--- title: PeaZip canonical: https://saasranked.com/software/peazip/ category: File Compression Software points: 95 rank: 1 of 10 facts_checked: 2026-10-09 --- # PeaZip Free, open-source archiver for Windows, Linux and macOS that opens over 200 archive types. 95 points out of 100. #1 of 10 file compression programs. Vendor: Giorgio Tani. Website: https://peazip.github.io/ - PeaZip is free for private and professional use, with no time limit [1]. - It creates 7z, ZIP, TAR, GZ and Zstandard archives, and opens 7z, RAR, ISO, CAB and many more [1]. - 7z archives use AES-256 encryption, and ZIP archives use WinZip AES-256; an option also encrypts file names in 7z [2][3]. - Source code is public under the LGPL-3.0 licence [11]. - Builds exist for Windows (x64 and x86), Linux and macOS, plus a portable Windows package [7][8][9][10]. Verdict: PeaZip suits people who want a free archiver with strong encryption, hidden file names and a wide list of formats [1][2][3]. It adds volume splitting, self-extracting archives and a Windows context menu [4]. The catch: it cannot create RAR archives without WinRAR installed, and the download pages list no native Windows ARM64 build [1][7]. Best for: People who want a free archiver with file-name encryption and many formats. ## Points | Criterion | Line | Value | Points | Note | |---|---|---|---|---| | Formats | Archive types you can create | ZIP, 7z, TAR, GZIP, Zstandard | 10/12 | Home page lists archiving to 7Z, GZ, TAR, Zstandard and ZIP; RAR creation needs WinRAR installed, so not counted [1]. | | Formats | Archive types you can open | RAR, 7z, ISO, CAB | 8/8 | Home page lists RAR, 7Z, ISO and CAB among 200+ openable formats [1]. | | Protection | AES-256 encryption | Yes | 12/12 | Encryption page names 7-Zip AES256 for 7Z and WinZip AES256 for ZIP [2]. | | Protection | Hides file names | Yes | 7/7 | Password dialog has an 'Encrypt also file names' option for 7Z, ARC and RAR [3]. | | Protection | Repair of damaged archives | Yes | 5/5 | ARC archives can carry a recovery record that recovers mildly corrupted archives [5]. | | Protection | Open source | Yes | 5/5 | README states the LGPLv3 licence [11]. | | Tools | Split into volumes | Yes | 6/6 | Help page describes spanning archives into multiple volumes below a maximum size [4]. | | Tools | Self-extracting archives | Yes | 3/3 | Help page lists 7z and ARC self-extracting archives [4]. | | Tools | Command line | Yes | 5/5 | Documents its own command-line syntax, for example the peazip -add2zip command [6]. | | Tools | File Explorer menu | Yes | 5/5 | Help page has a section on integrating PeaZip with the system context menu [4]. | | Tools | Portable version | Yes | 3/3 | Portable Windows 64-bit package needs no installation [8]. | | Systems | Systems | macOS, Linux | 6/6 | Download pages offer macOS DMG builds and Linux Flatpak, DEB, RPM and portable packages [9][10]. | | Systems | Windows on ARM | Not published | 0/3 | Not published on the Windows download pages, which describe the 64-bit build as optimised for x86-64 [7][8]. | | Price | Free to use without a time limit | Yes | 8/8 | Home page says the application is free for any use, private and professional [1]. | | Price | Cost for the first year | $0 | 12/12 | Free; the same program makes AES-256 archives [1][2]. | ## Plans | Plan | Price | Per month (USD) | |---|---|---| | PeaZip | Free [1] | $0 | ## Strengths - Free for any use, with the source under LGPL-3.0 [1][11]. - AES-256 for 7z and ZIP, and an option to encrypt file names in 7z, ARC and RAR [2][3]. - Splits archives into volumes and makes self-extracting archives [4]. - Runs on Windows, Linux and macOS, with a portable Windows package [7][8][9][10]. ## Limits - Creating RAR archives needs WinRAR installed [1]. - ZIP archives cannot hide file names, even with a password [3]. - No native Windows ARM64 build appears on the download pages [7]. - Recovery records are available in the ARC format but not in 7z [5]. ## Sources 1. [PeaZip free archiver utility](https://peazip.github.io/), PeaZip, accessed 2026-10-09 2. [Encrypt files with PeaZip](https://peazip.github.io/encrypt-files.html), PeaZip, accessed 2026-10-09 3. [Encrypt file names](https://peazip.github.io/encrypt-filenames.html), PeaZip, accessed 2026-10-09 4. [PeaZip help](https://peazip.github.io/peazip-help.html), PeaZip, accessed 2026-10-09 5. [ARC files utility](https://peazip.github.io/arc-files-utility.html), PeaZip, accessed 2026-10-09 6. [PeaZip command line](https://peazip.github.io/peazip-command-line.html), PeaZip, accessed 2026-10-09 7. [PeaZip for Windows 64 bit](https://peazip.github.io/peazip-64bit.html), PeaZip, accessed 2026-10-09 8. [PeaZip portable for Windows](https://peazip.github.io/peazip-portable.html), PeaZip, accessed 2026-10-09 9. [PeaZip for macOS](https://peazip.github.io/peazip-macos.html), PeaZip, accessed 2026-10-09 10. [PeaZip for Linux](https://peazip.github.io/peazip-linux.html), PeaZip, accessed 2026-10-09 11. [peazip/PeaZip](https://github.com/peazip/PeaZip), GitHub, accessed 2026-10-09