Developed by a Russian programmer in 1999, 7-Zip is a file compression and extraction utility that reduces document size for simplifying file sharing and saving disk space. The program uses the .7z file format for creating archives and unzipping. The compression works on a range of formats, including images, videos, documents, and more.
What distinguishes it from other software on this list is that it’s a free utility, published by the Free Software Foundation, and can be shared with anyone since it’s protected under the GNU Lesser General Public License. 7-Zip works with all versions of Windows, even the old ones. However, on Linux and macOS, it only works via the command line.
The user-friendliness of the software is evident from the fact that it is embedded with a file browser that can easily search, extract, or test an archive. The UI is identical to Windows Explorer except that the hidden files are visible by default. Plus, you don’t have to deal with intrusive dialogue boxes, ads, pop-ups, or any type of interruptions when operating this tool. It doesn’t even have a welcome dialogue box – so no extra clicks are required to close the window! Moreover, it is available in 87 languages – this goes on to show the popularity of 7-Zip.
With 7-Zip, you also have the option to create and extract archive files using the Windows Shell integration rather than starting the full program. The added benefit is that the Explorer can accelerate the compression process.
7-Zip supports file extraction from various formats, including RAR, CAB, ZIP, ZIPX, CHM, DEB, MSI, VDI, XZ, and more. The software also offers enhanced security by facilitating AES-256 password protection in ZIP and 7z formats.
The flexibility of 7-Zip allows you to use this tool via two methods. You can either use a context menu and select from a range of compression options present there or you can access it via file manager. It has a logical layout that you can learn by playing around with the software, but new users may find it hard to navigate.
With all its user-friendliness and extended capabilities, 7-Zip lacks in terms of performance as compared to its competitors. Compressions executed through 7-Zip consume considerable system resources, which can be a little annoying for the user.
Despite being an open-source utility, it has an active customer support system. However, the company recommends its users to check the latest development version, alpha or beta, before reporting any issues with the software because most issues are resolved in updated versions. If you don’t find the fix in the latest version, you can head over to the website’s FAQ section to find answers to your questions. And if that doesn’t work either, you can always contact customer support through the help section.
Given that 7-Zip is a completely free tool, its upsides outweigh the minor downsides. However, if you are looking for advanced functionality in a compression tool, you’d be better off with other compression tools.