Software

5 Best Free WinZip Alternatives 2021

The standard method around compressing and extracting files on Windows is WinZip – one of the best-known utilities to create, manage, encrypt, compress and save files. It provides you all the features and support you need to easily and quickly zip and unzip your files. No brainer, it is one-stop file manager for millions and continues to be so with no drop in popularity.

But wait, there’s more!

Odds are that you aren’t aware of the possible alternatives to WinZip, which work as brilliantly as the latter. These alternatives encompass pretty much everything you’ll find in WinZip. And this post aims to help you know them by covering all the necessary details.

After spending hours analyzing and comparing various WinZip alternatives, we’ve found 7-Zip to be the best among all to create, compress and extract files. Besides 7-Zip, we have also mentioned 4 other third-party zip/unzip utilities that are near-perfect.

So, let’s take a dive in!

Top WinZip Free Alternatives in 2021

7-Zip

If you’re looking for a free WinZip alternative that’s easy to a T, choose 7-Zip. This software steals appreciation for being the simplest out there with a high compression ratio. It offers compression in 7z format with LZMA and LZMA2 algorithms, and supports almost all the top-end pack and unpack formats, making it the best of the bandwagon.

7-Zip is 1MB in size, and is open-source, which means that you can access it for free, even for commercial purposes. It allows compression that’s 2-10% better than what the rest has to offer. 7-Zip is designed to cater to your both Winrar and Winzip-related file requirements, making it an ideal bet with a top-end bonus.

The interface looks dated, yet is slick and well-arranged. Complexities are none, as you can manage your tasks with lots of ease and better flexibility than any of its equivalents. You can easily pick the file you wish to archive and simply drag and drop into the main window for the compression.

Though the interface works two-way, the most feasible method is to go by the context menu route. Just select the files from the Window and tap right to compress them. There are a couple of time-saving options, such as adding the files straight to the email, which are a huge plus.

7-Zip can be installed on Windows 10 / 8 / 7 / XP / Vista / 2012 / 2008 / 2003 / 2000 / NT.

Download Here.

PeaZip

PeaZip

Seconded by 7-Zip is PeaZip, one of the best-picked free WinZip alternatives for Windows. With a full-length range of compression and encryption options, this software is a definite try.

PeaZip has security on the agenda as a first, adding perfect kind of encryptions to your archived files and staving off the privacy attacks. With strong encryption functions, such as AES and Serpent, two-factor authentication option, encrypted password manager and file hashing tools, rest assured of internet security that’s hard to bust.

Released as an open-source software, PeaZip is completely free to use, designed to work across a number of devices, and is totally safe. It doesn’t bring any adware or malware along. There are portable versions for Linux and Windows to use, which you can simply extract from the source and put to use.

Using PeaZip, you get a compression quality of a kind for grouping multiple files together and freeing up the space on your system. You can share files via email, FTP, P2P and cloud. All this is doable with a couple of clicks only. if you’re in a habit of sharing files more often, PeaZip is a software to rely on.

PeaZip is downloadable on Windows 10 / 8 / 8.1 / 7 / Vista / XP.

Download Here.

ExtractNow

ExtractNow

Hunting for a tool that fields your files in a flip? ExtractNow is where you should stop at. The software attracts downloads for being a top-of-the-range extraction tool that works really fast. And not your regular fast, but blink-and-you-miss-it fast!

ExtractNow is an open-source ware, which means, it’s totally cost-free. Being a full-featured extraction tool, this software allows you to extract files in multiple formats, including RAR, ISO, ZIP, IMG, BIN, IMA, JAR, LZH, TAR, SIT, and several other archive formats.

Remember, we’re using the word ‘extraction’, enough to throw an impression that ExtractNow is only an extraction tool, and not a compression one.

Moving around the interface is simple. All you need to do is to configure a couple of basic functions, such as deciding where the extracted files will go and whether or not continue the structure of the archived file. Once through, just select the files from Windows and Extract.

With the count of clicks kept to a minimum, ExtractNow is indeed a keeper.

You can have ExtractNow on Windows 10 / 8.1 / 8 / 7 and XP.

Download Here.

Ashampoo Zip Free

Ashampoo Zip Free is a top-end compression and decompression tool with a complete tool-kit of comfort options. Everything’s handled at a lightning speed, one factor being its integration with Windows Explorer. So, create, convert and repair archives fast, easy, and free of charge with Ashampoo Zip Free.

Ashampoo Zip free

On the design front, Ashampoo Zip Free receives a thumbs-up. The interface is attractive, intuitive and easily accessible with the typical Windows 8 tile-based structure, helping you find all the options with simple left-right scrolling on the menu. Here, every option is out and accessible. No underlying secrets. No hidden tabs.

Also, you’re given a preview option when you extract an archived file. It jumps in automatically as you go about your task.

The things that don’t impress is the availability of certain better-to-do options only when you shed some weight off your wallet. Encryptions and format conversions happen only when you opt for its paid equivalent.

Ashampoo Zip Free supports over 30 formats, namely ZIP, TAR, 7-ZIP, RAR, ARJ, ARC, RPM, CPIO, XAR, ZOO, and more. It is workable on Windows 10 / 8 / 7 and Windows Server Editions as well.

Download Here.

Zipware

If ease is wealth, Zipware has loads of it. This WinZip alternative is outstandingly easy to use, where user is required to simply select/open the file and tune up a couple of settings to get the extracted files. If you’ve never tried compression and carried an adolescent brain in this respect, Zipware is the coolest option to try.

Zipware

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One of the best and the fastest compression and extraction utilities out there, Zipware supports almost all important formats that include ISO, ZIP, MSI, RAR, 7Z, UDF, CBZ, TAR, 7-ZIP and EXE. Besides this, it has a focus on privacy as well, locking files and folders with AES-256 encryption. You also get the facility of creating self-extracting archives.

The highlight is the VirusTotal integration with Zipware, allowing you to nip the potential malware elements in the bud. The tool quickly scans the archived file and then lets the extract happen, keeping all sorts of privacy threats at bay. There is also a password manager, which keeps your credentials safe. Though not a high-end one, you can still use it to prevent your credentials from being laid out in the open danger.

Zipware is a free software to help you minimize the size of your files. However, if you continue using it, it will seek a monetary contribution from your end for its development that goes on perpetually. But, by no means, you’ll be pestered with such money calls. So, stay relaxed!

Zipware is accessible on Windows 10 / 8 / 8.1 / 7 / Vista / XP and Server Editions.

Download Here.

To minimize clutter and maximize space on your PC, use any of the above-mentioned WinZip alternatives for Windows. If you’ve anything to say, may be about the post or how it has helped you in making most of your PC, let us know in the comments below. Because information attracts us and feedback improves us. Let’s bring some noise to us.