7-zip - Best Free Zip Utility Around

If you are in the market for a free Zip utility then you will want to check out 7-Zip, it's an open source archive tool free to anyone who wants it. 7-Zip is one of the best free archive utilities you can find on the net. It gives you plenty of features and it can be used on a personal computer or even in a commercial organization. Download this free tool now and check it out.

I got 7-zip because I was sick of having to get new versions of WinZip that kept losing their usefulness when the trial time expired. I had WinZip 11 and now that the trial period is up I can't open any archived files. Well now I use 7-zip and haven't had any trouble opening my zipped files since. This tool really is powerful and the best free file archive tool you can find.

So what are some of the specifications of 7-zip?

Supported formats:

Packing / unpacking: 7z, ZIP, GZIP, BZIP2 and TAR

Unpacking only: RAR, CAB, ISO, ARJ, LZH, CHM, Z, CPIO, RPM, DEB and NSIS

For ZIP and GZIP formats, 7-Zip provides a compression ratio that is 2-10 % better than the ratio provided by PKZip and WinZip

Self-extracting capability for 7z format

Integration with Windows Shell

Powerful File Manager

Powerful command line version

Plug-in for FAR Manager

Localizations for 63 languages
7-zip works in Windows 98/ME/NT/2000/XP which means it's pretty much ready for any version of windows that anyone should be using. It isn't vista compatible which is the only downfall I found in 7-zip.

Since 7-zip is licensed under the GNU LGPL it's a free software for anyone, they do however accept donations if you feel generous. I tested it out and once I saw how easy it is to use and well it worked I dropped them a few dollars. It's a lot cheaper than WinZip 11, but you aren't required to give them any money in order to download and use the program.

On the 7-Zip website (here) you can find loads of great information about the program. There is a FAQ to answer the most commonly asked questions users of the program have, they have a forum so people can share their knowledge and problems with 7-zip, and a link to their support page which is limited being a free program but they help as much as they can. They request if you are submitting a support email that you have checked all other resources they provide on their website before you contact them directly. The do this so they don't get overwhelmed with emails when they provide a pretty good support network on their website. I emailed the just to test the response time and I got a response in a day, not to bad of a turn around for a free program.

The program comes in many different languages so if you have a different first language there is a chance they might have it. I think this is a nice touch, most free programs are aimed at one demographic but 7-zip is offering many languages so they can be more open to who uses their program.

I really enjoy this program, it's free and easy to use. I use this as a replacement to the trial versions of WinZip which although work well and have more tools than 7-zip I don't need the added extras that WinZip offers. All I use the 7-zip program for is for my Zip files and RAR files so it works perfectly for my needs. 7-zip is by far the best free file archive program you can find, however if you do want another decent free archive tool that supports more file formats you can also check out (IZARC). Its not as easy to use as 7-zip but it supports more file formats so I guess you could say its better, but I am sticking with 7-zip.