Answer – Should I use RAR or ZIP files?

While working or studying, there are certainly many times when you have to compress files. Both to reduce file size and save hard drive storage space. It also helps files to be sent faster and more securely. Currently, the most popular compressed file formats are RAR files and ZIP files. However, many users wonder whether they should use RAR or ZIP files?

Find out the answer to the question – Should you use RAR or ZIP files?

To answer the question, should I compress RAR or ZIP? Let's compare details about these two file formats. From there, you will easily decide which file format to use according to your needs.

Advantages and disadvantages of ZIP files

A ZIP file is a file format developed by Phillip Katz that is commonly used to compress one or more files together into a single location. The size of the ZIP file will be much smaller than the total size of the original file. The file extension of the ZIP file will depend on the type of file being compressed/archived, whether it is .ZIP or .ZIP. Note that even though the file size is reduced, the ZIP file will not cause data loss.

The advantage of ZIP files is that they help users save storage space. Besides, ZIP files also bring many benefits in sharing data. File transfer speeds will be faster because the ZIP file size is smaller. Additionally, data sharing is also privacy protected because the ZIP file encrypts your data. The plus point of ZIP files is that creating ZIP files on Windows and MacOS operating systems is quite simple. Users can encode, split files, compress files, and store ZIP files very easily.

However, the disadvantage of ZIP files is the limitation of compressed files, especially with JPG or MP3 files. Besides, ZIP files use a rather weak ZIP 2.0 encryption algorithm. In some cases, the ZIP file extension can also be corrupted and affect your entire ZIP folder.

Advantages and disadvantages of RAR files

Roshal Archive Compressed file abbreviated as RAR - this is also a proprietary archive file format developed by Eugene Rosha. The advantage of RAR files is that they provide optional and highly optimized compression algorithms for multimedia data. Furthermore, RAR files can also be password protected, archived, added or commented on, so the document's security is high. In addition, RAR files have a strong point that users love. Because they can be divided into many parts, users can split a large file into many different RAR files. Besides, data reliability is also guaranteed because RAR files can repair physically damaged files. At the same time, it will also lock the file to prevent further changes.

However, RAR files also have the main disadvantage that the compression and decompression speed depends on the computer you are using. In addition, RAR files also need a third software, WinRAR, to compress and decompress.

So is it best to compress RAR or ZIP files?

Below is a specific comparison table to help you identify how ZIP and RAR files are different:

RAR files	ZIP files
Extension format .rar, .rev, .r00, .r01	Extension format .zip, .zipx
High compression ratio	Low compression ratio
Split the compressed file into several parts	Do not split the compressed file into multiple parts
Proprietary compressed file format	Free and open source compressed file format
Uses a compression algorithm that is better and more efficient than the DEFLATE compression method	Uses the DEFLATE compression algorithm
Use AES-128 encryption	Uses a somewhat weak ZIP 2.0 encryption algorithm

Conclude:

Although RAR files are smaller in size than ZIP files. It can also be easier to break down and restore. Besides, the data compression speed, encryption and algorithm of RAR files are also 'slightly' better than ZIP files. But nowadays, more people choose ZIP files. Simply because ZIP files are integrated into every operating system. From Windows, Mac, Linux to Chrome OS, you can easily use ZIP files.

This is an extremely important advantage because users can conveniently share ZIP files with many people. They can open ZIP files quickly without you needing instructions on how to install software to run RAR files. Furthermore, ZIP files rarely encounter decompression errors and opening with a smartphone or tablet is also simpler.

So it can be seen that RAR files or ZIP files both have their own advantages and disadvantages. Depending on your needs, you can choose the appropriate file format!

Answer: Should I use WinRAR or 7 ZIP?

This is also a question that receives a lot of attention besides RAR files and ZIP files. In fact, each type has different advantages and disadvantages. For example, 7 ZIP is open software so it is completely free and has good file compression capabilities. At the same time, it also supports a variety of operating systems. The advantage of WinRAR is that the mixed file compression speed is faster than 7 ZIP, and the file after compression also has a smaller capacity. In addition, many compression options and easy file recovery if compression fails. However, WinRAR is not free. Therefore, depending on your needs and purposes, you can choose to use WinRAR or 7 ZIP!

Above is the answer to my question about whether to use RAR or ZIP files. Hopefully you have found the answer for yourself!