7-Zip: extract ZIP and RAR files for free

7-Zip is a free file archiver for Windows. It creates and opens archives in its own 7z format and in many other formats, including ZIP and RAR. Most of the code is licensed under the GNU LGPL. According to the publisher, you may use 7-Zip on any computer, including in companies, without registration or payment.

Install

  1. Open 7-zip.org.
  2. Download the version for your system: for current PCs that is 64-bit Windows x64, for devices with an ARM processor ARM64.
  3. Run the file and choose Install.

7-Zip runs on Windows 11 and 10 as well as on older Windows versions.

Use

Right-click an archive and choose 7-Zip > Extract Here. In Windows 11 you find the entry under
Show more options.

To pack files, select them and choose 7-Zip > Add to archive. There you can also set a password.

Sources

Checked on 2026-11-09 against the publisher’s information:

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