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Source-backed analysis10

Review basis

Research-based review: the AppDuo Editorial Team compiled it from official pages, documentation, app stores, press and user feedback, without hands-on testing. Every claim links to a source with the date it was checked.

10 reference sources

Information updated Nov 10, 2026

How we review
7-Zip logo

7-Zip Review

Free open-source archiver, best known for its high-ratio 7z format

Editorial Team7.5/10Write the first review

By Official AppDuo editorial team · Updated

  • Windows
  • Linux
  • macOS
Open source · Free
Visit 7-Zip
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Decide at a glance

Our verdict

7-Zip suits people who want a free, lightweight archiver that reads many formats, including in a business setting. The trade-offs are a plain interface, support limited to a forum, and no auto-update, so users must fetch security fixes themselves.

Best for: Users who need to create or open ZIP, 7z, RAR, ISO and similar files without paying

Skip it if: Users who need to create RAR archives, since 7-Zip only extracts RAR

Pros

  • Free with no registration, and usable in commercial organizations per the homepage
  • Packs and unpacks 7z, XZ, BZIP2, GZIP, TAR, ZIP and WIM, and unpacks 32 more formats including ISO and RAR
  • AES-256 encryption for 7z and ZIP, plus a command-line version

Cons

  • No auto-update; Help Net Security notes the software lacks one, so users must upgrade themselves
  • Support is limited to a SourceForge forum and bug tracker, with no email option
All pros and cons · Who is it for?

Pros

  • Small Windows installer of about 1.6 MB for x64, with ARM64 builds and console builds for Linux and macOS
  • Frequent releases: seven versions in 2026 according to the changelog

Cons

  • The changelog lists many security vulnerabilities (CVEs) fixed over the years, so staying current matters
  • Linux and macOS builds are console-only, with no graphical interface

Best for

  • Businesses and schools that need a legitimately free archiver across many machines

Skip it if

  • Users who need direct customer support or cloud-sync features

Problems it solves

Experience & key features

What 7-Zip is

7-Zip is a file archiver written by Igor Pavlov. Per the changelog, the first release (2.00 Beta 1) came on 2 January 1999; per Wikipedia, the 7z format appeared in 2001. The homepage says it runs on Windows 2000 through Windows 11 and has 87 localizations. A Linux console version arrived with 21.01 alpha and a macOS console version with 21.02 alpha.

Key features

According to the homepage, 7-Zip packs and unpacks 7z, XZ, BZIP2, GZIP, TAR, ZIP and WIM, and unpacks 32 more formats such as ISO, RAR, RPM and VHDX. The 7z format uses LZMA and LZMA2 with dictionary sizes up to 4 GB. For ZIP and GZIP, the homepage claims a ratio 2–10% better than PKZip and WinZip. It also offers AES-256 encryption, self-extracting 7z archives, Windows Shell integration, a file manager and a command-line version. These ratio figures are the developer's own claims; no recent independent comparison was found.

License and price

7-Zip is free and needs no registration. Per the license page, most code is under the GNU LGPL, some under BSD, and the RAR decompression code carries an unRAR restriction: it may not be used to create a RAR-compatible archiver. The FAQ says users can run 7-Zip in a commercial organization without payment; developers who ship its EXE or DLL files in their own product must follow the LGPL.

More analysis

Security and maintenance

The changelog records many vulnerability fixes: version 25.00 (5 July 2025) fixed symlink flaws CVE-2025-11001 and CVE-2025-11002, and 26.02 (25 June 2026) fixed a heap buffer overflow in XZ decompression (CVE-2026-14266). When Help Net Security covered CVE-2025-11001, NHS England first warned of active exploitation, then corrected on 21 November 2025 that none had been observed. Because 7-Zip has no auto-update, users should download new versions from the official site themselves.

Screenshots

7-Zip File Manager on Windows 11, image hosted on Wikimedia Commons
7-Zip File Manager on Windows 11, image hosted on Wikimedia Commons
7-Zip logo as shown on the official homepage
7-Zip logo as shown on the official homepage

Plans & pricing

Prices last verified Nov 10, 2026

7-Zip

Personal

Free

The homepage says no registration or payment is needed, including in a commercial organization. No paid plan is listed.

Free plan limits
No feature limits are stated; the whole program is free.
Free trial
No free trial
Cancellation & refunds

Not applicable; the software is free.

Privacy

7-Zip's official site has no privacy policy or data-collection statement, and the FAQ does not cover the topic. The software is open source under the GNU LGPL (some parts use BSD or carry unRAR restrictions), so the code can be inspected by anyone. Compression and extraction run locally, and the download page lists only installers and archives, with no cloud sync feature mentioned. Support runs through a SourceForge forum, so reporting a problem means posting on SourceForge rather than on the 7-Zip site.

7-Zip alternatives

7-Zip logoVSWinRAR logo7-Zip vs WinRAR
WinRAR logo7.0/10

WinRAR

Long-running RAR archiver for Windows with a 40-day trial and a USD 29 license

Free trial

Frequently asked questions

Is 7-Zip free?

Yes. The homepage and FAQ say no registration or payment is needed, including in a commercial organization.

Which operating systems does 7-Zip run on?

The graphical version runs on Windows. For Linux and macOS, the download page offers console builds (.tar.xz) only.

Can 7-Zip create RAR files?

No. The homepage lists RAR only among unpack-only formats, and the license forbids using unRAR code to create RAR archives.

Does 7-Zip update itself?

No. Help Net Security notes 7-Zip has no auto-update, so new versions must be installed manually.

How do I get support for 7-Zip?

Through the forum and the bug and support-request trackers on SourceForge; the support page lists no email.

Review evidence & sources10

Scores

Ease of use
7.5
Why this score

Integrates with the Windows right-click menu and has its own file manager, but the interface is dated and offers little guidance.

Features
8.0
Why this score

Reads many formats, has AES-256 encryption and a console version; it lacks cloud sync and RAR creation.

Value for money
9.0
Why this score

Free, open source and allowed for commercial use, whereas rivals such as WinRAR are paid software.

Performance
8.0
Why this score

The changelog records 15–40% faster bzip2 compression in 25.00 and support for more than 64 CPU threads, and the homepage claims ZIP/GZIP ratios 2–10% better than PKZip and WinZip; all are developer figures, with no recent independent benchmark found.

Support
5.0
Why this score

Only a SourceForge forum and ticket tracker, with no email or chat; documentation and an FAQ exist.

Privacy & security
7.5
Why this score

Open source and runs locally, but the official site has no privacy policy or data statement, and there is a history of security vulnerabilities.

What users say

Sources

Specs & compatibility
Developer
Igor Pavlov
Headquarters
Russia
Launched
1999
Category
Utilities

Capabilities

  • Works offline
  • Open source

Platforms

  • Windows
  • Linux
  • macOS

Interface languages

  • English

Integrations

  • Windows Shell
  • FAR Manager

Support

  • Community forum
  • Help center

Change history

  1. Feature.Version 26.06 improves handling of split files made by the Linux split utility and fixes further bugs and vulnerabilities.
  2. Update.Version 26.02 fixed a heap buffer overflow in XZ decompression (CVE-2026-14266).
  3. Feature.Version 25.00 can use more than 64 CPU threads for compression, speeds up bzip2 compression by 15–40% and fixes symlink handling flaws.
Full change history (6)
  1. Feature.Version 21.01 alpha brought the first Linux console build; 21.02 alpha (6 May 2021) added macOS.
  2. Update.The LZMA SDK was placed in the public domain, per Wikipedia.
  3. Launch.First beta release (2.00 Beta 1).
About the author

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