What is a ZIP file?
ZIP is the archive every computer opens without installing anything, on Windows, Mac, Linux and phones alike. It bundles a folder into one smaller file, and you can pull a single item back out without unpacking the rest. You can convert ZIP files here, both into the format and out of it.
Specification
| Full name | ZIP Archive |
|---|---|
| Extensions | .zip |
| Media type | application/zip |
| Compression | Lossless |
| Transparency | — |
| Animation | — |
| Multiple pages | Supported |
| Colour depth | DEFLATE per entry, with a central directory at the end |
| Size limits | 4 GB per entry unless ZIP64 extensions are used |
| Introduced | 1989 |
| Developed by | Phil Katz, PKWARE |
| Standard | Open |
| Browser support | Not displayed by browsers |
What ZIP is used for
- Bundling several files into one download or email attachment
- Software distribution and application packages on every platform
- Quietly the wrapper inside DOCX, XLSX, EPUB and app packages
- Backups where individual files may need to be pulled out later
Strengths and limitations
What ZIP does well
- Built into Windows, macOS and Linux, so no software has to be installed
- Any single file can be pulled out without unpacking the rest
- A damaged entry does not necessarily destroy the rest of the archive
Where ZIP falls short
- Compressing files separately misses redundancy shared between them
- Dated compression: 7z makes noticeably smaller archives
- Filenames and the directory listing stay readable even in an encrypted archive
Convert ZIP to
Every target this format can be written out as, each on its own page.
Convert to ZIP
Everything that can be turned into a ZIP file.
Tools that accept ZIP
Questions about ZIP
What is a .zip file?
ZIP is the archive every computer opens without installing anything, on Windows, Mac, Linux and phones alike. The extension .zip identifies it, and its media type is application/zip.
How do I open a ZIP file?
Browsers do not display ZIP natively, so you either need software that understands it or you convert it to something more common first. Converting is usually the faster route when you only need to look at the contents once.
Is ZIP lossy or lossless?
Lossless. Nothing is discarded, so repeated saves never degrade the contents.
What is ZIP good for?
Built into Windows, macOS and Linux, so no software has to be installed. Any single file can be pulled out without unpacking the rest. A damaged entry does not necessarily destroy the rest of the archive. In practice that makes it a good fit for bundling several files into one download or email attachment, and Software distribution and application packages on every platform.
What are the drawbacks of ZIP?
Compressing files separately misses redundancy shared between them. Dated compression: 7z makes noticeably smaller archives. Filenames and the directory listing stay readable even in an encrypted archive.