File RollerLinux
vs
WinZipWindows
File Roller as a Linux alternative to WinZip
Updated
Our verdict
File Roller is a solid, native Linux replacement for basic WinZip tasks. It handles creating and extracting ZIP, tar, and compressed archives with password protection, integrating smoothly into the GNOME file manager. However, it lacks native support for RAR and 7z formats, which are common in Windows environments. If your workflow relies heavily on those specific formats or advanced batch processing, you will need to install additional command-line tools like p7zip. For general users who primarily use ZIP files for sharing and backup, File Roller covers the essential needs without the bloat or cost of commercial alternatives.
- License
- GPL-2.0+
- Price
- Free
- Latest version
- 44.7 (June 22, 2026)
- Rating
- —
What works the same
- Creates and extracts ZIP archives
- Supports password protection for ZIP files
- Integrates directly with the system file manager
- Allows viewing archive contents without full extraction
- Supports adding files to existing archives
What is different
- Does not natively create or extract RAR or 7z files
- Lacks a dedicated GUI interface for complex batch operations
- Fewer archive format options compared to WinZip's extensive list
- Requires external command-line tools for non-native formats
Opening your WinZip files
File Roller opens and creates standard ZIP files (.zip) seamlessly, which are the primary format used by WinZip. It also handles tar.gz, tar.bz2, and tar.xz natively. However, it does not natively support RAR or 7z files. If you have archives in these formats, you must install the p7zip package to enable File Roller to read them, though it cannot create RAR files. Standard ZIP files created in WinZip open without issues in File Roller.
Switching from WinZip to File Roller, step by step
- Install File Roller via your distribution's package manager
- Install p7zip-full to enable 7z and RAR extraction support
- Configure your file manager to use File Roller as the default archive handler
- Test extracting a sample ZIP file with a password to verify encryption works
- Move existing archive files to a standard Linux directory structure
Key features of File Roller
- Open and extract common archive formats (zip, tar, gzip, bzip2, xz)
- Create new archives in zip, tar, and compressed tar formats
- Add files to existing archives
- View archive contents without extraction
- Password-protect zip files
- Integrates with GNOME Files (Nautilus)
- Supports drag-and-drop from file manager
- Can use command-line backends like tar, gzip, 7z
How to install File Roller on Linux
flatpak install flathub org.gnome.FileRollersudo apt install file-rollersudo apt install file-rollersudo dnf install file-rollersudo pacman -S file-rollersudo zypper install file-rollerFrequently asked questions
Can File Roller create RAR files?
No, File Roller cannot create RAR files. RAR is a proprietary format. You can use 7z or ZIP formats instead, which are open and widely supported.
How do I handle 7z files in File Roller?
Install the p7zip package. Once installed, File Roller will automatically detect the backend and allow you to open and extract 7z archives.
Is File Roller free?
Yes, File Roller is free and open-source software licensed under GPL-2.0+. It is included in most major Linux distributions.
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