# How to choose a file archiver: formats, platforms and licenses Source: https://listme.name/blog/how-to-choose-a-file-archiver Published: 2026-10-10 Choose a file archiver by the formats you need to create, the operating system you use, and the license. Most archivers open many formats, but fewer of them create every format, and RAR is the one that causes the most confusion. The [file archiver ranking](/best/file-archivers) includes tools that both create and extract archives, along with some that only extract. Check what you need to make before you check what you need to open. ## Creating versus opening Full archivers both create and extract archives. [7-Zip](/software/7-zip) creates 7z, ZIP, GZIP, TAR, XZ and WIM files, and it unpacks many more formats, including RAR and ISO. It cannot create RAR files. [The Unarchiver](/software/the-unarchiver) opens RAR and dozens of other formats on a Mac, but it only extracts, so you need another tool to make an archive. RAR is the friction point. [WinRAR](/software/winrar) creates RAR archives on its own, and it is a paid license. [PeaZip](/software/peazip) creates RAR files only when WinRAR is installed, and 7-Zip only unpacks them. If you send files to people who use other tools, ZIP and 7z open on almost any system, so they are the safer formats to make. For a wider view of keeping copies of your files, see [how to choose a backup strategy](/blog/how-to-choose-a-backup-strategy). > **Comparison table:** [Best file archivers, side by side](https://listme.name/best/file-archivers#compare-table). Score, price, platforms, formats for 10 products in one table. ## Operating system Most of these tools run on one operating system. 7-Zip and WinRAR are Windows tools, and its official downloads cover Windows on 64-bit x64, 32-bit x86 and ARM64 systems. [Keka](/software/keka) and The Unarchiver are macOS apps. [Ark](/software/ark) is the archive manager for Linux and fits the KDE Plasma desktop best. Its repository notes that it can use the upstream 7-Zip binary for 7z support, or a binary from a p7zip fork that some distributions ship. PeaZip is the cross-platform option in this set. It has portable builds for Windows, Linux and macOS that run from a folder without installing, and it opens more than 200 formats. Its project warns that fake packages circulate, so download it from the official site or its GitHub repository. > **Ranking:** [Best file archivers for Linux](https://listme.name/best/file-archivers/linux). 4 products ranked. Top pick: PeaZip (89.0). ## License and cost The license decides what you pay and what you can read. [7-Zip](/software/7-zip) is free and open source under the LGPL, and the project says you can use it in commercial organizations without registering or paying. [PeaZip](/software/peazip) is free and open source under LGPL-3.0 for private and professional use. Ark is free and open source under GPL-2.0-or-later. Keka and [The Unarchiver](/software/the-unarchiver) are free to download, but their source is not open. Keka is also sold through the Mac App Store, and the developer says buying there supports development. The Unarchiver's vendor says it will always be free on the Mac. [WinRAR](/software/winrar) is a commercial product with a paid license sold by its vendor, so people who only need to extract files can use 7-Zip at no cost instead. ## Encryption Encryption matters once archives leave your own machine. 7-Zip uses AES-256 encryption for 7z and ZIP archives, according to its website. [Keka](/software/keka) supports AES-256 for 7z files and describes legacy ZIP 2.0 encryption for older archives. PeaZip offers file encryption as well. The ranking does not describe encryption options for every tool in this set, so check the tool you choose before you depend on it for sensitive files. ## Our picks and what to do next The ranking places the archivers covered here in this order: - [7-Zip](/software/7-zip): free, open-source archiving on Windows, with a high compression ratio in the 7z format. - [PeaZip](/software/peazip): free archiving across Windows, Linux and macOS, with RAR creation that needs WinRAR. - [Keka](/software/keka): the free choice for Mac users who create and extract archives. - [WinRAR](/software/winrar): the established paid choice for creating RAR archives on Windows. - [The Unarchiver](/software/the-unarchiver): a free Mac extractor for RAR and dozens of other formats. - [Ark](/software/ark): KDE's archive manager for Linux, with previews of archive contents. The ranking also includes [NanaZip](/software/nanazip) (85.5), a free, MIT-licensed 7-Zip derivative for Windows 10 and 11 with a modern Windows interface. It runs only on Windows. Pick the operating system first, then the format. On Windows, 7-Zip covers most needs for free, and WinRAR is the choice when you must create RAR files. On a Mac, Keka creates archives, while The Unarchiver only opens them. PeaZip is the option when one tool has to run across several systems. Whichever you choose, send ZIP or 7z files to people who may not have a RAR tool.