16 Best FREE Winzip Alternatives in 2021

WinZip is a zip tool program that can be used to compress and decompress files with no hassle. It enables you to zip large files and unzip all major file formats, including zip, gzip tar, rar, cab, etc. You can also connect it with Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, email, and more.

However, sometimes the Compressed (ZIP) folder is corrupted and shows «Unexpected end of archive» error while opening the ZIP file. Another drawback is that it does not allows you to repair damaged archives.

Following is a handpicked list of Top Win Zip alternatives, with their popular features and website links. The list contains both open source (free) and commercial (paid) software.

1) WinRAR

WinRAR is a strong competitor of Winzip. It allows you to create ZIP and RAR archives. The tool is available in more than 50 languages. It automatically recognizes and selects the ideal compression method.

Feature:

• It enables you to compress files quickly and easily.
• You can split the archive file into a separate volume.
• This tool uses 256-bit password encryption for security.
• It uses a compression algorithm that helps you to compress multimedia files and executable files.
• WinRAR helps you to save your save disk space and transmission costs.
• The software has many integrated functions to manage your compress archive.

2) Ashampoo Zip Free

Ashampoo ZIP Free is easy to use the ZIP compression tool. This software supports creating and extracting with 7-ZIP, LHA, TAR, CAB, and many other formats. It has an integrated preview facility to effortlessly view files.

Feature:

• It provides a user-friendly graphical interface.
• Offers integration with Windows Explorer.
• It allows you to create the unlimited size of the archive.
• You can repair broken zip files.
• The tool helps you to create SFX (Special Effects) archive.
• You can integrate with the Windows operating system and windows server.
• Support for RAR format.

3) 7-zip

7-zip is a popular open-source file compression tool. This software uses strong AES-256 encryption technique for security. It has a self-extracting facility for 7z file format. The app can be used for business and commercial sectors. Supported formats by 7-zip are 7z, GZIP, XZ, and BZIP2.

Feature:

• Integration with Windows shell.
• It has a file manager to effectively manage your files.
• This tool can be used from the command line.
• Offers plugin for a FAR manager (A software that manages archive and files)
• It can be Localize for more than 87 languages.
• 7-zip uses LZMA (Lempel Ziv Markov Chain Algorithm) and LZMA2 for the compression.

4) Bandizip

Bandizip is a free archiver for MS windows. It supports archive formats like ZIP, RAR, 7Z, and RAR5. This tool allows users to extract multiple files. The software helps you to easily open the extracted folder.

Feature:

• This application supports Windows operating system.
• It is free software.
• Extract files in more than 30 formats.
• You can compress archive with multi-volume and password.
• It enables you to compress fast with multi-core.
• Bandizip supports compression of a file having more than 4 GB.
• This tool offers security through an AES256 encryption algorithm.

5) jZip

jZip is easy to use and free software for enterprise and home users. This tool enables you to unzip zip archives and create zip compatible folders and files. It supports a wide range of popular archive formats, including RAR, GZip, TAR, 7z, and more.

Feature:

• Create compatible zip files.
• It enables you to unzip archives.
• This tool has improved compression ratio.
• Fast speed compression engine.
• You can open and extract data from ISO (International Organization for standardization) and RAR files.

6) NX Power Lite Desktop

NX Power Lite Desktop is a simple app that enables users to compress their data easily and quickly. This program does not require any advanced computer skills in order to use it. Software is used for people who like to attach large email files.

Feature:

• Compress any file directly from Windows Explorer using the right mouse click menu option.
• Files can be collected as a single Zip file.
• It can compress up to 10,000 folders and files at one time.
• NX Power Lite Desktop automatically compresses email attachments.

7) PowerArchiver

PowerArchiver is easy to use file archiver tool design for Microsoft Windows. This tool supports creating 7z, Tar, and zip, and various disk image formats. You can also use this software for encrypting and decrypt any file or folder.

Feature:

• It uses secure FTP client with using FIPS 140-2 validation.
• This tool automatically compress and encrypts files in MS Office XP- 2016.
• It is simple to install and manage with MSI (Microsoft Installer) installations and password policies.
• PowerArchiver provides a command-line version.
• You can join two archive files.
• It has a built-in preview window that enables you to see various text, images, multimedia without extracting them.
• You can use it on Windows operating system.

8) PeaZip

PeaZip is a file compression software that supports more than 150 different file formats. This zip tool has many security features like an encrypted password manager and two-factor authentication.

Feature:

• It is a user-friendly tool that does not contain any harmful software.
• This app can search for duplicate files.
• The software can split the archive into multiple files.
• You can schedule archiving to control which session you need to archive.
• It enables you to compress files having limited resources.

9) ZipGenius

ZipGenius is a file archiver specially design for Microsoft Windows. This free zip program supports more than 20 compressed file types. You can use such software to easily create, edit, and share zip folders and files.

Feature:

• You can browse DVD/CD ISO images with ease.
• Perform batch tasks using the command line module.
• It uses CZIP encryption system to protect your data.
• Zipgenius has the latest encryption algorithm to secure your files.
• Compatible with Windows operating system.

10) Hamster Zip Archiver

Hamster Zip Archiver is a zip software that has a simple drag and drop interface to compress the data. This free zip software offers an integration facility with Dropbox, Google Drive, and other cloud applications.

Feature:

• You can effortlessly share the archive with your friends.
• Compress and open all file types.
• Supports more than 40 languages.
• It can be used free for home and office.

11) B1 Free Archiver

B1 Free Archiver is a freeware file archiver manager software. This tool provides full support for native B1 and zip format. It can decompress more than 20 famous archive formats.

Feature:

• It can be used for operating systems like Windows, Linux, Android, and Mac.
• This software support formats like b1, zip, jar, xpi, 7z, and more.
• It uses 256-bit AES standards for protecting privacy.
• The software helps you to compress files quickly.
• You can edit and share the source available in the software.

12) IZArc

IZArc is a free file archiver designed for MS Windows. This tool can open the most basic used archive formats like zip, rar, gzip, gz, and tar. The software uses AES 256 for security. You can also use it to compress or decompress important files effortlessly.

Feature:

• It supports drag and drop interface.
• You can delete files from any archive.
• This tool enables you to convert CD Images.
• You can repair broken archive effortlessly.
• It is integrated with the Windows Explorer context menu.
• You can email archives.
• It allows you to scan any archive for the virus.
• It helps you to add or view comments in the archive file.

13) Zip Extractor

ZIP Extractor is a free program for opening files like RAR, 7z, ZIP, and files on your PC and Google Drive. This tool allows you to preview files. It also helps you to open password protected files.

Feature:

• This software allows you to extract unzip files available in Google drive.
• You can preview and download files existed inside the ZIP folder without extracting the whole file.
• It helps you to share extracted files with others.
• This tool supports password-protected files.
• Open zip files on your PC or Google Drive.

14) RAR File Extractor

RAR File Extractor is a software for extracting RAR files. This is a simple and effective program. Users can use it to quickly extract and decompress all files and folders.

Feature:

• You can select *.rar file, and it will extract it to the output folder.
• Provide the option to overwrite extracted files.
• It quickly shows extracted files when completed.
• Supports multi-volume (Process of breaking large file size into a small file) RAR archive.

15) CAM UnZip

CAM UnZip is a ZIP file utility software that allows users to open, create as well as modify zip files available in the folder. You can use this tool to open files created by 7-Zip and Winzip.

Feature:

• You can unzip any ZIP files or folders quickly and easily.
• This program helps you to extract all selected files.
• You can view your files in the archive before extracting.
• It helps you to add or removes files.
• CAM UnZip automatically runs the setup after unzipping.
• It can be accessed from the command line interface.

16) The Unarchiver

The Unarchiver is a free data decompression tool. This zip file extractor can be used on the Mac operating system. You can use it to extract the most common archive formats, including RAR, Zip, and Tar.

Feature:

• It helps you to install the software in just a few mouse clicks.
• You can quickly set this program as a default archive file.
• All the features of The Unarchiver tool are available for free.
• It can read non-Latin characters.

❓ What is Zip?

Zip is an archive format that offers data compression without data loss. A zip file contains compressed files, folders, images, video and other types of compressed data

⚡ What is the default zip program of Windows 10?

The default zip program of Windows 10 is the «Compressed zipped folder».

Best windows zip software

7-Zip is a file archiver with a high compression ratio.

Download 7-Zip 19.00 (2019-02-21) for Windows :

Link	Type	Windows	Size
Download	.exe	32-bit x86	1.2 MB
Download	.exe	64-bit x64	1.4 MB

Download 7-Zip 21.01 alpha (2021-03-09) for Windows :

Link	Type	Windows	Size
Download	.exe	32-bit x86	1.2 MB
Download	.exe	64-bit x64	1.4 MB
Download	.exe	64-bit ARM64	1.5 MB

License

7-Zip is free software with open source . The most of the code is under the GNU LGPL license. Some parts of the code are under the BSD 3-clause License. Also there is unRAR license restriction for some parts of the code. Read 7-Zip License information.

You can use 7-Zip on any computer, including a computer in a commercial organization. You don’t need to register or pay for 7-Zip.

The main features of 7-Zip

• High compression ratio in 7z format with LZMA and LZMA2 compression
• Supported formats:
  • Packing / unpacking: 7z, XZ, BZIP2, GZIP, TAR, ZIP and WIM
  • Unpacking only: AR, ARJ, CAB, CHM, CPIO, CramFS, DMG, EXT, FAT, GPT, HFS, IHEX, ISO, LZH, LZMA, MBR, MSI, NSIS, NTFS, QCOW2, RAR, RPM, SquashFS, UDF, UEFI, VDI, VHD, VMDK, WIM, XAR and Z.

• For ZIP and GZIP formats, 7-Zip provides a compression ratio that is 2-10 % better than the ratio provided by PKZip and WinZip
• Strong AES-256 encryption in 7z and ZIP formats
• Self-extracting capability for 7z format
• Integration with Windows Shell
• Powerful File Manager
• Powerful command line version
• Plugin for FAR Manager
• Localizations for 87 languages

7-Zip works in Windows 10 / 8 / 7 / Vista / XP / 2019 / 2016 / 2012 / 2008 / 2003 / 2000.

p7zip — the port of the command line version of 7-Zip to Linux/Posix.

On 7-Zip’s SourceForge Page you can find a forum, bug reports, and feature request systems.

Compression ratio

We compared 7-Zip with WinRAR 5.20.

FILE SETS: Mozilla Firefox 34.0.5 for Windows and Google Earth 6.2.2.6613 for Windows.

Archiver	Mozilla Firefox		Google Earth
	65 files 85 280 391 bytes		483 files 110 700 519 bytes
	Compressed size	Ratio	Compressed size	Ratio
7-Zip 9.35 -mx	39 357 375	100%	15 964 369	100%
WinRAR 5.20 -m5 -s -ma5 -md128m	41 789 543	106%	17 035 432	107%

Compression ratio results are very dependent upon the data used for the tests. Usually, 7-Zip compresses to 7z format 30-70% better than to zip format. And 7-Zip compresses to zip format 2-10% better than most of other zip compatible programs.

7-Zip 21.01	2021-03-09
7-Zip 21.01 alpha

7-Zip 21.01	2021-03-09
7-Zip for Linux

7-Zip 21.00	2021-01-19
7-Zip 21.00 alpha

7-Zip 20.02	2020-08-08
7-Zip 20.02 alpha

7-Zip for ARM64	2020-08-08
7-Zip for ARM64

7-Zip 19.00	2019-02-21
7-Zip 19.00

7-Zip ChangeLog

History of 7-zip changes

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