# Alternatives to WinZip

The original zip brand, now subscription.

WinZip ranks #5 of 8 in Compression tools, with an Alt Score of 70. It is proprietary, sold by subscription and available on Windows and macOS. 7 of 9 checklist rows are verified against a public source.

Source: https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/winzip/
Category: Compression tools

## Overview

- **Who it's for**: Windows and Mac users (individuals and businesses) who need to compress, protect, and organize files, from casual users saving disk space to teams sharing sensitive documents.
- **What you get**: WinZip creates and extracts compressed archives in formats like ZIP, RAR, 7Z, and ISO, with password protection and strong encryption for sensitive files. It includes a file manager for organizing, sharing, and backing up files, plus extras like PDF, image, and video compression, and cloud service integration for uploading or sharing archives directly.
- **How it works**: You select files or folders and use WinZip to compress them into an archive (optionally encrypting or password-protecting it), then share, upload to cloud storage, or store the archive; recipients use WinZip or a compatible tool to extract the original files.

## Profile

- **License**: Proprietary (verified 2026-07-10)
- **Pricing model**: Subscription (verified 2026-07-10)
- **Starts at**: ?
- **Platforms**: Windows, macOS
- **Status**: active (verified 2026-07-10)

## Ranked alternatives

| # | App | Alt Score | Licence | Platforms |
|---|-----|-----------|---------|-----------|
| 1 | [PeaZip](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/peazip.md) | 100 | LGPL-3.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| 2 | [7-Zip](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/7-zip.md) | 90 | LGPL-2.1 | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| 3 | [Bandizip](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/bandizip.md) | 90 | Proprietary | Windows |
| 4 | [NanaZip](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/nanazip.md) | 70 | MIT | Windows |
| 5 | [WinRAR](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/winrar.md) | 70 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android |
| 6 | [Keka](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/keka.md) | 50 | ? | macOS |
| 7 | [The Unarchiver](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/the-unarchiver.md) | 30 | ? | macOS |

Alt Score = Verified coverage (90%) + Visibility (10%). See https://altcatalog.com/how-alt-score-works/

## Feature comparison

Legend: Yes / No / Partial / ? (not verified).

| Compression tools checklist | WinZip | PeaZip | 7-Zip | Bandizip | NanaZip | WinRAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Subscription | Free | Free | Freemium | Donationware | One-time |
| Starts at | ? | Free | Free | $30 | Free | €29.95 |
| License | Proprietary | LGPL-3.0 | LGPL-2.1 | Proprietary | MIT | Proprietary |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows | Windows | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android |
| Format support (7z, rar, zip) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Compression ratio | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes |
| Encryption (AES-256) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Split archives | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Context-menu integration | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? |
| Open source | ? | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Free for commercial use | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Repair damaged archives | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes |
| Speed | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes | ? | Yes |

## Sources

Sources for WinZip. Each alternative is sourced on its own page.

- **Pricing model**: Subscription — <https://www.winzip.com/en/pricing/> (verified 2026-07-10)
  - Quote: “A typical WinZip subscription is one year. If you cancel within that timeframe, your usage of the software will continue until your subscription expires.”
- **License**: Proprietary — <https://www.winzip.com/en/product/winzip/> (verified 2026-07-10)
  - Quote: “Copyright © Corel Corporation. All rights reserved.”
- **Platforms**: Windows, macOS — <https://www.winzip.com/en/pricing/> (verified 2026-07-10)
  - Quote: “WinZip® Standard (Windows and Mac)”
- **Status**: active — <https://www.winzip.com/en/pricing/> (verified 2026-07-10)
  - Quote: “WinZip offers a free 21-day trial, which expires at the end blocking access to the product.”
- **Format support (7z, rar, zip)**: Yes — <https://www.winzip.com/en/product/winzip/> (verified 2026-07-10)
  - Quote: “Open all major compression formats, including Zip, Zipx, RAR, 7z, TAR, GZIP, VHD, XZ, POSIX TAR and more.”
- **Encryption (AES-256)**: Yes — <https://www.winzip.com/en/features/security/> (verified 2026-07-10)
  - Quote: “WinZip supports AES encryption (128-bit and 256-bit) that is FIPS 140-2 compliant, meeting stringent government standards for data protection.”
- **Split archives**: Yes — <https://www.winzip.com/en/features/> (verified 2026-07-10)
  - Quote: “the ability to split extensive archives, convert file formats, and even create self-extracting archives for easy sharing.”
- **Context-menu integration**: Yes — <https://kb.winzip.com/en/HELP_CONTEXTMENU.htm> (verified 2026-07-10)
  - Quote: “WinZip can add entries to the context menu that allow you to open and create archives, add and extract files, mail archives, etc.”
- **Free for commercial use**: No — <https://www.winzip.com/en/pricing/> (verified 2026-07-10)
  - Note: Paid product; only a time-limited trial, so no free commercial use.
  - Quote: “WinZip offers a free 21-day trial, which expires at the end blocking access to the product.”
- **Repair damaged archives**: Yes — <https://www.winzip.com/en/learn/features/repair-zip-files/> (verified 2026-07-10)
  - Quote: “Use WinZip to quickly and effectively repair zip files and get your files back into action”
- **Speed**: Yes — <https://www.winzip.com/en/learn/file-formats/zip/> (verified 2026-07-10)
  - Quote: “WinZip is the Fast and Easy Way to Open Zip Files”

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Ranked by verified data, never by who paid. https://altcatalog.com/trust/