Looking for a WinRAR alternative? In this informative guide, we’ll show you a side-by-side comparison of WinZip and WinRAR, so you can determine which is right for you.
WinZip is the best WinRAR alternative because it offers all the same functionality of WinRAR … plus much, much more. After all, there’s a reason WinZip is the world’s #1 compression software.
As an alternative to WinRAR, WinZip is more powerful, versatile, and convenient. WinZip offers advanced features that WinRAR just doesn’t have, including:
To better illustrate this, here’s a side-by-side comparison of WinRAR vs WinZip:
| Detailed Features | WinZip Pro | WinRAR |
|---|---|---|
| Advanced WAV compression (WavPack) | ||
| Advanced JPG Image File compression | ||
| Advanced MP3 Compression | ||
| Automatic selection of Best Compression Method by file type | ||
| BZip2, LZMA, PPMd, Enhanced Deflate, XZ, ZSTD | ||
| Zip 2.0 (Normal, Maximum Deflated) |
| Detailed Features | WinZip Pro | WinRAR |
|---|---|---|
| POSIX TAR Support | ||
| Advanced Compression (Jpeg) Method | ||
| Advanced Compression (WavPack) Method | ||
| Advanced Compression (MP3) Method | ||
| Advanced Compression (BZip2, LZMA, PPMd, XZ) Methods | ||
| Zip 2.0 Methods (Normal, Maximum, Enhanced) | ||
| Archive Files: 7Z | ||
| Archive Files: LHA/LZH | ||
| Archive Files: TAR, Z, BZ, TBZ, GZ, BZ2, TBZ2 | ||
| Archive Files: RAR | ||
| Archive Files: CAB, ZIP | ||
| Archive Files: B64, HQX, TAZ, TXZ, TZ | ||
| Archive Files: ZIPX | ||
| Archive Files: XZ | ||
| Archive Files: ARJ | ||
| Encoded Files: UUE, MIME, BINHEX | ||
| Disk Image Support: ISO, IMG |
| Detailed Features | WinZip Pro | WinRAR |
|---|---|---|
| Can split archives into multiple volumes | ||
| Supports archive formats larger than 4GB |
| Detailed Features | WinZip Pro | WinRAR |
|---|---|---|
| Remove additional EXIF data from files | ||
| Create policies to enforce password complexity | ||
| Take advantage of hardware and GPU’s for even faster AES encryption | ||
| AES Encryption 256-bit | ||
| AES FIPS-197 Certified | ||
| Auto-wipes (“shred”) temporarily extracted copies of encrypted files (prior to being deleted) using U.S. Department of Defence standard (DoD 5220.22-M) to prevent files from being recovered | ||
| Zip 2.0 (Legacy) Encryption |
| Detailed Features | WinZip Pro | WinRAR |
|---|---|---|
| Perform File Conversions before Zipping | ||
| Set Expiration Dates for Zip files and Log files | ||
| Specify the Job Name At End of Job Creation | ||
| Create new jobs from existing jobs | ||
| Burn Backups to Blue-ray Disc | ||
| Burn Backups to CD/DVD (automatically split archive over multiple discs if necessary | ||
| Save Backups to the Cloud (Box, OneDrive, Dropbox, Google Drive, CloudMe, SugarSync, MediaFire, ZipShare, SharePoint and Amazon S3) | ||
| Save Backups to an off-site server using internal FTP client | ||
| Create custom backups for selected files and folders | ||
| Backup files from the cloud (Box, OneDrive, Dropbox, Google Drive, CloudMe, SugarSync, MediaFire, SharePoint and Amazon S3 | ||
| Pre-defined data backup for your documents, email, desktop, libraries, etc. | ||
| Backup photos directly from your digital camera | ||
| Email backup files automatically from virtually any of your email addresses | ||
| Email log files upon completion of backups and automated jobs from virtually any of your email addresses | ||
| Schedule backups and Zipping jobs to run automatically and unattended | ||
| Create Backup Jobs from Explorer | ||
| Scan documents and images with a scanner, zip, and save | ||
| Command Line Support Add-on for scripting |
| Detailed Features | WinZip Pro | WinRAR |
|---|---|---|
| Automate WinZip Express | ||
| Share using Windows Charms | ||
| Shorten shared URLs | ||
| WinZip Express copy to clipboard | ||
| Supports individuals with multiple accounts for a specific cloud service, up to 16 accounts per service | ||
| Microsoft Office add-on support zipping and sharing from within Office apps | ||
| WinZip Express Email add-on supports Microsoft Outlook | ||
| Post files or Zip files on Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn) | ||
| Instant Message files or Zip files (Google Hangout, Jabber, Office 365 Groups) | ||
| Share an unzipped image directly from the File Viewer to social media sites | ||
| Place URLs to files stored on Cloud Services on the clipboard for sharing in other apps | ||
| Scan documents and images with a scanner, zip, and share | ||
| Advanced Sharing options such as file encryption, image resizing, image watermarking, and conversion of Microsoft Office files to PDF | ||
| Internal email client supports Yahoo! Mail, Google Gmail, and Microsoft Outlook.com. and can be configured for many other email services | ||
| Internal email client has built in address book that can collect contact information from Google Contacts, Google Hangout, Office 365 Outlook, Outlook, Yahoo! Contacts, Office 365 Groups, Twitter, and Jabber. | ||
| Address book supports up to 16 accounts per contact service |
| Detailed Features | WinZip Pro | WinRAR |
|---|---|---|
| File Search | ||
| Expanded Features for Background Tools | ||
| Set Expiration Dates for Files and Folders | ||
| View Date taken and Date Modified | ||
| Rename Multiple files at once | ||
| Image format conversion | ||
| Remove personal data from files | ||
| Move, Copy, Delete, Rename Local and Network Files |
(Limited Funtionality) |
|
| Move, Copy, Delete, Rename Cloud Service Based Files | ||
| Create/Delete/Rename Folders |
(Limited Funtionality) |
|
| Display File and Folder Properties | ||
| Open, Edit, and Print Local Files with the Associated App | ||
| Open, Edit, and Print Network Files with the Associated App | ||
| Open, Edit, and Print Cloud Service Based Files with the Associated App | ||
| Open, Edit, and Print Local Files with Alternate Apps | ||
| Open, Edit, and Print Network Files with Alternate Apps | ||
| Open, Edit, and Print Cloud Service Based Files with Alternate Apps | ||
| Map Folders as Drives | ||
| Preview Local Files | ||
| Preview Network Files | ||
| Preview Cloud Service Based Files | ||
| Wipe Files | ||
| Image Resize and save | ||
| Image Watermark and save | ||
| Convert to PDF and Save or Share | ||
| Image Resize and share | ||
| Image Watermark and share | ||
| Combine PDF's into One and Save or Share | ||
| Replace Individual Local and Network Files with Zipped Files | ||
| Replace Individual Cloud Service Based Files with Zipped Files | ||
| Get Links to Cloud Based Files and Folders to Paste and Share | ||
| Add a Network Location | ||
| Share Local and Network Files via Email, IM or Social Media | ||
| Share Cloud Based Files via Email, IM or Social Media | ||
| More Pinning Choices in Files Pane | ||
| Shell Extension Support in Files Pane |
| Detailed Features | WinZip Pro | WinRAR |
|---|---|---|
| Option to view password entry | ||
| Prompt to unzip on open | ||
| Unzip to file pane folder |
| Detailed Features | WinZip Pro | WinRAR |
|---|---|---|
| Windows Explorer Interface | ||
| Drag and Drop 'Add to Zip' in WinZip's Files Pane | ||
| See Zip file content and open files in Explorer’s previewer using Zip file previewer | ||
| Tool tip summary of Zip file content | ||
| Use Drag and Drop to add files to an archive file | ||
| Windows Explorer Context Menu for creating archive files | ||
| Add to archive file (specify location) | ||
| Add to archive (current location) | ||
| Zip and Email | ||
| Zip and Email with encryption and renaming of Zip file | ||
| Replace selected files with Zipped files | ||
| Zip and Share includes renaming Zip file, conversions, encryption, saving to cloud, sharing via email, IM, and social media | ||
| Windows Explorer Context menu for using archive files | ||
| Encrypt Zip files | ||
| Create self-extracting Zip files | ||
| Unzip to selectable folder location | ||
| Unzip to current folder location | ||
| Detailed Features | WinZip Pro | WinRAR |
|---|---|---|
| Create new automated zipping jobs | ||
| Create new Zip files on CD/DVD | ||
| Create new Zip files locally or in the cloud | ||
| Open a Zip file stored locally or in the cloud | ||
| Open recently used archive files | ||
| Pin to taskbar and unpin from taskbar |
| Detailed Features | WinZip Pro | WinRAR |
|---|---|---|
| Slide to Hide Files and Action Panes | ||
| Dynamic access to common features based on current task | ||
| File/Folder (locally and on the cloud) access for zipping and unzipping within the app | ||
| Customize the look and feel of the interface; showing/hiding ribbon, showing hiding panes, selecting alternative views of the archive content | ||
| Windows modern style dialogs | ||
| Touch support and optimized UI for touch | ||
| 2 in 1 Support with UI automatically changing to user’s preferences based on screen orientation and lack or presence of mouse/keyboard | ||
| Optimized use of display area when used on tablets, notebooks, laptops, and desktops | ||
| Browse local and network files from within the app | ||
| Move, Copy, Rename, and Delete local and network files from within the app | ||
| Preview cloud based files from within the app | ||
| Move, Copy, Rename, and Delete cloud based files from within the app | ||
| Provide views to maximize information show, simple touch control, or thumbnails | ||
| Temporarily extract Zip files using the 'Unzip and Try' feature to view inter-related components contained in the Zip file (such as an HTML page and associated graphics) | ||
| Scan and Diagnose your PC’s performance with built in System Scanner tool |
| Detailed Features | WinZip Pro | WinRAR |
|---|---|---|
| Expand the Preview Pane | ||
| Rotate, resize, save and view full size images directly within a Zip file (internal viewer) | ||
| Display slide show of all images in an archive file | ||
| Thumbnail view of images in an archive file | ||
| Share an image to social media while viewing images | ||
| Resize shared copies of images while maintaining the original from the archive |
| Detailed Features | WinZip Pro | WinRAR |
|---|---|---|
| Windows |
| Detailed Features | WinZip Pro | WinRAR |
|---|---|---|
| Advanced Direct Access Technology for Faster Display and Unzipping From the Cloud | ||
| Display Compression and technical details | ||
| Native 64-bit engine | ||
| Engine supports multiple processors and GPU | ||
| Compatible with Windows 10 Anniversary |
WinRAR only supports the Zip 2.0 compression method. By contrast, WinZip supports multiple compression methods, so you can reduce the size of your files … without affecting their quality.
There’s just no contest between WinZip vs WinRAR when you look at all the decompression methods WinZip supports and WinRAR doesn’t:
WinZip beats WinRAR hands-down when it comes to backing up files and automating tasks, so you can rest easy, knowing your files are safe and secure … while saving time on routine functions.
For instance, with WinZip, you can:
NEW - Perform File Conversions Before Zipping - Merge a wide variety of files types into a single PDF prior to zipping … saving data in the way that’s most convenient for you, while maximizing your computer’s storage space.
Save Backups to the Cloud - Let WinZip seamlessly backup your ZIP files to the cloud (Box, OneDrive, Dropbox, Google Drive, CloudMe, SugarSync, MediaFire, ZipShare, SharePoint and Amazon S3) … to improve your efficiency while making sure all your important data is preserved.
Schedule Backups & Zip Jobs - Set it and forget it! Enjoy the ultimate in convenience by scheduling backups and zip jobs to run automatically and unattended. Just select your files in Windows Explorer and create a WinZip job, scheduling when and how often it should run.
Create WinZip Jobs - With WinZip’s easy-to-use Job Wizard, you can create WinZip jobs that automatically perform tasks for you, like:
