This command line-enabled compression executable should satisfy power users, but the lack of a GUI means many will pass over this useful tool. Bzip2 is a command line tool with 15 options. Executing the program in a command window with the option 'help' is all the guidance users can expect. Each of the options gets a few words of explanation.

Bzip2 is easily invoked in batch files. Though it can't recover from some common errors in syntax, the application will force compression and promises to decompress some damaged archives. Testers found compression and decompression speeds average, but the program only offers one compression algorithm.

Commands to overwrite existing files, force compression, and suppress noncritical errors speak to this application's primary utilization as a batch file tool. Without a GUI and many expected options, Bzip2 isn't a tool for general compression and decompression needs. However, batch file fans, and command line devotees will like this freeware's simple command set and quick operation.