| ZIP | 7Z | |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | Lossless | Lossless |
| Metadata | - | - |
| Open / royalty-free | ✓ | ✓ |
| Defined by | - | - |
| Since | 1989 | - |
| Best for | sending several files to anyone | shrinking large archives |
ZIP
The archive everyone can open without installing anything.
7Z
Better compression than ZIP. Needs 7-Zip or similar to open.
Questions
ZIP or 7Z: which is smaller?
It depends on the content; see our measured benchmarks on the conversion pages.
Can I convert ZIP to 7Z?
Yes, in your browser, nothing uploaded.
And 7Z to ZIP?
Yes, as well.