quality or size advantage over CBZ; its main practical benefit is compatibility with software that expects RAR-based comic archives. RAR is a proprietary archive format, so fewer free tools can create CBR files than can create CBZ files.

How to convert CBZ to CBR

Using WinRAR on Windows

1. Copy the original book.cbz so it remains available if the conversion fails.
2. Open the CBZ with File Explorer or WinRAR and extract it to a temporary folder.
3. Check that the page images and any intended metadata file, such as ComicInfo.xml, are present. Remove unrelated extraction files such as __MACOSX if they were created by another archive tool.
4. Keep the existing page filenames and numbering. If the extracted files are inside an unwanted extra folder, move the contents up so the pages are directly at the archive root.
5. Select the files and choose WinRAR → Add to archive.
6. Set Archive format to RAR, name the output book.cbr, and choose RAR4 if the target reader is old or its RAR5 support is unknown. WinRAR may label this option RAR 4.x.
7. Choose the Store compression method when the pages are already compressed JPEG or PNG files. Normal compression is also valid but usually saves little space and takes longer.
8. Open the resulting CBR in the intended application and check the cover, page order, and final page before deleting the temporary folder.

WinRAR is the simplest desktop option because it both extracts ZIP archives and creates RAR archives. 7-Zip can extract the CBZ, but its standard Windows release does not create RAR archives, so it cannot perform the complete conversion alone.

Using command-line tools

Install 7-Zip for extraction and a RAR creation utility from RARLAB. From a Windows command prompt, use:

7z x book.cbz -otemp
cd temp
rar a -m0 ..\book.cbr *

On macOS or Linux, use the corresponding path separator:

7z x book.cbz -otemp
cd temp
rar a -m0 ../book.cbr *

The -m0 option stores files without additional compression. The RAR command-line utility may require a separate installation and may have licensing restrictions depending on the operating system. For archives containing nested folders or filenames that shell expansion could omit, add the intended files and directories explicitly rather than relying only on *.

Using an online converter

Services such as Convertio and CloudConvert may offer CBZ-to-CBR conversion, but supported archive formats, file-size limits, and output settings can change. Confirm that the service creates a genuine RAR archive rather than only changing the extension, and test the result in the target reader. Uploading a comic exposes its contents to a third party and may be inappropriate for copyrighted, private, or DRM-protected material; local conversion with WinRAR is preferable in those cases.

Quality and compatibility limits

• Repacking does not normally change image resolution or cause another generation of JPEG compression. Image quality changes only if the page files are separately converted or edited.
• Renaming book.cbz to book.cbr is not conversion: the file remains a ZIP archive and may fail in a RAR-only reader.
• Preserve a sortable sequence such as 001.jpg, 002.jpg, and 010.jpg. Names such as 1.jpg, 10.jpg, and 2.jpg can appear out of order in readers that sort filenames lexically.
• Keep page images at the archive root unless the target application explicitly supports subdirectories. Preserve ComicInfo.xml when the reader uses it, but do not expect external library tags, reading status, or collection data to survive; those usually belong to the library application rather than the archive.
• RAR5 can provide different size and performance characteristics, but older comic readers commonly support only RAR4. Choose RAR4 when compatibility matters more than newer RAR features.
• Some readers support CBZ but not CBR, and others support only particular RAR versions. Test the converted file on the actual device or application before discarding the CBZ.