PeaZipLinux
vs
WinZipWindows
PeaZip as a Linux alternative to WinZip
Updated
Our verdict
PeaZip is a strong, free replacement for WinZip on Linux. It covers all core needs: creating/extracting ZIP, 7z, RAR, and tar formats, plus encryption and batch processing. Unlike WinZip, it is open-source and cross-platform. It includes an integrated file manager with tabs and search, which WinZip lacks. If you rely on WinZip’s specific cloud features or proprietary integrations, you may need alternatives, but for standard archiving, compression, and security, PeaZip handles the job effectively without cost or licensing restrictions.
- License
- LGPL-3.0-only
- Price
- Free
- Latest version
- 11.4.0 (October 17, 2026)
- Rating
- —
What works the same
- Creates and extracts common archive formats like ZIP, 7z, RAR, and tar
- Supports password-protected and encrypted archives
- Allows batch compression and decompression of multiple files
- Provides a graphical interface for managing archives
What is different
- PeaZip is free and open-source, while WinZip is commercial
- PeaZip includes a built-in file manager with tabs and search; WinZip is primarily an archiver
- PeaZip supports over 200 formats, including less common ones like ZPAQ and PEA
- WinZip often integrates with cloud storage services, which PeaZip does not natively support
Opening your WinZip files
PeaZip fully supports opening and creating standard ZIP files, so it can read and write archives created by WinZip without issues. It also handles other common formats like 7z and RAR. If you use WinZip-specific features like solid archives with specific compression settings, PeaZip’s 7-Zip backend handles these correctly. There are no known compatibility issues for standard archive files.
Switching from WinZip to PeaZip, step by step
- Install PeaZip from your Linux distribution’s package manager or Flathub
- Open PeaZip and familiarize yourself with the tabbed file manager interface
- Test extracting a ZIP file created with WinZip to verify compatibility
- Create a new ZIP archive with a password to test encryption features
- Configure default actions in your file manager to open archives with PeaZip
Key features of PeaZip
- Supports over 200 archive formats, including 7Z, RAR, ZIP, TAR, XZ, ZPAQ, Zstd, and PEA
- Integrated file manager with tabs, bookmarks, and search
- Built-in viewers for text, hex, and images
- Archive encryption with optional two-factor authentication
- Duplicate file finder and content filtering
- Convert between archive formats without extraction
- Scripting engine to export GUI tasks as CLI commands
- Cross-platform: works on Linux, Windows, macOS, BSD
How to install PeaZip on Linux
flatpak install flathub io.github.peazip.PeaZipsudo dnf install peazipsudo pacman -S peazipsudo zypper install peazipFrequently asked questions
Can PeaZip open RAR files created by WinRAR?
Yes, PeaZip supports extracting RAR files, including those with passwords. It uses open-source libraries to handle this format.
Is PeaZip as fast as WinZip?
Performance is comparable for standard tasks. PeaZip uses optimized libraries like 7-Zip and Zstandard, so speed depends on the specific format and your hardware, similar to WinZip.
Does PeaZip support 64-bit systems?
Yes, PeaZip is available for 64-bit Linux distributions and other platforms. It is actively maintained and updated for modern systems.
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