Chad contributes to free-backup-software.net. More on this topic can be found at Free ZIP Programs and Recover Deleted Files
Free ZIP Tool Comparison!
Free ZIP Programs - OK, OK, I understand, WinZIP, PKZip and StuffIt seem to be highly effective ZIP applications with numerous incredibly superfluous features. But come on! How many compression formats do we actually need? Furthermore, they're all quite expensive at $30. For the occasional data compresion and manual data backup needs, the software below must be perfectly adequate - and 100 % free is good too!
By the way, if you utilize ZIP applications to backup your data, you should look in our free Backup Software roundup. Those software programs are designed to work invisibly backing up your computer data in order that you never need to remember to get it done by hand. If your data is already corrupted as well as the cause it just deleted files or corrupt file, you might like to take a look at our roundup of free Data Recovery Software. This might save you a lot of money over the commercial services by providers like "DiskDoctors" and "InterData". (Who are still helpful for serious hard disk failure caused from physical damage.)
JustZIPit
simple, powerful, lightweight, cute girl
JustZIPit is the extreme peak of simplicity - it's got no interface whatsoever besides a progress bar. Just right-click a file in Explorer and select "JustZIPit" from the context-menu. That's all you have to know to operate this tiny zip program!
Simple yet potent! JustZIPit is blazingly fast and invisibly integrates full ZIP-64 technology to simply manage the most massive ZIPs. JustZIPit isn't limited similar to most ZIP programs - when JustZIPit is building a ZIP file, if it finds that an archive is not going to match the regular ZIP-32 size, it automatically goes to ZIP-64 and keeps going. You will not even know that it is there - but you can without danger ZIP up the entire contents of the Library of Congress if you're bored. ;)
JustZIPit is a simple, powerful and totally free ZIP application - would like some fries with it?
Free for Personal Use
Free for Organizations
No Adware/Spyware
View Files before Unzipping
Supports ZIP-64 (huge ZIPs)
ZIP Context Command
ZIP-to-Email Command
Self-Extracting Archives
Password Encryption
Non-ZIP Formats
I just love this tiny ZIP application - it's all about hiding the power in a "get out of my way" pattern.
JustZIPit
Download JustZIPit (340k)
CAM UnZIP
medium powered, full-featured, a little kludgy
Cam UnZip was fairly easy to use, the user interface isn't as competent as WinZIP but pretty full featured - not the best freeware ZIP program but satisfactory for most ZIP-creation needs.
Although I find this type of ZIP tool a bit cluttered, CAM UnZIP seems pretty solid. No Spyware, no adware it's totally 100 % free (but donations are welcome.) Strangely, I had the hardest time finding a link on their website to truly download the program. It's there on the left panel of the home-page, just keep browsing (or follow the link download link here. ;)
100 % Free for Personal Use
Totally Free for Organizations
No Adware/Spyware
View Files before Unzipping
Supports ZIP-64 (huge ZIPs)
ZIP Context Command
ZIP-to-Email Command
Self-Extracting Archives
Password Encryption
Non-ZIP Formats
Overall, I discovered CAMZip to be a pretty good ZIP program should you prefer a WinZIP replacement.
CAM UnZIP
Download CAM UnZIP (855k)
BigSpeed Zipper
quite interesting, pretty powerful, off-the-wall features
BigSpeed Zipper is among those ZIP tools difficult to easily quantify. Sure it's got the basic features and it is a little weak on some functions I do believe are important... however it's got numerous other features that I've never even thought of! I am still trying to discover the usefulness of some of them. For example, you can observe the contents of a ZIP file online BEFORE downloading. Now that's kind of cool!
As far as interface goes, it is pretty non-standard ; however, sometimes a non-standard interface is the result of awesome features that would not fit in to a normal interface. (Although usually, it's just due to bad design.) You move ahead and make up your own mind, its free of charge.
100 % Free for Private Use
Free for Organizations
No Adware/Spyware
View Files before Unzipping
Supports ZIP-64 (huge ZIPs)
ZIP Context Command
ZIP-to-Email Command
Self-Extracting Archives
Password Encryption
Non-ZIP Formats
Overall, I was fascinated by BigSpeed's innovation and liked just what I saw nevertheless the program is still a little bit clunky for regular ZIP work. I also would like to see context menu commands!
BigSpeed Zipper
Download BigSpeed Zipper (748k)
Optimal Archive
full-featured, sold features, intrusive advertising
When I first see the specs on Optimal Archive, I had been fairly thrilled. It reminded me of a classic favorite of my "ZIPMagic" - that made ZIP files appear as if folders. Well, Optimal Archive has a lot of the same features. It's a very powerful set of scripts despite support for non-ZIP formats such as TAR ARJ and RAR. ;)
On the other hand, I'm not sure I would classify it as freeware. It isn't that it installs noxious adware or spyware but instead it is itself an advertisement. Each time you utilize it you must click through an advertising screen that gets old really fast.
Totally Free for Personal Use
Free for Organizations
No Adware/Spyware
View Files before Unzipping
Supports ZIP-64 (huge ZIPs)
ZIP Context Command
ZIP-to-Email Command
Self-Extracting Archives
Password Encryption
Non-ZIP Formats
If it were not for the intrusive advertising, Optimal Archive will be a great ZIP tool. As it is, I don't think I will be using Optimal despite its numerous fine features.
Optimal Archive
Download Optimal Archive (1670k)
7-ZIP
WOW! - full-featured, powerful, innovative
7-Zip is ultimately commencing to get the reputation it deserves. This freeware ZIP program is the only one in it's pack to truly push the bar on technology. Although 7-Zip is better known for its support of high-compression non-ZIP technology (7Z), it also does a better job than WinZIP or PKZip on normal ZIP compression! Have a look at their compression comparison chart on their home page: 7-zip.org.
I still noticed their browsing interface a bit of a kludge but they have provided an "Add to Archive" command on the context menu making it quite simple to ZIP up any folder. Furthermore, not all ZIP tools support making of SFX (self-extracting) files but this one does. 7-Zip will on auto-pilot use its superior 7Z compression inside the SFX files -- resulting in a small package that literally slaughters the competition (WinZIP SFX Maker ~ $60). In this instance, the totally free app is way better than the commercial app. Well done 7-Zip!
If you'd like tech support, you'll have to register at US $20 but otherwise the program is unrestricted and has no intrusive advertising. 7-ZIP also can create TAR files for those who ever want to kill a mastodon.
Free for Private Use
Totally Free for Organizations
No Adware/Spyware
View Files ahead of Unzipping
Supports ZIP-64 (huge ZIPs)
ZIP Context Command
ZIP-to-Email Command
Self-Extracting Archives
Password Encryption
Non-ZIP Formats
Overall, 7-Zip is my favorite power-user ZIP tool -- and if you want to create small SFX files, a must-have app!
7-ZIP
Download 7-ZIP (899k)
ZIPGenius
Too full-featured, powerful but confused
ZIPGenius is a perfect example of an application that mis-diagnosis the problem. The issue is not that WinZIP costs too much, it's too cluttered with needless features! However, if you love the clutter, you'll love ZIPGenius much more. I have not seen a program shown such a capability for "feature creep".
ZIPGenius' ZIP features are truly solid with excellent security features, 7-ZIP format support, built-in SFX support, ZIP-64 support etc. Also included are image viewing features, twain (scanner) management, a slide-show builder, support for OpenOffice documents, multi-language, CD-R writing, FTP uploading, and almost everything else but a kitchen sink (which they promise to include in the next upgrade!).
Free for Private Use
Absolutely Free for Organizations
No Adware/Spyware
View Files before Unzipping
Supports ZIP-64 (huge ZIPs)
ZIP Context Command
ZIP-to-Email Command
Self-Extracting Archives
Password Encryption
Non-ZIP Formats
ZIPGenius is really a vast project and appears to be very well executed but I personally don't like software that attempts to be everything.
ZIPGenius Home
Download ZIPGenius (6.44mb)
IZArc
Powerful, simple, decent interface
IZArc support a lot of compression types. Just look at this impressive list of acronyms: 7-ZIP, A, ACE, ARC, ARJ, B64, BH, BZ2, BZA, CAB, CPIO, DEB, ENC, GCA, GZ, GZA, HA, JAR, LHA, LIB, LZH, MBF, MIM, PAK, PK3, RAR, RPM, TAR, TAZ, TBZ,
TGZ, TZ, UUE, WAR, XXE, YZ1, Z, ZIP, ZOO.
IZArc likewise has good AES encryption for those who need it and best of all, it has a pretty darned good interface -- not to cluttered but instead simple! I am very impressed. (I was NOT impressed with their site's interface however. How does that work?)
Totally Free for Private Use
Free for Organizations
No Adware/Spyware
View Files before Unzipping
Supports ZIP-64 (huge ZIPs)
ZIP Context Command
ZIP-to-Email Command
Self-Extracting Archives
Password Encryption
Non-ZIP Formats
Overall, IZArc is a superb power-user ZIP software -- an excellent WinZIP alternative!
IZArc Home
Download IZArc (6.44mb)