What are some common archive utilities?
Updated February 17, 2022
Compressing files into an archive saves disk space and provides a simple way to share and back up data. To open a compressed file, you must decompress the archive with a decompression utility that supports the archive format. Below, you'll find a list of common file decompression utilities for Windows, Mac, and Linux, along with notable archive formats they support.
Windows
| Developer | Program | Pricing | Notable Supported Formats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft | File Explorer | Included with OS | .ZIP |
| Igor Pavlov | 7-Zip | Free | .7Z, .ZIP, .RAR, .TAR, .GZIP, .BZ2, .XZ |
| RARLAB | WinRAR | Free Trial | .RAR, .ZIP, .7Z, .TAR, .GZ, .BZ2, .LZH |
| Corel | WinZip | Free Trial | .ZIP, .ZIPX, .RAR, .7Z, .TAR, .GZIP, .XZ |
| Catalina Group | B1 Free Archiver | Free | .B1, .ZIP, .GZIP, .RAR, .7Z, .TGZ, .LZMA |
| PeaZip | PeaZip | Free | .PEA, .7Z, .ZIP, .GZIP, .RAR, .CAB, .DMG |
macOS
| Developer | Program | Pricing | Notable Supported Formats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple | Archive Utility | Included with OS | .ZIP, .7Z, .CPIO, .CPGZ, .BZ2, .GZ, .PAX |
| Corel | WinZip Mac | Free Trial | .ZIP, .ZIPX, .RAR, .7Z, .TAR, .GZ, .XZ |
| Catalina Group | B1 Free Archiver | Free | .B1, .ZIP, .GZIP, .RAR, .7Z, .TGZ, .LZMA |
| Dag Agren | The Unarchiver | Free | .ZIP, .ACE, .CPGZ, .BZ2, .LZH, .TAZ, .ZIPX |
| Jorge Garcia Armero | Keka | Free | .7Z, .ZIP, .ZIPX, .RAR, .TAR, .GZIP, .LZ |
| Eltima Software | Commander One | Free+ | .ZIP in free version; .RAR, .TBZ, .TGZ, .7Z in paid version |
Linux
| Developer | Program | Pricing | Notable Supported Formats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catalina Group | B1 Free Archiver | Free | .B1, .ZIP, .GZIP, .RAR, .7Z, .TGZ, .LZMA |
| PeaZip | PeaZip | Free | .PEA, .7Z, .ZIP, .GZIP, .RAR, .CAB, .DMG |
| p7zip | p7zip | Free | .7Z, .ZIP, .RAR, .TAR, .GZIP. .BZ2, .XZ |
| Paolo Bacchilega | File Roller | Free | .ZIP, .7Z, .RAR, .CPIO, .CBR, .ZOO, .DEB |
| Giuseppe Torelli | Xarchiver | Free | .7Z, .ARJ, .BZIP2, .GZIP, .RAR, .LHA, .LZMA |
| Henrique Pinto | Ark | Free | .ZIP, .RAR, .7Z, .TAR, .GZIP, .BZ2, .ZOO |