P7ZIPLinux
vs
WinZipWindows
P7ZIP as a Linux alternative to WinZip
Updated
Our verdict
p7zip is a solid replacement for users who mainly need to create and extract ZIP archives and work with other common formats. It handles ZIP, 7z, RAR, tar, gz, bz2, xz and more, supports password‑protected archives, and preserves Unix permissions. It lacks the GUI, cloud integration and advanced features of WinZip, so it is best suited for power users, developers, or those who prefer command‑line and scripting. For casual users who rely on a graphical interface, a dedicated GUI front‑end like PeaZip or Ark would be more convenient.
- License
- GPL-2.0
- Price
- Free
- Latest version
- 17.06
- Rating
- —
What works the same
- Both can create and extract ZIP archives
- Both support password protection
- Both can handle common archive formats such as tar, gz, and bz2
- Both preserve file timestamps
What is different
- p7zip is command‑line only, no native GUI
- p7zip does not integrate with file managers out of the box
- p7zip lacks cloud upload/download features
- p7zip does not offer a built‑in media preview or advanced compression settings
- p7zip does not support the same level of enterprise licensing options
Opening your WinZip files
p7zip can read and write standard ZIP files created by WinZip without issue. Exporting from p7zip to a WinZip‑specific format (e.g., .zip with WinZip‑only features) is not required, as WinZip accepts all standard ZIP archives produced by p7zip. Unknown or proprietary extensions are not supported.
Switching from WinZip to P7ZIP, step by step
- Install p7zip from your distribution’s repository (e.g., apt install p7zip-full).
- Replace WinZip shortcuts with p7zip commands or create custom file‑manager actions.
- Use "7z a archive.7z files" to create archives and "7z x archive.zip" to extract.
- If you need a GUI, install a front‑end such as PeaZip or Ark and link it to p7zip.
- Verify that encrypted archives work by testing with a password.
- Adjust any scripts that called WinZip to use the p7zip syntax.
Key features of P7ZIP
- Create and extract 7z archives with high compression
- Supports zip, tar, gz, bz2, xz and many other formats
- Command‑line interface suitable for scripting
- Solid compression and multi‑threaded operation
- Preserves Unix file permissions and timestamps
- Available in standard repositories of Debian, Fedora, Ubuntu
- Can be called from file managers via custom actions
How to install P7ZIP on Linux
sudo apt install p7zipsudo apt install p7zip-rarsudo dnf install p7zipFrequently asked questions
Does p7zip support password‑protected ZIP files?
Yes, use the -p switch (e.g., 7z a -pPASSWORD archive.zip files).
Can I use p7zip to handle RAR files?
p7zip can extract RAR archives but cannot create them; it relies on the 7z format for creation.
Is there a graphical interface for p7zip?
p7zip itself is command‑line only, but you can use GUI front‑ends like PeaZip, Ark or File Roller that call p7zip under the hood.
3 other alternatives to WinZip
ArkArk is KDE's graphical archive manager for creating, extracting and browsing many archive formats.Open sourceFreeFlatpakArk vs WinZip
PeaZipPeaZip is a free, open-source archive manager for Linux and other platforms that handles over 200 archive…Open sourceFreeFlatpakPeaZip vs WinZip
File RollerFile Roller is GNOME's default archive manager for opening, creating, and editing compressed files.Open sourceFreeFlatpakFile Roller vs WinZip