Why 7‑Zip Remains the Go‑To Free Compression Tool in 2024

When you get a new computer, the first question is often "What essential software should I install?" Compression tools are a must, and among them 7‑Zip stands out as the most recommended open‑source option.

7‑Zip has been continuously updated, with the latest stable version 21.07 released three years after 19.00 (2019‑02‑21). It now supports Windows, Linux, and macOS on both 32‑bit and 64‑bit architectures.

Key reasons for its popularity include:

Top‑tier open‑source compression software

No registration or login required, free for commercial use

High compression ratio

Lightweight, small footprint, fast response

Broad format support

Simple, non‑intrusive UI

Update Details

The new release continues to support Windows, Linux, and macOS. Windows installers are available as

.exe

and

.msi

, with the 32‑bit package only 1.2 MB and the 64‑bit package 1.5 MB. Linux and macOS receive command‑line versions, and the source code is still provided.

Software Features

Unlike many compression tools that bundle ads or unwanted components, 7‑Zip offers a clean interface, fast operation, and is completely free for any use.

It achieves a very high compression ratio, supporting LZMA, LZMA2, and many other algorithms.

Supported compression and extraction formats include:

Compression/Extraction: 7z, XZ, BZIP2, GZIP, TAR, ZIP, WIM

Extraction only: AR, ARJ, CAB, CHM, CPIO, CramFS, DMG, EXT, FAT, GPT, HFS, IHEX, ISO, LZH, LZMA, MBR, MSI, NSIS, NTFS, QCOW2, RAR, RPM, SquashFS, UDF, UEFI, VDI, VHD, VMDK, WIM, XAR, Z

Additional strengths include an open archive structure, strong AES‑256 encryption, compatibility with many algorithms, and the ability to handle extremely large files.

Installation and Usage

Windows

Download the

.exe

or

.msi

installer and follow the wizard. The graphical interface works like any other compression program.

macOS

Download the macOS package, then use the command‑line tool

7zz

for operations.

Tip: Adding 7‑Zip to your PATH makes command‑line usage more convenient.

Compress

<code>7zz a archive_name.7z dir_name</code>

Extract

<code>7zz x archive_name.7z</code>

Password‑protected compression

<code>7zz a archive_name.7z dir_name -p
Enter password</code>

For a full list of commands and switches, run

7zz

without arguments.

<code>Usage: 7zz <command> [<switches>...] <archive_name> [<file_names>...] [@listfile]

<Commands>
  a : Add files to archive
  b : Benchmark
  d : Delete files from archive
  e : Extract files (no directory names)
  h : Calculate hash values
  i : Show supported formats
  l : List archive contents
  rn: Rename files in archive
  t : Test integrity
  u : Update files
  x : Extract with full paths

<Switches>
  -mx[N] : Set compression level (1‑fast … 9‑ultra)
  -p{Password} : Set password
  -o{Directory} : Set output directory
  ... (many more switches)</code>

Linux

The installation and usage on Linux are similar to macOS; download the appropriate package and use the

7zz

command.

Download

You can obtain the latest installers for all platforms at https://www.7-zip.org/ .