7Z FORMAT
7z Converters
Convert 7z archives to ZIP for universal compatibility or ISO for double-click mounting.
About 7z
7z is a modern archive format created by Igor Pavlov in 1999, best known for its exceptional compression ratios. Using LZMA/LZMA2 algorithms, 7z typically achieves 30-50% smaller files than ZIP. The format supports solid compression (compressing files together), AES-256 encryption, and Unicode filenames. 7z is completely open source under LGPL.
Learn more: 7z on Wikipedia
While 7z offers superior compression, it lacks the universal compatibility of ZIP. Recipients need 7-Zip (Windows), Keka (macOS), or p7zip (Linux) to extract files. The format is ideal for archival and large file transfers where compression ratio matters, but ZIP remains better for sharing with users who may not have specialized software.
Quick Facts
- Extension
- .7z
- Developed By
- Igor Pavlov
- Year Introduced
- 1999
- Compression
- LZMA/LZMA2
- Encryption
- AES-256
- Solid Archive
- Supported
- License
- LGPL (Open Source)
- Compression Ratio
- 30-50% better than ZIP
Convert from 7z (3 tools)
Answers at a Glance
Quick answers to common questions.
- Are my files secure?
- How long do you keep my files?
- What metadata do you keep?
- What happens after I drop a file?
- Why are conversions so fast?
- How do you measure performance?
- What are the exact limits for each plan?
- Can I process files in bulk?
- Why did my file fail to convert?
- Do you use my files to train AI?