7-Zip 26.05

7-Zip overview

7-Zip is a free, open-source file archiver developed by Igor Pavlov and known for its high compression ratio. It combines a file manager, a command-line version and Windows Shell integration in one package. The current release, 7-Zip 26.05, was published on 21 October 2026 and fixes several bugs and vulnerabilities. It also improves code for unpacking Z archives and Mach-O files.

Key features

• High compression ratio in the 7z format, using LZMA and LZMA2 compression.
• Packing and unpacking of 7z, XZ, BZIP2, GZIP, TAR, ZIP and WIM archives.
• Strong AES-256 encryption for 7z and ZIP archives.
• Self-extracting archive creation for the 7z format.
• Integration with the Windows Shell, a built-in File Manager and a powerful command-line version.
• A plugin for FAR Manager and localizations for 87 languages.

Supported formats

In addition to packing and unpacking 7z, XZ, BZIP2, GZIP, TAR, ZIP and WIM, 7-Zip can unpack a broad set of formats, including APFS, CAB, CHM, DMG, ISO, MSI, NSIS, NTFS, RAR, RPM, SquashFS, UDF, VHD, VHDX, VMDK and XAR.

Compression performance

For ZIP and GZIP archives, the project reports a compression ratio 2 to 10 percent better than that of PKZip and WinZip. Version 26.01 added support for 2 MB huge pages in Linux builds, which the project states can increase compression speed by about 10 percent for 7z, XZ, LZMA and LZMA2 compression.

Security and extraction

AES-256 encryption protects 7z and ZIP archives. Recent releases have addressed several vulnerabilities, including heap buffer overflows and out-of-bounds reads in multiple archive handlers. Version 25.01 changed how symbolic links are handled during extraction to improve security. Version 26.01 introduced the -spo switches, which control how the output directory path is generated from the archive name.

License and availability

Most of the 7-Zip code is licensed under the GNU LGPL, some parts fall under the BSD 3-clause License, and some parts are subject to unRAR license restrictions. The software can be used on any computer, including in commercial organizations, without registration or payment. Windows builds are available for x64, x86 and ARM64. Linux and macOS builds are published on the project's GitHub releases page. 7-Zip supports Windows versions from Windows XP and Vista through Windows 11, as well as Windows Server editions from 2000 to 2022.

Who should consider 7-Zip

• Users and administrators who need strong compression and flexible archive options for backups and distribution.
• Developers and IT professionals who require a command-line tool that suits scripting and automation.
• Users looking for a free, open-source archiver as an alternative to proprietary utilities on Windows.