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What is it
7Z is a high-compression archive format that uses the LZMA2 algorithm to produce noticeably smaller files than ZIP or RAR. The compression nerd's choice. The trade-off is convenience: Windows and macOS cannot open 7Z files natively, so anyone you send one to needs 7-Zip, PeaZip, or The Unarchiver. It also supports AES-256 encryption and solid compression (treating multiple files as a single data stream for better ratios). Power users love it. Everyone else just uses ZIP.
Technical details
Safety
What opens it
7-Zip
The Unarchiver
PeaZip
FAQ
What's the difference between 7Z and ZIP?
7Z compresses smaller (often 10-30% better) but is not natively supported by Windows or macOS. ZIP works everywhere without extra software. Use ZIP for sharing, 7Z for archiving when size matters.
How do I open a 7Z file?
On Windows, install 7-Zip (free). On macOS, use The Unarchiver (free, from the App Store). On Linux, most file managers handle 7Z out of the box.
Is 7Z safe?
The format itself is safe. Like any archive, the contents could be malicious — scan extracted files with antivirus. The encryption (AES-256) is actually stronger than ZIP's built-in encryption.
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