PeaZip 6.5

PeaZip is a powerful file compression tool with support for more than 180 formats. With a wide set of features and a user-friendly interface, PeaZip makes the task of archiving and extracting data simple and fast, working with all the known file types. The most distinctive feature of PeaZip is the use of its proprietary format, PEA, which offers users a higher compression ratio and an extra level of security when it comes to compressing data.

Whether you want to pack a bunch of files together for easy sharing or storage, or extract the contents of a zipped archive, PeaZip is a solution worth taking into account. For one thing, the app is capable of decompressing a great variety of file types fast and without complications. It can open/read all the known formats (a total of 188), including RAR, ZIP, 7Z, ISO, and TAR.

Compressing data with PeaZip, on the other hand, is easy thanks to its friendly interface and also light in terms of system resources. However, compression speed is not its strongest point if we compare it to other similar utilities. For example, to zip a 100MB file, PeaZip took more than 1 minute, while 7-Zip packed the same file in less than 20 seconds.

On the bright side, the app supports a wide range of output formats. It's possible to pack files in 7Z, ZIP, TAR, ARC, PEA, and other well-known extensions, with the possibility of choosing among different levels and methods of compression. If your concern is security, using the app's proprietary format is the best choice. Archiving your data to a .pea file gives you additional protection options, letting you select from 6 encryption algorithms, in addition to AES-256.

The application has a full-featured, browser-like interface with two panels that makes it easy to browse through your files and gives you easy access to its numerous features. Additionally, it integrates seamlessly to the context menu allowing you to manage files quickly, with one click.

Besides its compression capabilities, PeaZip comes with a set of file management utilities which allow you to securely delete files, check files for errors, find duplicates, among other options.

Open-source and cross-platform, PeaZip is a robust file archiver that stands as a solid alternative to WinRAR, Winzip, and 7-Zip, and is particularly well suited for users who are looking for added functionality and advanced security options.