R
ReviewerVerified
2 months ago
I use 7-Zip mostly to extract downloads and pack up folders before emailing them. It handles ZIP and 7z reliably and starts instantly. The interface is plain and a bit ugly, but it never tries to upsell or install junk, so I'll happily live with the dated look.
Fast, no bloatware, free forever
Plain, ugly interface
Created a large 7z archive of a project, deleted the originals, and when I tried to extract it later 7-Zip threw a CRC error on half the files. No recovery option, nothing. I understand it's free and open source but losing data with no way back is serious. Always keep originals.
No recovery, lost data to CRC error
7-Zip's compression ratio is genuinely the best and I love that it's open source. But the lack of a polished GUI and the occasional struggle with damaged archives means I'm torn. For quick everyday extracting it's fine, for anything mission critical I hesitate. Solid but rough around the edges.
Best-in-class compression, open source
Clunky GUI, poor with damaged files
7-Zip compresses tighter than anything I've tried, no argument there. But rolling it out to non-technical staff was a nightmare because the file manager looks straight out of Windows XP and people couldn't figure out how to extract anything. Powerful but not friendly.
Excellent compression ratio
Dated, confusing interface
Been using 7-Zip for years on every PC I set up. The 7z format squeezes files down impressively and it's completely free with no nagging. Only gripe is the right-click menu got buried under the Windows 11 'show more options' submenu, which is annoying for daily use.
Free, high compression, no ads
Buried in Win11 context menu