PeaZip is a free, open-source archive manager for creating, opening, extracting, converting, and managing compressed files. It is positioned as a cross-platform alternative to tools such as 7-Zip, WinRAR, and WinZip, with official builds for Windows and other supported desktop platforms.
What PeaZip Is
PeaZip is developed by the PeaZip project and Giorgio Tani. The application is released under the GNU LGPLv3 license, and the project describes it as free for private, professional, business, and government use.
For SoftVerza users comparing archive tools, PeaZip sits between simple extraction utilities and more advanced archive managers. It includes a graphical file manager, archive creation and extraction tools, encryption-related features, checksum tools, secure delete, archive conversion, split and join tools, and portable package options.
Key Features
- Create archives in supported write formats such as 7Z, ARC, Brotli BR, BZip2, GZip, PEA, TAR, WIM, XZ, Zstandard ZST, and ZIP.
- Open and extract many additional archive types, including RAR, ZIPX, ISO, CAB, DMG, UDF, ACE with a separate plugin, and other documented formats.
- Use archive encryption where supported by the underlying format, including AES, Twofish, Serpent, password/keyfile workflows, and authenticated encryption where documented.
- Manage files and archives through a graphical file manager with search, browsing, checksum/hash tools, archive conversion, and duplicate-file tools.
- Use installed or portable builds depending on platform and deployment preference.
- Export tasks from the GUI as command-line scripts for automation and inspection.
Supported Archive Formats
PeaZip supports a wide range of archive formats, but support is not the same for every format. Some formats can be created, while many more are available for opening or extraction.
Official PeaZip documentation lists write support for formats such as 7Z, ARC, Brotli BR, BZip2, GZip, PEA, TAR, WIM, XZ, Zstandard ZST, and ZIP. It also documents opening or extraction support for many additional formats, including ACE, CAB, DMG, ISO, RAR, UDF, ZIPX, and others.
RAR handling needs careful wording. PeaZip can open and extract RAR and RAR5 archives out of the box, but autonomous RAR creation is limited by RAR licensing. PeaZip can use WinRAR as an external component for RAR creation if WinRAR is installed on the system.
Create vs Extract Format Distinction
PeaZip should not be described as creating every format it can open. The safer summary is: PeaZip can create a defined set of write-supported formats, and it can open or extract many more archive types through the application and its backend tools.
For users who need a specific archive format, check the official supported-format documentation before assuming both creation and extraction are available. Choose PeaZip when you want archive conversion, file browsing, hashing, and portable use in one graphical tool. If the job requires creating RAR without another installed archiver, its external-WinRAR requirement is a reason to choose differently.
Encryption and Security Features
PeaZip documents strong encryption features for supported formats, including AES, Twofish, Serpent, encrypted password manager support, optional password plus keyfile workflows, secure delete, and hash/checksum tools. These are useful security-related features, but they do not make every archive or download automatically safe.
Users should download PeaZip only from official project-controlled routes, verify hashes where appropriate, use strong passwords for encrypted archives, and treat unknown archives with caution.
File Management and Archive Tools
PeaZip includes more than basic compression and extraction. Official Windows documentation describes archive conversion, raw file split and join, multi-volume archives, checksum and hash calculation, duplicate-file search, file browsing, archive search, bookmarks, tabbed browsing, and GUI-to-command-line task export.
Portable vs Installed Use
PeaZip provides installable and portable packages on supported platforms. On Windows, the official release assets include installer builds, portable ZIP packages, and an MSIX option. Portable packages can be useful when a user wants to run the application without a traditional installation, subject to local policy and platform requirements.
Who PeaZip Is For
- Users who want a free, open-source archive manager with a graphical interface.
- Windows users who want an alternative to 7-Zip or WinRAR for everyday archive work.
- Users who need both extraction and file-management features in one tool.
- Users who value portable packages and official checksum information.
- Users who want archive encryption and hashing tools, while understanding their limits.
Limitations
- PeaZip does not autonomously create RAR archives; RAR creation requires WinRAR installed as an external component.
- ACE extraction requires a separate UNACE plugin because of licensing constraints.
- Some operating-system and architecture support varies by package type.
- Official Windows 64-bit builds are intended for 64-bit Windows systems, while separate builds exist for other targets.
- PeaZip has many options, so users wanting only a minimal extractor may find it more detailed than necessary.
Download Safety
The official PeaZip site states that official packages are distributed through project-controlled repositories such as GitHub and SourceForge, with SHA256 hashes published for verification. It also warns against unrelated sites and store listings that use the PeaZip name or logo without being involved in the project.
SoftVerza does not host PeaZip installers. Use the official PeaZip download page or the project’s official GitHub release assets.
Official Download
Start from the official PeaZip website or Windows download page:
- PeaZip official website
- PeaZip official Windows 64-bit download page
- PeaZip official GitHub releases
Current Release Notes
Checked on October 23, 2026, the current stable version is PeaZip 11.4.0, dated October 17, 2026 in the official changelog. It updates the bundled backends to 7z/p7zip 26.04 and Pea 1.34 and includes input-validation and file-browser improvements. Use the release-specific package hashes when checking a download; this profile does not imply that every supported archive format has been tested here.
System Requirements
For Windows, the official PeaZip 64-bit page says the 64-bit build supports Microsoft Windows 64-bit systems. The same page describes the 64-bit build as optimized for x86-64 / AMD64 and meant only for Windows 64-bit compatible systems. The project also lists Linux and macOS builds, with other platform and experimental architecture options documented separately. This profile focuses on the Windows download; do not assume that every package or architecture has identical platform requirements.
