WinZip

Download and try the original compression software WinZip for Windows or Mac here.

When you need to receive large files or a lot of files at once, things can quickly get messy. First, moving big files is hard. You can’t send them by email because attachments are usually limited to a few megabytes, and social networks won’t work either. So what can you do?

You can use dedicated software to compress files. In short, it lets you bundle many files into a single archive while reducing the total size. WinZip is one of the best-known tools for the job. 

Transfer large amounts of files in seconds

Let’s say you’ve finished a big project at work. You need to send lots of files in different formats to your manager or a teammate. How do you do that efficiently? The combined size may be hundreds of megabytes, which won’t fit in a single email attachment unless you split it into many messages. 

With WinZip, you can bundle and compress everything first. Sort your files into folders, create a new archive in WinZip, and add the folders. WinZip compresses them so the archive takes up only a fraction of the original size. You can then send it by email, and the recipient can open and extract the files with WinZip or a compatible tool. 

Best-in-class security

We’ve established WinZip is ideal for transferring large batches of files. But what about security? WinZip delivers with bank‑grade encryption, keeping your data protected. You can lock your archives with a password so they won’t be accessible if they end up in the wrong hands. 

That way you can be confident only the intended recipient can open the archive. If someone else gained access, breaking the encryption would require serious skills and a lot of time. 

WinZip makes working with PDFs easier

Surprisingly, WinZip also includes handy PDF tools. For example, you can merge multiple PDF files into a single document when needed. 

You can also convert files such as Word documents to PDF, and even sign your PDFs directly with WinZip. 

A simple design that gets the job done

WinZip’s clean interface makes it easy to use from day one. The center of the screen is your workspace: drag files and folders here to start a new archive. If you open an existing archive, its contents are listed in the same view. 

On the right, you’ll find actions you can apply while zipping your files—for example, encryption and the various PDF tools. On the left, you have File Explorer, which you can also use to import and export files if you prefer. 

Alternative software

WinZip is a rock‑solid app in its category, but the free version naturally lacks some paid features—that’s expected. There are, however, other compression tools where everything is free. WinRAR is a classic in this space and is used by millions worldwide. If you want to learn more and download WinRAR, you can get it at no cost.

WinZip – The world standard in compression

WinZip works like a charm and makes transferring your files effortless. If you’re looking for a reliable program to solve file transfer and compression tasks, WinZip is an obvious choice.

WinZip FAQ