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CBZ File Format (.cbz)

A CBZ file is a ZIP archive of page images, usually JPEG or PNG, named so they sort into reading order, with nothing else defining it as a comic beyond that convention.

.cbzDocuments

CBZ at a glance#

Full nameComic Book Archive
File extension.cbz
CategoryDocuments
DeveloperDavid Ayton
MIME typesapplication/vnd.comicbook+zipapplication/x-cbr
CompressionLossless
FileFlip supportFileFlip reads and writes this format

What a .cbz file can hold#

These are the things a CBZ file either supports or does not, and they are what decides whether a conversion keeps everything or quietly drops something.

Embedded metadataYes
Multiple images or pagesYes

Strengths and limitations of CBZ#

What CBZ does well

  • Any ZIP tool or image viewer can open it, since it holds nothing but ordinary image files
  • Comic reader apps display it directly with no page-geometry or document engine needed
  • An optional ComicInfo.xml file inside the archive can carry series, issue and credit metadata without touching the images

Where CBZ falls short

  • No official standard governs it, so apps can disagree on reading direction or where metadata belongs
  • Pages are plain images, so there is no selectable text unless a reader runs its own OCR
  • File size tracks the page images directly, since the format adds no compression of its own beyond standard ZIP

Use CBZ to distribute a scanned or digital comic as sequential page images that any comic reader opens without conversion.

Convert CBZ to PDF when a comic needs to move into software that expects a page-based document instead of a folder of images.

How to open a .cbz file#

A .cbz file opens in the programs below, grouped by the platform you are on. If you would rather not install anything, FileFlip converts CBZ into a format your machine already opens, and it does it in the browser tab rather than on a server.

PlatformPrograms that open it
WindowsCDisplayEx, SumatraPDF, Calibre
macOSCalibre
LinuxOkular, MComix, Calibre
iOSPocketBook Reader
AndroidPerfect Viewer, FBReader
WebFileFlip

CBZ questions people ask#

What is a CBZ file?

A CBZ file is a ZIP archive holding a comic's pages as individual image files, named so they sort into the right reading order. There is no page-layout data or text encoding involved, which is the entire format: a comic reader just opens the ZIP and displays the images in sequence.

What's the difference between CBZ and CBR?

CBZ and CBR hold the same kind of content, sequential page images, but CBZ is a renamed ZIP archive while CBR is a renamed RAR archive. Most comic readers open both, but ZIP's open format makes CBZ the more portable of the two.

Can a CBZ file store metadata like the comic's title or issue number?

Yes, many CBZ files include a ComicInfo.xml file inside the archive alongside the page images, which readers like Calibre and CDisplayEx use to show series, issue number and creator credits. It is optional, so a CBZ file without one has no metadata beyond the page images themselves.

Converting CBZ files#

Convert CBZ to another format

See every CBZ conversion (37 more)

Convert another format to CBZ

See every document conversion (62 more)

Every conversion runs inside your browser. The file is read from your disk, the work happens on your own machine, and nothing is uploaded. How FileFlip works names the engine behind each family and how to verify that for yourself.