7-Zip - Fast internet connections have made it easier to transfer large files across the internet. 7-Zip is special program that helps in extracting compressed files and later, creating converting them in different formats. These tools are good for multiple or huge files that need to be shared over the internet. You can send, download and convert the compressed files easily. 7-Zip is free and is compatible with Linux (through command line), and Windows XP, Vista, 7 and 8. It works with the help of Windows Shell and supports encryption. It is equally good software for both - commercial and personal use. Let’s have a look at the pros and cons of 7-Zip.
7-Zip is a compression software allowing users to compress files efficiently and quite easily. Here is a brief description of how the program works. It is basically open source software. Most of the source code of 7-Zip is under the GNU and LGPL license. The unRAR code comes under a mixed license.
Pros
Various format options
Maybe it is one of the best features of this software that it is able to handle diverse compression formats. You can package files in TAR, BZIP2, GZIP, ZIP and 7z formats and 7-Zip will unpack them easily. It can also deal with DMG, DEB, CPIO, CHM, CAB, ARJ and several other formats.
Advanced features
Though it has all the advanced features, a beginner will never face any sort of trouble, due to its easy-to-use interface. Professionals will enjoy the complex options that are the core of this software. With the help of advanced features, you can protect compressed files with a password and enable self-extracting 7z archives.
1. Best for commercial environment
2. After installing the setup no extra software is installed
3. While creating new archives it supports encryption
4. Can easily integrate with Windows Explorer
Cons
Compression procedure
Some users have complained that the process of compression takes a lot of time to execute files. There are a few other alternative programs that take less time. Your system resources are also consumed heavily during the process.
1. The developers have not provided any sort of portable option
Why to use it?
1. It is dedicated compression software, which provides complete control over different matters like, applying various layers of security to your files, choosing the container format, adjusting compression ratio and archiving your files easily.
2. 7-Zip provides ultimate support required for the Zip files. Through the official 7z format of the program advanced LZMA2 and LZMA compression algorithms are used for fine file-squashing. It is far more efficient than the previous ZIP format.
3. Files can be archived into WIM, TAR, GZIP, BZIP2 and XZ containers also apart from the normal ZIP and 7z formats.
4. It’s amazing to note here that 7-Zip also backs the RAR format files. It’s indeed a great advantage, as the RAR and ZIP files are both covered and there is no need to use separate software for extracting data from them. You have the best of both worlds.
Bottom Line
Ultimately, 7-Zip can be termed as efficient, easy to use, fast and reliable extraction software, which is totally free. There are a few minor drawbacks listed above, which appear light in front of its heavy features. It is a fine or, you can even call it ‘a superior replacement’.