7-Zip

Overview

7-Zip is a free, open source, cross-platform compression and decompression software, first released in 1999 by Russian developer Igor Pavlov. It is known for its efficient compression ratio, wide format support and lightweight design, and is widely used for file compression, decompression and encryption. 7-Zip supports multiple operating systems such as Windows, macOS, Linux, etc., mainly providing high compression ratios through its proprietary 7z format, while being compatible with multiple formats such as ZIP and RAR. Following the GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL), 7-Zip is maintained by Igor Pavlov and the community, with over hundreds of millions of downloads, and is one of the most popular compression tools.

History and Development

Origin:

• 7-Zip was developed by Igor Pavlov in 1999 and was originally designed for the Windows platform to provide higher compression ratios than mainstream tools at the time (such as WinZip and WinRAR).
• Introduced the 7z format, which provides excellent compression performance based on the LZMA (Lempel-Ziv-Markov chain algorithm).

Important milestones:

• 2000s: Early versions (2.x to 3.x) focused on core compression functions, added ZIP, RAR decompression support, and were hosted on SourceForge.
• 2008: Version 9.x introduced AES-256 encryption, self-decompression (SFX) module, and multi-threaded compression, significantly improving performance.
• 2010s: Versions 15.x to 19.x optimized multi-core CPU support, improved the command line interface (7z.exe), and enhanced Linux compatibility (through the p7zip branch).
• 2020 and beyond: The latest versions (such as 24.08, released in August 2024) continue to optimize the LZMA2 algorithm, support Zstandard (Zstd) decompression, and fix security vulnerabilities (such as CVE-2023-31102). As of 2025, 7-Zip maintains stable updates, with new optimizations for the ARM64 architecture and Windows 11 context menus.

Community and branches:

• 7-Zip core is maintained by Igor Pavlov, the code is hosted on SourceForge, and the community contributes patches and translations.

• The p7zip project (now archived) provides command line ports for Linux/macOS, and modern Linux distributions support native integration through 7-Zip official support.

• In 2023, SourceForge's historical adware controversy caused some users to turn to the official website for download.

Main features

7-Zip provides powerful compression and decompression functions, suitable for personal and professional use. The following are its core features:

1. High compression rate and format support

   • 7z format: Based on the LZMA/LZMA2 algorithm, it provides a compression rate 30-70% higher than ZIP, especially suitable for large files and text data.
   • Supported formats:
     • Compression and decompression: 7z, XZ, BZIP2, GZIP, TAR, ZIP, WIM.
     • Decompression only: AR, ARJ, CAB, CHM, CPIO, CramFS, DMG, EXT, FAT, GPT, HFS, IHEX, ISO, LZH, LZMA, MBR, MSI, NSIS, NTFS, QEMU, RAR, RPM, SquashFS, UDF, UEFI, VDI, VHD, VMDK, WIM, XAR, Z, Zstandard.
   • Self-extracting (SFX): Generates executable files, allowing decompression without installing 7-Zip.

2. Encryption and security

   • AES-256 encryption: 7z and ZIP formats support strong encryption to protect file contents and file names.
   • Password management: Supports encrypted compression and decompression password protection, suitable for sensitive data transmission.
   • Verification function: Built-in CRC-32, SHA-256 verification to verify file integrity.

3. User interface and integration

   • Graphical interface: Simple file manager-style interface, supports drag-and-drop, right-click menu integration (Windows context menu).
   • Command line tool (7z.exe): Provides powerful command line support, suitable for scripts and automated tasks.
   • Multi-language support: Supports 87 languages, including Chinese, English, Japanese, etc.
   • Cross-platform: Windows native support, Linux/macOS runs through the command line or third-party GUI (such as Keka).

4. Performance optimization

   • Multi-threaded compression: Use multi-core CPU to accelerate 7z and ZIP compression (support up to 64 threads).
   • Memory management: Efficiently handle large files, and adjustable memory usage during compression (default 256MB, maximum 4GB).
   • Fast decompression: The decompression speed of RAR, ZIP and other formats is better than some commercial software.

5. Advanced features

   • Volume compression: Supports splitting large files into multiple parts for easy storage or transmission.
   • File management: Supports browsing the internal structure of compressed packages, testing integrity, and extracting specific files.
   • Benchmark: Built-in tools measure system compression performance and evaluate CPU capabilities.
   • Plug-in support: Extend format support (such as Zstandard) through 7-Zip plug-ins (such as 7-Zip-Zstd).

Advantages and limitations

Advantages

• Free and open source: Completely free, LGPL-compliant, ad-free, open source code, and high community trust.
• High compression rate: 7z format provides industry-leading compression ratio and saves storage space.
• Wide format support: Supports dozens of compression and decompression formats, reducing dependence on multiple tools.
• Cross-platform compatibility: Supports Windows, Linux, and macOS, and command line tools enhance flexibility.
• Safe and reliable: AES-256 encryption and verification functions protect data, and regular updates fix vulnerabilities (such as 2022/2023 CVE patches).
• Lightweight and efficient: The installation package is only about 1-2MB, with low resource usage, suitable for low-end devices.
• Community support: SourceForge forums, GitHub Issues, and third-party tutorials (such as Softonic, TechRadar) provide help.

Limitations

• Simple interface: The graphical interface is outdated and lacks modern design, which may not be intuitive enough for beginners.
• Limitation of decompression only: Many formats (such as RAR) only support decompression, not creation, and need to rely on other tools.
• Linux/macOS experience: Lack of native GUI, requires command line or third-party front-end (such as p7zip, Keka), and complex configuration.
• Security controversy: Early SourceForge versions were bundled with adware and needed to be downloaded from the official website (https://7-zip.org/).
• Single function: Focuses on compression/decompression, lacks cloud integration, synchronization, or advanced file management features.
• Limited documentation: Official documentation is concise, and advanced features (such as command line parameters) rely on community tutorials.

Summary

7-Zip is a powerful, free and open source compression software. It has become the industry benchmark for file compression and decompression with its excellent compression rate, wide format support, and lightweight design. From its first release in 1999 to its continuous updates in 2025, 7-Zip has remained competitive with its LZMA algorithm and community maintenance. It supports multiple formats such as 7z, ZIP, RAR, etc., and AES-256 encryption and multi-threaded optimization make it suitable for backup, data transfer, and archive management. Despite its slightly outdated interface, insufficient Linux/macOS experience, and the limitation of only decompression, 7-Zip's efficiency, reliability, and zero cost make it irreplaceable. For users who need a simple and efficient compression tool, 7-Zip is the first choice; for advanced needs, the command line and plug-ins provide flexible expansion.