- Quick specs
- Price: Free
- Operating system: Windows 2003, Windows Vista, Windows Me, Windows NT, Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows 98
- Date added: February 02, 2009
- Total Downloads: 2,192,091
- Downloads last week: 21,933
- See full specifications
- CNET editors' rating: stars
- Average user rating: stars out of 599 votes
See all user reviews
CNET editors' review
Reviewed by: Seth Rosenblatt on November 08, 2008
It's easy for Windows users to forget that WinZip isn't the only file-compression utility in the world. Like its better-known competitors, the free 7-Zip unpacks a host of archive formats, including ZIP, TAR, GZ, and its own 7z format. Unlike WinZip, though, it can create TAR and GZ archives, which are commonly used on Unix and Linux systems.
The program's ability to shrink files was stunning. In our tests, 7z archives were up to 40 percent smaller then their ZIP equivalents, although compression did take longer, and the highest compression settings can hog system resources. Advanced options include the ability to create solid and self-extracting archives, and to adjust the compression level and password protection. The program also has a command line module. Though the main interface is overly simple and looks like it was designed for Windows 95, it's not hard to use and fairly self-explanatory. The context menu options, which include "testing" an archive, indicate that 7-Zip should be taken seriously.
7-Zip is fine for casual users with a bit of computer savvy, but it's especially well-suited for developers and anyone else who moves between the Windows and Linux/Unix worlds.
Publisher's description
From 7-Zip Software :The main features of 7-Zip: High compression ratio in new 7z format with LZMA compression. Supported formats: Packing / unpacking: 7z, ZIP, GZIP, BZIP2 and TAR; Unpacking only: ARJ, CAB, CHM, CPIO, DEB, DMG, HFS, ISO, LZH, LZMA, MSI, NSIS, RAR, RPM, UDF, WIM, XAR and Z. For ZIP and GZIP formats 7-Zip provides compression ratio that is 2-10 % better than ratio provided by PKZip and WinZip. Self-extracting capability for 7z format. Integration with Windows Shell. Powerful File Manager. Powerful command line version.
Version 4.65 has bug fixed.
What's new in this version:
Version 4.65 has bug fixed.
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User reviews
- Average user rating: 4.4 stars out of 599 votes
- My rating: 0 stars Write review
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Showing 5 of 144 user reviewsSee all 144 user reviews
This software version | All versions -
Version: 7-Zip 4.65
Pros: So small yet SO BIG. A wonderful program to have. And did I mention FREE.
Cons: Haven't found anything I don't like about it yet.
Summary: Great program. BIG, yet small!!!
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Version: 7-Zip 4.65
"Outstanding compression algorithms.WAY tighter than Zip"
Pros: FREE!!! Beyond that, you get an amazing compression tool that in my tests, compresses more than 50% tighter than PkZIp on average. I have some 2GB files that PkZip compressed to 110MB. 7-Zip using Ultra compression took it down to 48MB.
Cons: Can only use 2 cores at most right now. I wish it could support more. No option to "Move to archive" so you have to make the file then delete the source if that's your objective.
Summary: This is just an outstanding tool. It doesn't have 100% of the features that I'd like to see, but for free in a commercial environment, I'll work around those limitations. It does use up to 2 processor cores, but it would be really nice to be able ... read more >>
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Version: 7-Zip 4.65
"EXCELLENT Multi-purpose Application"
Pros: EXCELLENT! Useful.
Cons: Let me think.
Summary: EXCELLENT multi-purpose, useful application!
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Version: 7-Zip 4.65
Pros: works great
Cons: I do not have any complaints
Summary: it does what it says it can do zips, etc.
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Version: 7-Zip 4.65
"Excellent Do-It-All Software"
Pros: The software operates quickly and without incident. It completed the tasks I needed done very well.
Cons: I have not found any yet!
Summary: A great product that performed as advertised and did it all for free. It's hard to beat the performance and price.
- See all 144 user reviews Write review
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