file compression program · Bandisoft

Bandizip

Ad-supported free archiver for Windows with AES-256, file-name encryption and a native ARM64 build.

83/100

#4 of 10 file compression programs
Facts checked 9 Oct 2026

In short

The Standard edition is free to use at home and in business, with no licence to buy³.
It creates ZIP, 7z, TAR and GZ archives, and opens RAR, 7z, ISO and CAB^1,2.
AES-256 is in the free edition, and 7z archives can hide file names when you set a password^1,5.
Repair Archive and password recovery need the Professional edition at $30, one user^1,7.
Windows builds include a portable download and native ARM64; a separate Mac app is sold on the Mac App Store^2,8.

Bandizip suits Windows users who want a free archiver with AES-256, volume splitting, a console tool and an ARM64 build^1,2,4. The licence is commercial rather than open source, and the free edition shows ads². The catch: archive repair is Professional-only, and the feature list shows no Zstandard or recovery-record support¹.

Best for: People who want a free Windows archiver with an Explorer menu.

Where the points come from

Formats16 of 20

Protection19 of 29

Tools22 of 22

Systems6 of 9

Price20 of 20

Formats 16 of 20 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Archive types you can create	ZIP, 7z, TAR, GZIPProduct page lists compression to ZIP, 7Z, ZIPX, EXE, TAR, TGZ, LZH, ISO, GZ and XZ; no RAR or Zstandard⁶.	8 / 12
Archive types you can open	RAR, 7z, ISO, CABDecompression list names RAR, 7Z, ISO and CAB among 40+ formats⁶.	8 / 8

Protection 19 of 29 points

Rule	What is published	Points
AES-256 encryption	YesListed as 'AES256 encryption algorithm' in the features shared by all users, including the free edition⁶.	12 / 12
Hides file names	YesSetting a password on a 7Z archive hides file names; the help page does not limit this to a paid edition⁵.	7 / 7
Repair of damaged archives	NoRepair Archive is listed as a Professional-only feature; the free edition only tests integrity¹.	0 / 5
Open source	NoLicence is listed as 'Advertising-supported software / Commercial software'².	0 / 5

Tools 22 of 22 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Split into volumes	Yes'Split to volumes' lets you pick a size or enter one; multi-volume compression is a feature for all users^6,9.	6 / 6
Self-extracting archives	YesEXE (sfx) archives can be created, in the features shared by all users⁶.	3 / 3
Command line	YesHelp page says Bandizip.exe and its console application bz.exe support command-line parameters⁴.	5 / 5
File Explorer menu	Yes'Right-click menus on File Explorer' is listed among the features for all users⁶.	5 / 5
Portable version	YesDownload page offers a Portable download for Windows².	3 / 3

Systems 6 of 9 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Systems	macOSBandizip for Mac is sold on the Mac App Store; no Linux version is mentioned⁸.	3 / 6
Windows on ARM	YesSupported OS line lists Windows 32bit, x64 and ARM64, with a 32bit/ARM64 download².	3 / 3

Price 20 of 20 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Free to use without a time limit	YesLicence page says Standard Edition needs no licence purchase and may be used at home and in business³.	8 / 8
Cost for the first year	$0Free Standard edition makes AES-256 archives^3,6.	12 / 12

The rule behind each line: how we score file compression programs.

Plans and prices

As the vendor lists them, before tax. Prices are in US dollars unless the plan shows euros; the points use US dollars, with euros converted at the ECB rate.

Plan	Price as listed	Per month	Notes
Standard (free)1 person	Free^2,3	$0	Ad-supported; AES-256, split, SFX and shell menu included
Professional1 person	$30^1,3,7	–	Adds repair, password recovery, password manager; one user on up to 5 PCs

The license policy says a Bandizip license has no expiration date, and the buy page lists the Professional price as $30 for a single-user license^3,7.

Strengths

Free edition may be used at home and at work³.
AES-256 on free; 7z archives can hide file names^1,5.
Native ARM64 build for Windows, and a portable download².
Console tool bz.exe supports the same command-line parameters as Bandizip.exe⁴.

Limits

The free edition is advertising-supported².
Not open source; the licence is listed as commercial software².
Repair Archive is a Professional feature, priced at $30 for one user^1,7.
The compression list has no RAR or Zstandard; the Mac page mentions no Linux version^6,8.

Other file compression programs

1
PeaZipPeople who want a free archiver with file-name encryption and many formats
95/100
$0cost for the first year
2
7-ZipPeople who want a free, open-source archiver with strong encryption
91/100
$0cost for the first year
3
NanaZipWindows 11 users who want 7-Zip's features with a File Explorer menu
87/100
$0cost for the first year
5
7-Zip ZSPeople who want 7-Zip plus newer codecs such as Zstandard
81/100
$0cost for the first year

All 10 file compression programs

Sources

Bandizip, Bandisoft. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
Bandizip download, Bandisoft. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
Bandizip license policy, Bandisoft. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
Bandizip command line parameters, Bandisoft. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
Encrypting file names in archives, Bandisoft. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
Bandizip features, Bandisoft. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
Buy Bandizip, Bandisoft. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
Bandizip for Mac, Bandisoft. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
Splitting a large file into smaller files, Bandisoft. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.

Website: www.bandisoft.com/bandizip · Markdown version · We are not affiliated with Bandisoft.