Which file compression format is best?

It's time to compress some files, so which format do you use? Zip, RAR, 7z, or something else? This article has tested a number of tests to determine which format allows maximum compression.

Of course, the compression ratio is not the only factor. Some of these formats are easier to use because they are integrated into desktop operating systems, while some reformat require third-party software.

1. Unzip Zip, RAR, . files online without software

Standard file compression

This seems more complicated than many people think. The compression level depends not only on the type of storage but also on the application used and installed.

In this article, we will not test on some common file types such as Word DOCX documents and JPG images but perform some compression of installed PC games. The game combines graphics, music, text files, executable files and many different file types, so they are a good practice data set containing many different file types.

First, we install Bastion and compress that folder - about 863MB including music files, graphics, executable files and different types of documents:

1. Zip (Windows 8.1): 746 MB (86.4% compared to the original size)
2. Zip (WinZip): 745 MB (86.3% compared to the original size)
3. RAR (WinRAR): 746 MB (86.4% compared to the original size)
4. 7z (7-Zip): 734 MB (85% of the original size)

Next, we compress Hotline Miami, with 654MB of data:

1. Zip (Windows 8.1): 316 MB (48.3% compared to the original size)
2. Zip (WinZip): 314 MB (48% of the original size)
3. RAR (WinRAR): 307 MB (46.9% compared to the original size)
4. 7z (7-Zip): 301 MB (46% compared to the original size)

And the winner is .

The winner in pure compression is 7z. This should not surprise many people because 7z is always in the top of file compression standards. If you want to compress something to save as much space as possible, you should definitely use 7z. You can even change compression settings to save more space, although it will take a long time to compress and decompress.

Overall, Zip and RAR are nearly the same. WinZip could not beat Windows' built-in support. In short, you should:

1. For maximum compression: Create 7z archive file with 7-Zip.
2. For the purpose of ease of use and maximum compatibility : Create Zip files with features built into the operating system. For example, on Windows, select some files in Windows Explorer or File Explorer, right-click them, point to Send to and select Compressed (zipped) folder .

Support operating system

If you only want to compress files for personal use, you can use any file format. However, some storage formats are interactive and work on other operating systems without installing third party software. If you send an archive file to others or post online, you may want to use the format that recipients can access with the least hassle.

Here are the formats that are integrated into popular operating systems:

1. Windows : Zip. This feature has been re-added in Windows XP, so almost every Windows user can create and extract zip files.
2. Mac OS X : Zip supported and other storage types such as .tar.gz and .tar.bz2 are supported. Storage types .7z and .rar will require third-party software.
3. Linux : Zip. The 7z and RAR files will work in standard programs like File Roller, but you will have to install the appropriate command line utilities from the package manager first. Tar formats like .tar.gz and .tar.bz2 are also supported on Linux.
4. Chrome OS : Zip and RAR are supported. Tar.gz and tar.bz2 can also be opened in Files application and extracted content.

Windows only supports Zip files, so Zip is the most popular format. If using Mac or Linux, you can use the .tar format. The 7z format is supported at least because it is not integrated into any operating system, so users need to install an application to open the .7z archive files. However, if you want the best compression ratio, 7z is the right choice.

If you plan to send compressed files to someone who is not sure if they have a file extracting software installed, you should choose the .zip format.

See more:

1. How to extract Zip files directly on Google Drive
2. Instructions to fix errors WinRAR diagnostic messages, downloaded files are corrupted