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Head-to-head · File Compression Software

7-Zip vs Ark

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 6 checks side by side
Higher score 7-Zip #1 in File Compression Software 9.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 5 of 5 features Visit 7-Zip
Ark #6 in File Compression Software 8.5/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 5 features Visit KDE

7-Zip leads on 0 checks, Ark on 0, and 6 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 6 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest score7-Zip · 9.4/10
  • Free planboth
  • Most features7-Zip · 5 of 5

7-Zip scores higher on our rubric for file compression software: 9.4 against 8.5 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #6.

7-Zip is the better fit for free cross-platform archiving with broad format support. Ark is the better fit for open-source Linux archive management.

  • 7-Zip fits best

    Free cross-platform archiving with broad format support

  • Ark fits best

    Open-source Linux archive management

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Side by side

Feature 7-Zip 9.4/10 Visit ↗ Ark 8.5/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.4 8.5
Ranking #1 in File Compression Software #6 in File Compression Software
Best for Free cross-platform archiving with broad format support Open-source Linux archive management
Pricing model Free Free
Starting price Free plan Free plan
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Desktop Desktop
Platforms Windows, Linux, macOS Linux, Windows
Integrations 2 integrations 1 integrations
Features 7-Zip 5/5 · Ark 3/5
Archive encryption ✓ ✓
Split archives ✓ ✓
Command-line tools ✓ ✓
Portable version ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Archive repair ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Specs
Archive formats Create/extract: 7z, XZ, BZIP2, GZIP, TAR, ZIP, WIM; extract: APFS, AR, ARJ, CAB, CHM, CPIO, CramFS, DMG, EXT, FAT, GPT, HFS, IHEX, ISO, LZH, LZMA, MBR, MSI, NSIS, NTFS, QCOW2, RAR, RPM, SquashFS, UDF, UEFI, VDI, VHD, VHDX, VMDK, XAR, Z tar, gzip, bzip2, zip, rar, 7z, xz, rpm, cab, deb, xar, AppImage
Supported platforms Windows, Linux, macOS Linux, Windows
Our review
Pros
  • Creates and extracts major archive formats, including 7z, ZIP, TAR, and WIM.
  • AES-256 encryption, split archives, and documented 7z recovery procedures.
  • Supports Windows, Linux, and macOS with command-line archive operations.
  • Creates, extracts, and modifies archives across many formats
  • Supports encryption, split archives, and integrity testing
  • Offers batch mode and Dolphin file manager integration
Cons
  • Archive creation supports fewer formats than archive extraction.
  • AES-256 encryption is available for 7z and ZIP formats.
  • Linux and macOS downloads are provided as console versions.
  • Some format support depends on installed command-line utilities
  • Batch mode requires working outside the graphical interface
  • Integrity testing does not provide archive repair
Our verdict

7-Zip is an open-source file archiver for compressing, extracting, browsing, and managing files. It suits individuals, developers, and technical teams that need a free tool for creating archives, unpacking diverse file types, or automating…

Read the review →

Ark is KDE’s graphical archive manager for creating, viewing, extracting, and modifying compressed archives. It is free and open source, with support for Linux and Windows. Its format coverage includes tar, gzip, bzip2, ZIP, RAR, 7z, XZ,…

Read the review →
  1. 7-ZipFile Compression Software 9.4Free plan
  2. ArkFile Compression Software 8.5Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • 7-Zip — where it wins

    • Creates and extracts major archive formats, including 7z, ZIP, TAR, and WIM.
    • AES-256 encryption, split archives, and documented 7z recovery procedures.
    • Supports Windows, Linux, and macOS with command-line archive operations.

    Where it doesn't

    • Archive creation supports fewer formats than archive extraction.
    • AES-256 encryption is available for 7z and ZIP formats.
    • Linux and macOS downloads are provided as console versions.

  • Ark — where it wins

    • Creates, extracts, and modifies archives across many formats
    • Supports encryption, split archives, and integrity testing
    • Offers batch mode and Dolphin file manager integration

    Where it doesn't

    • Some format support depends on installed command-line utilities
    • Batch mode requires working outside the graphical interface
    • Integrity testing does not provide archive repair
  • 7-Zip9.4/10 · Free plan

    A free, open-source archiver with broad formats, encryption, recovery tools, and cross-platform support.

    Visit 7-ZipFull verdict →
  • Ark8.5/10 · Free plan

    A capable free archive manager with broad format support and useful batch operations.

    Visit KDEFull verdict →

More comparisons

All file compression software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update