Best Free Zip and Archive Tools for Windows in 2026

Windows opens ZIP files, but for RAR, 7Z and better compression you want a real archiver.

7-Zip

7-Zip is the free classic: excellent compression, opens everything, no nonsense.

PeaZip

PeaZip adds a modern UI and strong encryption on top of an open-source core.

Bandizip

Bandizip is fast, clean and handles RAR, 7Z and ZIP with an ad-free free tier.

NanaZip

NanaZip is a modern 7-Zip fork with proper Windows 11 context-menu integration.

Still using WinRAR? It's fine too. More in Utilities.