Someone reviewed v on Jul 5, 2022

Pros: 555

Cons: 555

Bottom Line: 555

cyberguy reviewed v21.0 on Oct 27, 2016

Zip compression has been out in the public domain for over a decade now. There really is no place in the software market for a compressor that demands such a high buy in PLUS an ongoing support cost. There are far more low cost (ie. WinRAR) / no cost (7-Zip, PeaZip, Bandizip, others) alternatives. Not seeing anything groundbreaking or innovative with this release. Just not worth the licensing cost when there are actually better solutions out there for cheap or free..

GeekSquat reviewed v20.0.11659 on Dec 1, 2015

Don't Fall For It! This is one of the biggest software rip-offs I've ever come across. $38 and then $8 every year for a ZIP tool? I don't even want that other bundled junk, and I don't think most people will either.

Music4Ever reviewed v20.0.11659 on Oct 31, 2015

For the full program 'WinZip Combo' they want £51:54 that equates to just under 80 bucks for you people over the pond - Is this company for real or what?

With a download of 132 Meg they have defiantly lost the plot, the superior WinRAR is under 2 Meg & was genuinely free for life added to the fact there are several free alternatives that are great - You would have to have something wrong in the thinking department to buy WinZip, it was a good program 20 years ago but not now.

@TuxmanXP - You of course are entitled to your opinion but when others feel differently it's not necessarily Trolling.

harvaparva reviewed v20.0.11659 on Oct 31, 2015

Stopped using it many years ago, one reason the price, bought WinRAR and had free upgrades for live, unlike WinZip that initially promised the same, then went back on their word, big mistake, and then kept adding features making it bloatware.

TuxmanXP reviewed v20.0.11659 on Oct 30, 2015

Just logging in to counter the troll below me. WinZip itself is still good software and it has interesting features for those who need them.

inkowyouknow reviewed v19.5 Build 11532 on Sep 1, 2015

Long finished as a ZIP program replaced wih many excellent free ones including 7ZIP, PeaZip etc. Trying to sell it is just a joke

inkowyouknow reviewed v19.5 on May 8, 2015

Trying to flog it is desperate, maybe those who (the minority) know no better will buy it blindly but it was finished years ago and superceeded by Peazip and many other free zip programs.
Message to Winzip: Smell the coffee this product has no where to go as a saleable item.

inkowyouknow reviewed v19.0 Build 11294 on Jan 7, 2015

LONG overtaken by free ZIP programs like 7zip, Peazip etc. How they can charge for it is unreal

BANDIT- reviewed v18.0.11023 on Feb 3, 2014

Winzip.?? ... W I N Z I P.?? ... You Gotta be Kiddin'... LOL
Still Around..?? An' they want $30 bucks for it..??

@johnusa has got some serious GBH with this Crew, And the
other 4 guys directly below Also have Issues..!!
EASY ... Easy Guys. lol

I'll add a bit of support my friends .. ~_^
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The last time I used this App was when I unzipped
the Footings Plans for the Pyramids.... snigga.!!

Using Winrar (5*) In this Corner.
Winzip: .. ( _º_ ) .. ZilchOmundo ... "AVIT" :-)

fredreed reviewed v18.0.11023 on Feb 3, 2014

Winzip should be freeware not a pay app. In today's computer world winzip was once the best around but no longer is winzip a great app in fact I no longer use it because the makers of winzip are just idiots. They want you to pay for a app that should be free no thank you.

inkowyouknow reviewed v18.0.11023 on Feb 2, 2014

Agree, they did promise free updates for life then they changed there mind.Winzip was ok in its day, been long replaced by vendors like Pzip offering the same for no cost.

johnusa reviewed v18.0.11023 on Jan 31, 2014

Please NEVER buy or support WinZip.
They are liars, cheaters and crooks.
WinZip reneged, cheated, lied, fooled, and screwed their customers by promising that they will provide "LIFETIME" free updates and upgrades, then went back on this promise.
I will never buy any sh!t from this evil company.
Shame on WinZip.
WinZip can go to hell. They also have the nerve and audacity to ask $50 for their Pro version.
In fact even a score of 1 is too high, as WinZip deserves a big ZERO.
If you want the best software, then get WinRAR from www.rarlab.com, it is only $29.
I also recommend these 2 programs, both are better than WinZip and are FREE:
7Zip @ http://www.7-zip.org
PeaZip @ http://peazip.org
WinZip can burn in hell till eternity.
FYI the despicable company that owns WinZip is Corel.
Corel is a Canadian company, and you can read all about them here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corel
I will not touch this evil company with a ten foot pole.
I just want to get even with this horrible and lousy company and screw them the best way I can just like they did to their poor customers.

Sven123456789 reviewed v18.0.11023 on Jan 31, 2014

Not sure why this is still needed. Back in the day when anything over a 20 meg download took forever, you needed to compress your files. This was always an annoying software and nothing has changed over the years.

Artem S. Tashkinov reviewed v17.5 Build 10562 on Aug 6, 2013

50MB installer for an archiver? Tell me more

johnusa reviewed v17.5 Build 10480 on May 8, 2013

Please NEVER buy or support WinZip.
They are liars, cheaters and crooks.
WinZip reneged, cheated, lied, fooled, and screwed their customers by promising that they will provide "LIFETIME" free updates and upgrades, then went back on this promise.
I will never buy any sh*t from this evil company.
Shame on WinZip.
WinZip can go to hell. They also have the chutzpah to ask $50 for their Pro version.
In fact even a score of 1 is too high, as WinZip deserves a big ZERO.
If you want the best software, then get WinRAR from www.rarlab.com, it is only $29.
I also recommend these 2 programs, both are better than WinZip and are FREE:
7Zip @ http://www.7-zip.org
PeaZip @ http://peazip.org

ShahinD reviewed v17.5 Build 10480 on May 8, 2013

Works great
It's fast
If you use Zipx for compression, WinZip compress your files higher that Zip and RAR

some guy reviewed v17.5 Build 10480 on May 8, 2013

$30 for winzip when you can get 7zip for free ? and if you what to buy a archiving tool I would suggest Winrar

Raimondas reviewed v17.5 Build 10480 on May 8, 2013

The program works great.
Unfortunately they asks to pay 10eur per year for subscription.
Because of it I changed to PowerArchiver 13 which also works great no problems at all and plus you get life time license so there is no need to pay subscription fee.

TuxmanXP reviewed v17.5 Build 10480 on May 8, 2013

If you folks really think WinZip has not had any development since the 90s, you should stop reviewing it. Reviewing means actually having a glance at the software.

Admittedly, the functionality is still a bit low for the price; but WinZip itself is good. :)

Raimondas reviewed v17 Build 10283 on Jan 17, 2013

WinZip 17 build 10381. Works great. It is fast, easy to use.
Version 17 build 10283 was real prick, slow like hell (bad update).

aszure reviewed v17 Build 10283 on Oct 17, 2012

the program works. But why use this, when there's so many free, if not GPL, decompression tools out there? Sure it's prettier than 7-zip, but who really cares?

HeilNizar reviewed v16.5 Build 10096 on Aug 15, 2012

Joke-ware.

Music4Ever reviewed v16.5 Build 10096 on Aug 15, 2012

Just been on the 'Buy Winzip' page & for the full 'Pro' version they want UK£ 35.85 which equates at today's rates of US$ 56.25 + UK£ 7.08 'Upgrade Assurance' (yearly charge) - Total UK£ 42.71 or US$ 67.01 - Do they think people are stupid when there are zippers as good for free? (And that's with a 25% saving)

johnusa reviewed v16.5 Build 10096 on Aug 15, 2012

I am very surpised that this horrible software still exists.
Wish it would just die and disappear from the face of the earth.
Read my earlier review below to get deserving and recommended software instead of this piece if sh!t.

Sven123456789 reviewed v16.5 Build 10096 on Aug 15, 2012

Probably the lowest rated software product on betanews. And it deserves it.

FatBastard reviewed v16.5 Build 10096 on Aug 15, 2012

Is this crap still around?

johnusa reviewed v16.5 Build 10095 on Apr 18, 2012

Please NEVER buy or support WinZip.
They are liars, cheaters and crooks.
WinZip reneged, cheated, lied, fooled, and screwed their customers by promising that they will provide "LIFETIME" free updates and upgrades, then went back on this promise.
I will never buy any sh*t from this evil company.
Shame on WinZip.
WinZip can go to hell. They also have the chutzpah to ask $50 for their Pro version.
In fact even a score of 1 is too high, as WinZip deserves a big ZERO.
If you want the best software, then get WinRAR from www.rarlab.com, it is only $29.
I also recommend these 2 programs, both are better than WinZip and are FREE:
7Zip @ http://www.7-zip.org
PeaZip @ http://peazip.org

Uriel reviewed v16.5 Build 10095 on Apr 18, 2012

Garbage. After supporting this software for ten years I dumped it for 7-Zip. WinZip now installs a toolbar into your browser. Who wants that? WinZip is also trying to get you into the cloud. Any security conscious person knows how private that is. So they want you to pay to get data mined by not only using the cloud, but with the damned useless toolbar. Those greedy buggers ruined a good product. Get 7-Zip or anything else but WinZip.

Music4Ever reviewed v16.5 Build 10095 on Apr 17, 2012

@operaspurs - You are fully entitled to your opinion ~

My opinion WZ is expensive, intrusive & all the reasons 'operaspurs' loves it are the same reasons I dislike it deeply.

'It adds a link to your email and stores the file on the zipsend server ready for download. ' ~ Does any sane person really want this? ~ I know don't ~

Indésirable cher

-Lord- reviewed v16.5 Build 10095 on Apr 17, 2012

I'm surprised they still make this. Winrar is superior, but really... if you want something that is pretty much all around and FREE... 7zip.

operaspurs reviewed v16.0 Build 9715 on Feb 23, 2012

Well, it amazes me how many techies get soooo upset by winzip. Let's be clear; winzip does something that everyone else doesn't! They integrate beautifully into the windows interface. WinZip the software reads everything and writes to zip and zipx. It encrypts on the fly, and with the latest version of Courier, it integrates large file uploads with a click. It integrates with Outlook's ribbon, and with Gmail, Yahoo mail, and Hotmail completeley seamlessly. It adds a link to your email and stores the file on the zipsend server ready for download. Now, I know very well that all of this can be done manually, and if you are very tech savvy, it's easy. For most people in business, this is all a Faff, and the ability to just click once or twice and have it all done automatically is really terrific. With the speed of the internet now, rar and zip files have not got a huge difference. I have used winrar for a long time, and winzip too. But for ease of use, seamless and excellent integration - winzip really do the job well. I know that they may be only after money - so what? Isn't everyone with their software? Of course they are. Of course the free zippers and the paid for winrar do the job, but the interface of winrar is ugly and not completely user-friendly (for non techies) andI believe you get what you pay for, and actually, for business, Winzip and Courier are excellent.

Input Overload reviewed v16.0 Build 9715 on Jan 11, 2012

Just looked at the asking price in GB-£'s on the home page - They must think I've dropped off a Christmas tree. Get your head round this:-

Big Zipper includes:
WinZip Pro
WinZip Courier
WinZip Self Extractor
Now- (Actually this is a special offer) £73.85 - At today's exchange rate that's around $113 - For a bloody zipper! The GB-£ is actually worth around $1.55 yet Win-Zip charge the same price in GB Pounds as US Dollars.

Despicable. Use WinRar if you want the best.

I would be most interested if anyone from Win-Zip could explain this?

johnusa reviewed v16.0 Build 9715 on Jan 11, 2012

In fact even a score of 1 is too high, as WinZip deserves a big ZERO.
Please NEVER buy or support WinZip.
They are crooks.
WinZip reneged, cheated, lied, fooled, and screwed their customers by promising that they will provide "LIFETIME" free updates and upgrades, then went back on this promise.
I will never buy any sh*t from this evil company.
Shame on WinZip.
WinZip can go to hell. They also have the chutzpah to ask $50 for their Pro version.
If you want the best software, then get WinRAR from www.rarlab.com, it is only $29.
I also recommend these 2 programs, both are better than WinZip and are FREE:
7Zip @ http://www.7-zip.org
PeaZip @ http://peazip.org

johnusa reviewed v16.0 Build 9691 on Nov 29, 2011

Please NEVER buy or support WinZip.
They are crooks.
WinZip reneged, cheated, lied, fooled, and screwed their customers by promising that they will provide "LIFETIME" free updates and upgrades, then went back on this promise.
I will never buy any sh*t from this evil company.
Shame on WinZip.
WinZip can go to hell. They also have the chutzpah to ask $50 for their Pro version.
In fact even a score of 1 is too high, as WinZip deserves a big ZERO.
If you want the best software, then get WinRAR from www.rarlab.com, it is only $29.
I also recommend these 2 programs, both are better than WinZip and are FREE:
7Zip @ http://www.7-zip.org
PeaZip @ http://peazip.org

Uriel reviewed v16.0 Build 9686 on Nov 27, 2011

I updated WinZip today using the "EXPRESS" mode like I always do. What a mistake. First I had to uncheck an offer to to have them install Kaspersky trialware over my favorite already paid for firewall suite (We all know how that would go right?). Then I declined WinZip's desires to have information about my use sent to them. But the last straw was the brand new "UNWANTED" toolbar.

I used the "FORCED UNINSTALL" feature in Revo Uninstaller Pro to get rid of the WinZip Toolbar. The uninstaller for this toolbar can be located in it's own folder in the programs file folder. However, Revo still had to clean up a "BIG MESSY TRAIL" left over after the uninstaller ran.

Thank you WinZip. After paying for your services, I now have to pay to uncheck your affiliate ads that come integrated into the installer wrapper. Those who use the "EXPRESS INSTALL" end up wasting valuable time figuring out how to rid them selves of the "UNWANTED" toolbar from all of their browsers. Wow!

I had upgrade assurance for this software for the last few years, but I think I'm going to have to dismiss your software from my life now. I had some choice words for you folks at Corel, but I will decline to express them here because they are less than complimentary.

(((UPDATE - I now use 7-Zip)))

Ruf reviewed v16.0 Build 9686 on Nov 22, 2011

When I bought WinZip, I was assured of free Life Time upgrades.
Guess what? I now have to pay to get upgraded...WTF?
A deal is a deal, if you can't uphold your part...then issue a freaking refund.
I'm done with WinZip because they don't even abide by their own written agreements.

Input Overload reviewed v16.0 Build 9686 on Nov 22, 2011

Piece of junk from a less than reputable company, go for WinRar if you want the best. A WinRar licence seems to last & last

Strewth! - Look at the bloody size of it too - 52 Meg

(PeaZip - 4.8 meg)

Aucune étoile

tampabeachbum reviewed v16.0 Build 9661 on Nov 2, 2011

Years ago I purchased WinZip 8.1 and still use it for most of my WinXP zip/unzip work. I like its interface and support for gzip and tar formats on Windows. I recently switched to Win7-64 bit for development, using 7zip. There were some things I missed about WinZip so I recently purchased v15.5 and have been using it without a problem.

Today I got an e-mail about a free upgrade to v16 so I thought, sure why not? I followed the links and was first put off by the auto check of a Chrome install. I cleared that and proceeded to license agreement. I was surprised to find I was also agreeing to licenses for an array of crapware I didn't want. Scrolling down, I found I also had the convenience of agreeing to yearly crapware upgrades using my credit card. Thoroughly disgusted, I tried to print out the license to show others but there was no option to print it or even copy it, forcing me to use a screen clip utility.

This is not only a scheming ripoff by WinZip but also by the apparent owner Corel, a once-upon-a-time respected graphics app publisher now turned Internet thief. I don't care how well the program itself appears to work, they tried to rip me off in perpetuity using language buried in the fine print like an Extenze commercial. I hardly ever write reviews, but people have to be warned about these unethical pirates!

johnusa reviewed v16.0 Build 9661 on Oct 25, 2011

I am repeating my review on this new version 16:

Please NEVER buy or support WinZip.
They are crooks.
WinZip reneged, cheated, lied, fooled, and screwed their customers by promising that they will provide "LIFETIME" free updates and upgrades, then went back on this promise.
I will never buy any sh*t from this evil company.
Shame on WinZip.
WinZip can go to hell. They also have the chutzpah to ask $50 for their Pro version.
In fact even a score of 1 is too high, as WinZip deserves a big ZERO.
If you want the best software, then get WinRAR from www.rarlab.com, it is only $29.
I also recommend these 2 programs, both are better than WinZip and are FREE:
7Zip @ http://www.7-zip.org
PeaZip @ http://peazip.org

FatBastard reviewed v16.0 Build 9661 on Oct 25, 2011

This crappy program STILL can't create rar-files...

Nightside reviewed v15.5.9510 on Jun 14, 2011

Winrar is much, much better and even 7zip which is free, are both much better than this.

johnusa reviewed v15.5.9468 on Apr 19, 2011

Please NEVER buy or support WinZip.
They are crooks.
WinZip reneged, cheated, lied, fooled, and screwed their customers by promising that they will provide "LIFETIME" free updates and upgrades, then went back on this promise.
I will never buy any sh*t from this evil company.
Shame on WinZip.
WinZip can go to hell. They also have the chutzpah to ask $50 for their Pro version.
In fact even a score of 1 is too high, as WinZip deserves a big ZERO.
If you want the best software, then get WinRAR from www.rarlab.com, it is only $29.
I also recommend these 2 programs, both are better than WinZip and are FREE:
7Zip @ http://www.7-zip.org
ZipPea @ http://peazip.org

meatu reviewed v15.0.9411 on Mar 27, 2011

paid for life years ago gone after i month they suck ever since winror just keeps getting better

DudeBoyz reviewed v15.0.9411 on Mar 26, 2011

If you want to pay for a tool, Buy WinRAR Instead and DO NOT pay for WinZip.

Input Overload reviewed v15.0.9411 on Mar 26, 2011

If you want the best get WinRar If your skint 7Zip is as good as WinZip I think.

Sorry but WinZip is only worth 1 star.

FatBastard reviewed v15.0.9411 on Mar 25, 2011

I use Winrar cause it's so much bettar than this.

uzi reviewed v15.0.9334 on Mar 12, 2011

Does not worth the price. It lacks some useful features that other - completely freeware programs have, while it has some rather useless features that other programs lack. Furthermore, upgrades to newer versions are not free.

The latest version of IZARC is better. 7-Zip has all the features that a typical person needs. Both of them are freeware. If one is ready to pay for a very little extra - then Winrar would still be a better option than Winzip.

Input Overload reviewed v15.0.9334 on Dec 3, 2010

Use 7 Zip, it's just as good if not better. No one need pay for a decent zip/rar/etc zippo do-dah WinZip lost their way some time ago & still haven't found the way back.

krakokainer reviewed v15.0.9334 on Dec 2, 2010

johnusa is legit. Winzip lies to its customers. Go with better alternatives like winrar or even 7zip.

johnusa reviewed v15.0.9334 on Dec 2, 2010

Please NEVER buy or support WinZip.
They are crooks.
WinZip reneged, cheated, lied, fooled, and screwed their customers by promising that they will provide "LIFETIME" free updates and upgrades, then went back on this promise.
I will never buy any sh*t from this evil company.
Shame on WinZip.
WinZip can go to hell.
In fact even a score of 1 is too high, as WinZip deserves a big ZERO.
If you want the best software, then get WinRAR from www.rarlab.com
I also recommend these 2 programs, both are better than WinZip and are free:
7Zip @ http://www.7-zip.org
ZipPea @ http://peazip.org

To krakokainer: Thanks for your accurate and kind remark.
I always post my honest and real-life opinions. I am IT professional, and my reviews here reflect my straight and genuine experiences about the softwares that I post here, the good and the bad.

Nightside reviewed v15.0.9334 on Dec 2, 2010

This program is just deplorable. Compression results pale in comparison to other ones. Not only that but this company VIOLATE their agreements with customers regarding upgrades. Stay away from this trash!

Input Overload reviewed v15.0.9327 on Nov 29, 2010

johnusa, so please be more precise, are you saying you don't like 'Winzip' or not? We have no idea of how you feel about the program with you 'sitting on the fence'. Is it yes or no?

johnusa reviewed v15.0.9327 on Nov 29, 2010

Please do not buy or support WinZip.
They are crooks.
WinZip reneged, cheated, lied, fooled, and screwed their customers that they will provide "LIFETIME" free updates and upgrades, then went back on this promise.
I will never buy any sh*t from this evil company.
Shame on WinZip.
WinZip can go to hell.
In fact even a score of 1 is too high, as WinZip deserves a big ZERO.
If you want the best software, then get WinRAR from www.rarlab.com
I also recommend these 2 programs, both are good and free:
7Zip @ http://www.7-zip.org
ZipPea @ http://peazip.org

Update: To Input Overload,
I will be very precise, no I do not like WinZip, and I do not like or trust this company.
It is also an expensive program, $30 for standard and $50 for the pro version.
The softwares I mentioned above do a much better job cheaper, or even for free.

fredreed reviewed v15.0.9302 on Nov 14, 2010

Winzip is a terrible program, all it is a scam. They can't even come out with a freeware version of winzip. Why should we have to pay for this nonsense when there are other programs out there that are even better then this one and they are free to use.. I tried winzip but I was so upset that that I uninstalled it right away. If you like wasting money on garbage then winzip is for you. 7-zip is much better and more powerful to use then winzip.

azazel666 reviewed v15.0.9302 on Nov 10, 2010

What "johnusa" has written is 100% true. This company does not respect its customers. Go with winrar or 7zip

Raimondas reviewed v15.0.9302 on Nov 10, 2010

Winzip surprised me again :D This version 15.0 works much faster than 14.5!

johnusa reviewed v15.0.9302 on Nov 8, 2010

Once WinZip reneged, cheated, lied, fooled, and screwed their customers that they will provide "LIFETIME" free updates and upgrades, I will never buy any sh*t from this evil company.
Shame on WinZip.
WinZip can go to hell.
In fact even a score of 1 is too high, as WinZip deserves a big ZERO.

TuxmanXP reviewed v15.0.9302 on Nov 8, 2010

I still can't understand why WinZip should be "junk" now. It does its job, and it does it well.
Plus, there is .zipx, which is (technically) a really great archiving format!

Guys... try to be less childish.

Ball Sacks reviewed v14.5 Build 9095 on May 13, 2010

100% junk software.

pjb reviewed v14.5 Build 9095 on Apr 26, 2010

This version has really improved.
Great integration in Windows 7, a nice Office 2010 ribbon.

A good update, well worth installing.

grimson reviewed v14.5 Build 9095 on Apr 14, 2010

14.5 versions of a program that unzips!

Terijan reviewed v14.5 Build 9095 on Apr 14, 2010

I use Winzip since 12.0 and never had problems with it, i love it :) Perfect program to compress files ...

FatBastard reviewed v14.5 Build 9095 on Apr 13, 2010

Winrar is the only way to fly...

nvic reviewed v14.5 Build 9095 on Apr 13, 2010

Still one of my favorites. Been using it since the v6.3 on win95. I use it less than I used to since I have 7zip and universal extractor installed, but it's still a good looking tool that does the job.

Uriel reviewed v14.5 Build 9095 on Apr 13, 2010

I've tried others and came back to WinZip. It is the best of the best. I really like the option to right click on a file or folder and zip or compress from the context menu. Highly customizable as well.

SoundMix reviewed v14.5 Build 9095 on Apr 13, 2010

Works for me. Switched from WinRar.

YStevaert reviewed v14.5 Build 9095 on Apr 13, 2010

$30 for a hump of bloat that doesn't even know of the existence of multi-core processors. Please Winzip, it's time you pull the plug, of course you want to keep milking the millions of dumb****s on this earth, that I understand from your perspective.

JustForMyMemory reviewed v14.0 Build 9029 on Feb 24, 2010

I gave 5 stars since the version 12 for the support of 7Z and the make use of LZMA-spectacular compression.

Input Overload reviewed v14.0 Build 9029 on Feb 24, 2010

It's getting beyond me how you can keep on improving this piece of bloatware. There are plenty of free zippers just as good & I have used WinRar for some years and my key still works on the latest builds.

SoundMix reviewed v14.0 Build 9029 on Feb 23, 2010

Was using WInrar and some freeware apps but decded to give WinZip a chance. I like it. Winzip integrates nicely with Explorer and opens everything as expected. No problem with archiving either. Lots of configuration options are available.

ccardinfo reviewed v14.0 Build 9029 on Feb 23, 2010

WinZip is a monster... But is very popular!

thartist reviewed v14.0 Build 9029 on Feb 23, 2010

single-threaded.

tux. reviewed v14.0 Build 8688 on Dec 18, 2009

WinZip is one of the great old shareware apps that defy getting old and useless. Starting with version 12, WinZip provides a better .zip compression than most other applications (probably including WinRAR). .zip is still important these days while .rar is not. Also, there is a new format called .zipx which is meant to be a competitor to 7z. I think WinZip is still better than most people here might think. :)

DudeBoyz reviewed v14.0 Build 8688 on Dec 17, 2009

This app is slow and bulky compared to 7zip and WinRAR (when handling ZIP files), the licensing changes are flat-out a bad value, especially for those who paid for Lifetime updates and got shafted.

I can hardly believe that this product is still considered as worth purchasing. Annual "Upgrade Assurance".? Please...

grimson reviewed v14.0 Build 8688 on Dec 17, 2009

14 versions of a unzipper? to hell with it!

Terijan reviewed v14.0 Build 8652 on Oct 15, 2009

Yes, they ask yearly payment for upgrades. But how do you expect to get updates (and upgrades) with latests improvments ?! Winzip does its job perfectly and nice interface ... Though it still don't has one feature like Winrar:
try to span 4gb file (1gb each part for example) and make first file executable.
Winrar does it very nice, Winzip - don't. Only because i give 4.5 stars from 5.
Anyway, it is very nice archiver ...

pjb reviewed v14.0 Beta Build 8629 on Sep 22, 2009

Interfce has not changed.
Could not view a simple html file with the default viewer.

Would not pay for this..

alanpalmer reviewed v14.0 Beta Build 8629 on Sep 22, 2009

I, too used Winzip since Windows 3.1 until they reneged on Nico Mak's promise and started to charge for upgrades. WinRAR is better all round.

shallot reviewed v14.0 Beta Build 8629 on Sep 22, 2009

WinZip stopped being interesting the day I figured out RAR has a better compression and a lifelong license that you buy once, not yearly.

WinRar on my pc, RAR commandline (free) every else.

Scipio reviewed v12.1 Build 8519 on Jun 15, 2009

I bought WinZip when it first came out, I think around Windows 3.1, although I'm not exactly sure, And they kept giving me free upgrades until, all of a sudden, with the latest upgrade, they said I had to pay the full price, no discount.

I might have done so if they had offered me a discount, but no. Full price or nothing.

So, I didn't upgrade. The previous version still worked. And soon enough, I didn't need it any more. So, what's the point in using WinZip?

lzvk25 reviewed v12.1 Build 8497 on May 19, 2009

The enduring existence of this proves P.T. Barnum's credo : "There's a sucker born every minute".

Somnambulator reviewed v12.1 Build 8497 on May 14, 2009

a decent archiver but WinRAR is better in every way. 7-zip is satisfactory for being free. there's really no need to pay for any of these programs any more, even for businesses and schools.

but it doesnt still work adequately enough

Joco reviewed v12.1 Build 8497 on May 13, 2009

Winzip will not close business Novice people will still buy it or those who are fooled by the eye candy GUI. Proof? my company bought an enterprise license, in spite of recommendation of advanced users to go for freeware or open source + generous donation. There are still people who think "if it cost more it should be better".

And| reviewed v12.1 Build 8497 on May 13, 2009

I am having difficulties understanding why it is, this program is still beeing developed. Once it was the best and most powerfull, but they slept, while they should have been intuitive, and just making the program, more and more useless.

Who in their right mind would purchase this over winrar or powerarchiver? While we are at it, why pay? 7-zip, peazip, zipgenius and lots more are freeware or open-source.

The last thing I do not understand, is why this company is still alive, and not producing huge economical losses. Like my father once said, The last idiot, has'nt been born yet. To add to that, beeing naive is not an excuse anymore. With the words "google it", beeing so famous, my 84 year grandmother knows it, even a chimp could find a free, just as good alternative for WinZip.

Sir_timbit reviewed v12.1 Build 8497 on May 13, 2009

There's no reason to pay for this when you can get the excellent 7-Zip for free!

rstat1 reviewed v12.1 Build 8497 on May 13, 2009

dssdbs must be getting paid by WinZip to write favorable reviews. Actually quite funny if you ask me.

Me, I prefer either WinRAR or the inbuilt ZIP stuff in windows.

aloishammer reviewed v12.1 Build 8497 on May 13, 2009

There's just no point at all in paying money for this. WinZip needs to find some killer features to differentiate it from 7-Zip and WinRAR.

shallot reviewed v12.1 Build 8497 on May 13, 2009

Been using Rar and WinRar since 1998...that's more than a decade...There was no such product called WinZip back then...just PKZip and PKUnzip...used them for a couple of months and then found out about rar.exe and never went back to zip.

my company uses Winzip...but I just have a copy of WinRar handle zip as well...

And WinRAR is a lifetime validity license for $29...WinZip is per version...

7Zip is free...WinRar is almost free....except for logging and auth sigs...

Time for this company to close shop or just go freeware...

elitegangsta reviewed v12.1 Build 8497 on May 13, 2009

when .zip was the only compression method, this was a usable app... .rar is a better compression method along with 7zip. WinRAR does all the compression formatting i need and for free. WinZip needs to rethink their strategy or they will soon find themselves out of a company.

oomingmak reviewed v12.0 Build 8252 on Sep 15, 2008

1 point for WinZip using the absolutely fantastic WavPack audio compression system (http://www.wavpack.com) but other than that forget.

Dump this dated POS and use a decent compression utility.

Skyfrog reviewed v12.0 Build 8252 on Sep 11, 2008

dssdbs "Still the best Windows Compression utility available."

Thanks for the laugh. Are you still using Windows 3.1 also?

Joco reviewed v12.0 Build 8252 on Sep 11, 2008

New in version 12: may be match 25% of the features of a freeware archiver. Will possibly match 100% in version 99.

dssdbs reviewed v12.0 Build 8252 on Sep 11, 2008

Still the best Windows Compression utility available.

Undesired Username reviewed v12.0 Build 8252 on Sep 11, 2008

Every new WinZip registration comes with a free Ford Model T.

yokozuna reviewed v12.0 Build 8252 on Sep 11, 2008

Corel, where good software goes to die...

M3wThr33 reviewed v12.0 Build 8252 on Sep 11, 2008

Blah. So uninspired now. V12 now? Really?

Dreimanis reviewed v12.0 Build 8252 on Sep 10, 2008

works

Nighted reviewed v12.0 Build 8252 on Sep 10, 2008

lol

Banquo reviewed v12.0 Build 8252 on Sep 10, 2008

LOL

lzvk25 reviewed v12.0 Build 8252 on Sep 10, 2008

OMG !! This thing still exists ?

kindbud1 reviewed v12.0 Build 8252 on Sep 10, 2008

obsolete.

Rikrdo reviewed v12.0 Build 8252 on Sep 10, 2008

Five stars for their ability to stay alive for so long.

guti reviewed v12.0 Build 8252 on Sep 10, 2008

Too bad adding propietary compression extensions to the compression engine, and calling generated archives also ZIP.

Standard ZIP format does not support PPMD, nor WavPack compression, so it only causes ZIP files that are not able to be extracted by other ZIP tools.

Better call that format .winzip, and stick to the standard deflate and deflate64.

Paul Skinner reviewed v12.0 Build 8252 on Sep 10, 2008

Crap.
Was the first of its kind, but now rarely updated.
Broke their lifetime updates promise.

Amusingly, WinZip themselves don't use the latest versions.

If you run the WinZip 12 setup and click 'Info' you'll notice the setup was created with WinZip Self-Extractor 3.0. Version 3.1 has been out for ages.

doctoratus reviewed v12.0 Build 8252 on Sep 10, 2008

Unfortunately broken promises of lifetime updates and much better products from the competition leave much to be desired for winzip.

There are even free alternatives that are much better.

RIP WinZip.

DudeBoyz reviewed v12.0 Build 8252 on Sep 10, 2008

WinRAR and 7zip > WinZip

When it stopped being a Nico Mac product, it stopped being relevant, imo.

It also saw the end of the Free Lifetime Upgrade policy that Nico Mac had held to.

I simply see no reason why anyone should consider this product as a viable option given the competition and the increased pace of their development vs this product.

I guess it's a bummer that I cannor rate it a Zero. But to be fair, it lacks or is far behind on some of the key features that other archivers have, and given that there are some outstanding free alternatives, is not a good value either.

So, for an incredibly slow development cycle, for breaking the promise of free lifetime upgrades and for charging $30 for a product that is inferior to free alternatives, I rate it a 1.

WinRAR, a pay archive application, took the initiative when this product failed to and as a result created a superior product that is actually WORTH paying for. It handled multi-segmented archives better than just about anybody did, and established themselves as a worthy successor.

7zip, an open source competitor, is also superior, and not just because it is a free product. Instead of trying to reverse engineer, they successfully negotiated to include the ability to decrypt RAR archives. In addition, since it is open source, any security concerns brought to light may be addressed by the community at large and submitted for inclusion into the formal product produced by the 7zip project.

Finally, ZIP archive support has become a built-in feature for many operating platforms, and as a result, the need for WinZip to handle ZIP archives is no longer there.

I'm surprised that Corel ever bought the program, and am also surprised that they have not declared that the product has reached the "End Of Life" stage, given how much better the alternatives are.

catchpole reviewed v12.0 Build 8252 on Sep 10, 2008

ill stick with WINRAR, but thanks anyway

teohhanhui reviewed v11.2 Build 8094 on Apr 25, 2008

PUA included with latest installer (opt-in installation).

Winkler reviewed v11.2 Build 8094 on Apr 11, 2008

Skin Support?: Yes; Supports XP Themes

oh great....

CharlieGimbert reviewed v11.2 Build 8094 on Apr 11, 2008

Love my WinRAR!

donpacman reviewed v11.2 Build 8094 on Apr 11, 2008

WinZip gave up on development a long time ago.

agapecpus reviewed v11.2 Build 8094 on Apr 10, 2008

A well deserved 1. $30 for bloated software that is rarely updated or has any really innovation when they do update. Why?

buenamierdaxf reviewed v11.2 Build 8094 on Apr 10, 2008

Terrible software.

Much better freeware/shareware alternatives out there.

lokanetra reviewed v11.2 Build 8094 on Apr 10, 2008

jZip – a free WinZip alternative
www.jzip.com

sajjansinghania reviewed v11.2 Build 8094 on Apr 10, 2008

I totally agree with Mystenes and alanpalmer.

WinZip at one time was uncrowned king of encrypted files. They successfully overtook inventor GZip and renamed encrypted files as 'ZIP' files.

Unfortunately they fail to see writhing on wall (similarly as Microsoft) and still live in world of monopoly. With such dream WinZip has just one thing in mind, suck users try to force things, but they fail to see future.

If they are wise they must change their attitude, give more credence to customers.

One area where they still are storng is 'Help Files'. WinRar has pathetic userunfriendly 'Help Files'

I still love WinZip but will not unless they give up monopolistic mind get more customer caring.

It is impertinent but i wish to mention Microsoft has sure downfall in future, let WinZip not have the same future.

Mystenes reviewed v11.2 Build 8094 on Apr 10, 2008

I'm surprised that WinZip is still alive, anyway who will pay for something like that?

7zip - is better, faster, smaller, free.

alanpalmer reviewed v11.2 Build 8094 on Apr 10, 2008

Ever since they went back on Nico Mak's word and started charging for upgrades I've avoided this software. Instead I use WinRar, which can deal with a larger variety of compression types (including .zip). I'm no expert on security but don't have any need for 'unbreakable' encryption for my files. ;) I don't have many files where a particularly high compression level is vital, either, particularly nowadays when so many have high-speed Internet access and large hard discs.

dssdbs reviewed v11.2 Build 8094 on Apr 10, 2008

Still the best! Too many copycats out there trying to compete, even though they are free, you get what you pay for!

All the copycats are for the cheapskates of the world who want everything to be free.

We who actually pay for software know better!

Everyone just posting links to competitors are NOT writing a review, just posting off-topic trash! (like lokanetra)

lzvk25 reviewed v11.2 Build 8094 on Apr 10, 2008

OMG !! This thing still exists ?

oomingmak reviewed v11.2 Build 8094 on Apr 10, 2008

@ GrantTLC

Since when was WinRAR free?

madmike reviewed v11.2 Build 8094 on Apr 10, 2008

bad or not, it has helped so many and probably the one peice of software thats least registered. Agreed though that free alternatives are better

GrantTLC reviewed v11.2 Build 8094 on Apr 10, 2008

There are far better and FREE alternatives to this greedy and decrepit piece of code:

IZarc, Tugzip, Peazip, 7-zip, Winrar...to name but a few.

war593122 reviewed v11.2 Build 8094 on Apr 10, 2008

Still sucks!!

the artist reviewed v11.2 Build 8094 on Apr 9, 2008

Who could care about these very INFERIOR & OBSOLETE format and it's program???
For newbies to know, it compresses badly less than many other formats like RAR and 7Z.

Not that the soft is badly done, but the format should have gone to bed so long ago, a 2.

please retire or -start over again- with something much better than having .ZIP format as the star of the party. If you prove worth, all of us will like you.

blagojce01 reviewed v11.2 Build 8094 on Apr 9, 2008

YO man 13 mb? for unraring :( oooh unziping software winrar has the same even better code in just 1,2 Mb and 7zip in just .8 mb but that is not fast enough

Zebets reviewed v11.2 Build 8094 on Apr 9, 2008

OMG, is this still around? I remember using this on Windows 3.0 about a million years ago.

GrantTLC: WinRAR released a special free version a while back.

philosopher_dog reviewed v11.2 Build 8094 on Apr 9, 2008

Long gone. One word: Winrar.

MeanE reviewed v11.2 Build 8094 on Apr 9, 2008

Wow...who even uses Winzip these days?

Nighted reviewed v11.2 Build 8094 on Apr 9, 2008

WOW, WinZip put on 4MB of bloat since the last release.

WinZip 11.1 Build 7466: 9,031 KB
WinZip 11.2 Build 8094: 13,089 KB

Oooooh, look at all the new features!!! (4MB worth???):

* Unicode support to ensure international characters are displayed for filenames in a Zip file when the Zip file is shared between two computers having different code pages (the default set of text characters available for display.) For Unicode support, the Zip file must be created and opened with a zip utility that supports the Unicode extensions to the Zip file format such as WinZip 11.2

* Integrated support for LHA to create, open and extract LHA archives (.LHA and .LZH). This eliminates the need for a third-party DOS program

* Removal of support for DOS-based, third-party programs such as ARJ and ARC

* Minor bug fixes and enhancements

WOW, it can handle RAR files....whoop-dee-doo!!!

I'll stick with WinRAR thank you!

Andreas2000 reviewed v11.2 Build 8094 on Apr 9, 2008

The discription forgets to mention that WinZip nowdays open RAR files.

anonova reviewed v11.2 Build 8094 on Apr 9, 2008

Not sure why you would want to pay for an archiver when there are free and even better ones such as 7-Zip, PeaZip, etc.

Sven123456789 reviewed v11.2 Build 8094 on Apr 9, 2008

Jumped the shark a long time ago in a Galaxy far far away...

Project51 reviewed v11.2 Build 8094 on Apr 9, 2008

This should have a zero or negative rating.

Sephiroth... reviewed v11.2 Build 8094 on Apr 9, 2008

Useless trash. go IZArc.

Joco reviewed v11.2 Build 8094 on Apr 9, 2008

I wish there is a rating lower than 1. Winzip would be then top contender in my scale of low rating.

Nowadays, does it exist an archiver worse than Winzip? Who is crazy enough to PAY for this program?

Paul Skinner reviewed v11.2 Build 8094 on Apr 9, 2008

It was the leader of the pack a long time ago, now it's not even close.

Worse than that, they screwed over the people who were supposed to get 'lifetime updates'.

However, their other bit of software (WinZip Self Extractor) is quite handy occasionally, but they seem to have pretty much abandoned that too.

DudeBoyz reviewed v11.2 Build 8094 on Apr 9, 2008

Compared to WinRAR and 7zip, it's just not relevant. Not only that, but everyone who paid for the free lifetime upgrades got totally screwed. :(

Don't bother downloading this thing. Not worth the effort, imo.

shelb reviewed v11.2 Build 8094 on Apr 9, 2008

Winzip just preys on the stupid who are not experienced enough to know that there are tons of free programs like Jzip and Izarc that do the same thing without stealing your wallet.

buenamierdaxf reviewed v11.1 Build 7466 on Mar 19, 2008

Useless trash. go winrar.

dirtydeedz reviewed v11.1 Build 7466 on Sep 28, 2007

Does what it is supposed to do

Joe

www.winzip.com

Ball Sacks reviewed v11.1 Build 7466 on Jul 27, 2007

100% Junk.....

Mastertech reviewed v11.1 Build 7466 on Jul 5, 2007

What an irrelevant program for Windows users. Windows XP natively supports .ZIP thus you don't need this program. WinZip does not support .ACE or .ACJ unlike IZArc which supports them all for free:

"WinZip supports all operations on ARJ files but requires the external ARJ program." - Huh?

http://fileforum.betanew...tail/IZArc/1062544401/1

kronix2 reviewed v11.1 Build 7466 on Apr 20, 2007

You can either get better software for free, or spend your money on WinRAR or PowerArchiver.

I can't tell the difference between WinZip 7 and WinZip 11. As others have said, hardly anything's been changed.

JimmyMate reviewed v11.1 Build 7466 on Apr 18, 2007

Its true that this hasn't changed a lot from previous versions.

WinZip had its day back in the Windows 3.11/95/98 days but WinRAR is my recommendation.

[deXter] reviewed v11.1 Build 7466 on Apr 17, 2007

nvic:

It's not a question of hating the app; I used to use WinZip myself since windows 3.1. Unfortunately, it hasn't really improved much since then. Its the limitation of the zip format, they can't possibly improve its compression significantly without totally changing the algorithm.

There are plently of other programs that do more, have better compression, look better and cost cheaper than WinZip which means there could be no possible reason to use WinZip.

Why, WinZip is so poor, that it can't even Zip files as good as other programs do- create a zip with WinRAR, for eg, and you'll find that the zip created by WinRAR is actually smaller than that made by WinZip!

nvic reviewed v11.1 Build 7466 on Apr 17, 2007

I can't believe so many people hate this app. I've been using it since version 6.3

I do have a preference to WinAce over this though...I use both.

Dsfargeg reviewed v11.1 Build 7466 on Apr 17, 2007

It truly amazes me that there are still enough clueless morons around to support this bloated rubbish.

Don't waste your money on this crap, get Winrar instead.

akond153 reviewed v11.1 Build 7466 on Apr 17, 2007

Support rar format!!!
Some troubles with updates check (Frozen UI).

culoroto reviewed v11.1 Build 7466 on Apr 17, 2007

Avoid this like the plague. Much better is winrar.
Even 7zip which is free is better than this trash.

dkratter reviewed v11.1 Build 7466 on Apr 17, 2007

If you're looking for a full-featured client that handles nearly all of the important archive formats, your best bet is probably PowerArchiver (http://www.powerarchiver.com/). Its cheaper, is probably a little more full-featured, and looks very nice.

Alex Stevens reviewed v11.1 Build 7466 on Apr 17, 2007

You have to say one thing for them, they don't give up. I can't believe this program still exists though. Makes me want to break out my copy of Windows 3.1 and my 486. The thought of paying that much for this program when it does basically nothing compared to others like WinRAR and Powerarchiver is ridiculous. Sorry but WinZip sucks.

zridling reviewed v11.1 Build 7466 on Apr 17, 2007

Wow, this is so bad it's incredible. The installation process alone is enough to ruin your system. Avoid this trash like the plague.

nickpowers101 reviewed v11.0 Build 7313 on Nov 16, 2006

Great product. Very easy to use.

yokozuna reviewed v11.0 Build 7313 on Nov 16, 2006

WinZip v.11 is rather unimpressive if you compare it to its competitors, except of one thing only: it compresses WAV files MUCH better than anytning else. I know, I know, in fact the files are compressed with WavPack (therefore this kind of compression means that V. 11 are not recognised by the rest of compressors incl. WinZip v.10, moreover WinZip probably violates the license), but I think that the open source competitors should use this kind of algorithms too. More about it here: http://www.losslessaudio...p-11-beta-using-wavpack/

[deXter] reviewed v11.0 Build 7313 on Nov 16, 2006

You probably know this, but this is for all those people who are still in their "WinZip" world.

I'm comparing WinZip v/s WinRAR head on, since WinRAR is undoubtedly the most popular commercial compression utility.

Lets start with the obvious:

-Downloads: (As of Nov 16, 2006 on FileForum)
WinZip 82,926
WinRAR 237,238
-Price:
WinZip $29.95
WinRAR $29.00
-Compression ratio: (lower is better)
WinZip 24.7%
WinRAR 16.2%
-Built in SFX creation:
WinZip No
WinRAR Yes
-Flexible/Variable SFX formats (DOS/Console/GUI etc):
WinZip No
WinRAR Yes
-Language support:
WinZip English, Español
WinRAR Over 46 languages supported
-Platform support:
WinZip Windows 2000+
WinRAR Win 9x/NT/CE, DOS, *nix, BSD, Mac OSX, OS/2, MIPS, Solaris, BeOS, MorphOS, AmigaOS, QNX
-Installer Size:
WinZip: 7.3 MB
WinRAR: 1.0 MB

There are many more areas where WinZip looses to WinRAR like resource usage, format support, updates, features etc but I'll be stopping here to prevent this review from going too large. I'll leave the rest as an exercise ;)

zridling reviewed v11.0 Build 7313 on Nov 15, 2006

Far too little, too late. WinZip is the WordPerfect of archivers — trying desperately to hang on to its old glory days, but little used.

bourgeoisdude reviewed v11.0 Build 7313 on Nov 15, 2006

What is so evil about supporting the UNPACKING of .ace and .rar files? It doesn't require monthly royalties to provide this support!

Seriously, WinZip started causing their own unwaivering decline in popularity after version 6.3 SR-1...

oomingmak reviewed v11.0 Build 7313 on Nov 15, 2006

More and more bloat is added to this useless and out of date program, and the programmers STILL refuse to fix the issues with it that date back several years.

I too bought a "life time" licence about 5 years ago, not that I am bothered that I can't upgrade for free any more, because there's no way I'd put this P.O.S. on my system.

Paul Skinner reviewed v11.0 Build 7313 on Nov 15, 2006

That's shocking. Time to either move to WinRAR or keygen the bugger.

the artist reviewed v11.0 Build 7313 on Nov 15, 2006

This is absolute SH*T, yeh, listen to me... absolute SH*T!

It's so old and unefficient as anything i can think of. How can this still be around stealing the space of .rar and/or .7z?

Plus, they violated the agreements of lifetime updates?! F*ck 'em.

azazel666 reviewed v11.0 Build 7313 on Nov 15, 2006

I bought this product with the agreement that I would received lifetime of free upgrades only to have this agreement rescinded by the company.

Now that a new version is out that I should be able to upgrade to for free but cant this product is
coming off my computer.

A rating of 1 for two reasons: violation of the terms of purchase on part of the company and because there are much better and free alternative available.

alanpalmer reviewed v11.0 Build 7291 Beta on Oct 20, 2006

This used to be among the best shareware around. Now that they have reneged on the lifetime upgrades promise made by Nico I wouldn't buy this again if they paid me. I see that, again, WZ 11.00 won't be a free upgrade.

DudeBoyz reviewed v11.0 Build 7291 Beta on Oct 19, 2006

I have to rate this lower for a few reasons. One, all those folks who bought it with LIFETIME UPGRADES FREE got totally screwed. Two, the product has not kept pace with the leaders, including WinRAR and even 7zip.

Too little, too late, and a total rip-off for people who already bought it. NikoMak sold out big-time, and the thing doesn't even work as well as the competition. Screw 'em.

blagojce01 reviewed v11.0 Build 7291 Beta on Oct 19, 2006

When you need to extract or to archive something quickly don't use this. Use winrar it is light and very fast only 0.98 mb to download. It also have better compression and alot other things.

Paul Skinner reviewed v11.0 Build 7291 Beta on Oct 19, 2006

Taken from the WinZip 11 notes ( http://www.winzip.com/whatsnew110b.htm ):

".BZ2 and .RAR File Support (Extract Only)
Open .BZ2 and .RAR files."

Hooray!

Still can't compress to it though... that's annoying. Still WinRAR for me then.

Skyfrog reviewed v11.0 Build 7291 Beta on Oct 19, 2006

Amazing how just a name can sell a product. Winzip used to be a must have but today it is mediocre.

etrigan63 reviewed v11.0 Build 7291 Beta on Oct 19, 2006

That would be P.T. Barnum, founder of Ringling Bros, Barnum & Bailey Circus who said that, chief.

lzvk25 reviewed v11.0 Build 7291 Beta on Oct 19, 2006

Like I said 2 years ago.
"What is really incredible is that this extremely limited and old software still generates sells. This proves what J.P. Barney said : "There is a sucker born every minute !"."

b0mmel reviewed v11.0 Build 7291 Beta on Oct 19, 2006

This new version of WinZip is actually quite cool. I just did a quick test: it really fully supports rar archives. Even splitted ones with the filenames encrypted. If you prefer the zip format to rar (what I do), WinZip 11 is a very good option.

iamanon reviewed v11.0 Build 7291 Beta on Oct 19, 2006

Winzip used to be the king of all compression software but now it is about useless. Windows XP has zip built in and you have free utilities like 7-Zip and ZipGenius which are just as good and cost nothing. They are now owned by Corel. Usually once something goes under the Corel umbrella, it is all downhill from there.

Pensador reviewed v11.0 Build 7291 Beta on Oct 19, 2006

This was the only good file archiver when I got the internet back in 1996 and it stayed like that for about 4-5 years, but now the bottom line is: why would I pay $29.95 when there is a free, open-source alternative like 7-Zip available?

Sephirstein reviewed v10.0 Build 6698 on Jun 23, 2006

A total and utter waste. It doesn't support the ACE or RAR formats, which have both been relatively common in recent years (with ACE less popular than in 1999 or so though).

paulm reviewed v10.0 Build 6698 on Feb 24, 2006

People keep slamming this programme. I don't know why? It does what it's designed to do very well. Perhaps not as inovative as it was several years ago, but hey so what!
I only wish it would do .RAR files so I don't need two Zip programmes installed. Probably some sort of copyright issue stopping support for .RAR?
Version 10 doesn't do anything more for a basic user such as myself than version 7,8 or 9 did, but it just works.
Those of you who slam the hell out of Winzip should go and write your own programme... No I didn't think you could!

citrus reviewed v10.0 Build 6698 on Feb 24, 2006

This program is so '90s. back when there wasn't really alternatives this program was great. now its just old and bloated and still charges 30 bucks with out free upgrades. please people use something else. I use winrar even tho its shareware it doesn't bug you about money for 30 days and then its just every once in a while. and the compression ratio is much better and the program is god awful easy to use.

all tho i think this program deserves a 1 i am giving it a 2 since it was the first i used and pretty much started the zipping of files and the fact that they are still around and still feeding off of people is pretty impressive

8189720 reviewed v10.0 Build 6698 on Feb 24, 2006

This was a great program ... five years ago. I used it until now out of habit, but finally I formatted my hard drive and installed WinRAR and haven't looked back since. I won't repeat what has already been said before about why this program is inferior, but if you really want to know see the posts below.

Scipio reviewed v10.0 Build 6698 on Feb 24, 2006

I've been using WinZip ever since the first release, and it's been a reliable friend. I've always preferred it to programs like 7-zip that use formats no one else knows how to handle.

Frankly, I think WinZip made a big mistake not giving some sort of discount, even a modest one, to registered users of the previous versions. Especially since this amounts to a complete reversal of their earlier policy of free upgrades.

So, I'm sticking with Winzip 9. Pity.

Das mod reviewed v10.0 Build 6698 on Feb 24, 2006

compression ratio sucks ....
get 7zip or winrar which is far more practical ..
it even opens ISOs ....

winzip wont even do split volumes ...

thumbsdown

luckman212 reviewed v10.0 Build 6698 on Feb 24, 2006

not sure why this is getting attacked so heavily... I use this program 5-6 times a day or more and never had any problems with it.

sure, 7z and RAR offer some cool features and better compression, but when it comes down to it, 99% of people I send files to don't know what to do with a RAR file.

Windows XP's built in ZIP compression is weak compared to this, and I find that out of all the archivers out there, this one has the most intuitive GUI.

So bottom line: Winzip works. And when it comes to its native ZIP format, it's the best there is.

oomingmak reviewed v10.0 Build 6698 on Feb 24, 2006

Tired old rubbish that has bugs and design flaws going back more than 4 years (and which STILL have not been fixed).
Do yourself a favour, use something else (there's plenty of better options out there).

nicobarengo reviewed v10.0 Build 6698 on Feb 24, 2006

I still preferd WinRAR. I think WinZip it's getting more and more old and outdated.

RuDoLf reviewed v10.0 Build 6698 on Feb 24, 2006

RaR files - Torrents ...
WinZip is OLD program .. If they dont make some big changes, soon the program will DIE...

P.S. Sorry for bad lang. but I dont know very good English. :)

zridling reviewed v10.0 Build 6698 on Feb 24, 2006

Awful, expensive, limited, and still acting like it's 1993. WinZip is so dead.

CyberHobo reviewed v10.0 Build 6698 on Feb 24, 2006

Dumped it long ago for Power Archiver.

jafo818 reviewed v10.0 Build 6698 on Feb 24, 2006

WinZip still wins in my book on the GUI... I use it daily. Most of the files I download are NOT in RAR format. I don't know why people think others are better... This still is #1 in my book...

What are people downloading that are predominantly compressed with RAR?

fourte3n reviewed v10.0 Build 6698 on Feb 24, 2006

Sorry but this program is far beyond it's time and i cant see why the authors bother to continue, especially charging people.

This program doesnt stack up to the better, cheaper options that are available today.

LOOK ELSEWHERE

And| reviewed v10.0 Build 6698 on Feb 24, 2006

WinZip was the king of compression applications. Now its not, they slept while competition gave them an overhaul. Like another one said... it doesnt even support .rar files. For that reason, it is old software. If it supported .rar files, it might have had a chance. WinZip is dead, unless the developers find something new, and useful. It still looks like v.8...

Hellcat_M reviewed v10.0 Build 6698 on Feb 23, 2006

Winzip use to be the best years ago. Now I use IZarc, it supports every format I can think of 7z, RAR, Zip, and many more. I use to use power archiver, but then I found Izarc and it support all the same formats plus its free.

Project51 reviewed v10.0 Build 6698 on Feb 23, 2006

RAR vs ZIP

I don't really care which is better. But most files I downloaded are in RAR format so I have no choice but to use WinRAR, even though I don't like it... but like I said... I have no choice. And this WinZIP still doesn't support RAR. So tell me why would I get this if I have WinRAR already? which supports both ZIP and RAR.

twosheds reviewed v10.0 Build 6698 on Feb 23, 2006

There's nothing wrong with this app, I suppose, but why anyone would choose it over WinRar....well, there is one reason, and it's the reason I have left WinRar's compression default to 'zip' instead of 'rar' - Windows XP and most third-party file-managers (with the exception of WhereIsit, which is not meant as an Explorer replacement)cannot or do not treat RAR files as folders, whereas they can do so for the 'zip' format, meaning you can click on a zip file in a browser tree and examine the contents like any other folder.

The day Windows lets this be for RAR too, zip is rightfully a dead format!

alienvenom reviewed v10.0 Build 6698 on Feb 23, 2006

I still don't understand why anyone would consider buying this program. Much better programs exist. MOST, if not all, other compression programs support mutliple formats, not just ZIP. WinRAR, for example, is one. If you're going to purchase a compression program, purchase WinRAR. Additionally, if you're looking for a free compression program, there are serveral open source (free) products available on SourceForge: 7-Zip is one.

dougau reviewed v10.0 Build 6698 on Feb 23, 2006

Bug Fixes in thhi version?

robmanic44 reviewed v10.0 Build 6698 on Feb 23, 2006

There are probably a few million people who have grown accustomed to using WinZip and now people are saying "switch over to something else because it's better and it's free". Yeah, and if you don't know how to use it, it's useless. You can stare at your monitor and say "what do I do now".

CyberDog reviewed v10.0 Build 6698 on Feb 23, 2006

Freeware does more than this does (7zip,Tugzip,etc). If you really feel the need to spend the money, go for WinRAR or PowerArchiver...they're light years ahead of Winzip. With a variety like that, you're bound to find an interface you like, and any of the above will have exponentially more features/archive types than WinZIP. They all have advanced formats (7z or Rar), that crush zip format at compression. And of course, they all support zip for compatibility. Not only that, but the Rar and 7z formats become more popular by the day. And WinZIP expects people to pay hard earned money for a product that supports none of the above? Please.

And finally, anyone who votes for this software because of it's interface clearly a) has not tried a variety of the competition and b) has no clue about the other compression formats available today.

imanino reviewed v10.0 Build 6685 on Dec 26, 2005

Pretty much burned out. When you stop innovating in an area where freeware does more than your package and you're trying to charge money..it's time to stop. WinZip would be better adviced marketing their self-extractor technology which has some great security features and giving this away.

zridling reviewed v10.0 Build 6685 on Nov 21, 2005

WinRAR has a "clunky interface"? Not.

WinZip isn't bad, but its inability to handle either RAR or 7z files render it useless in the face of other, better zip-only programs. 7-Zip isn't the only game in town. Check out Squeez, for instance.

nickpowers101 reviewed v10.0 Build 6685 on Nov 19, 2005

For handling zip files, it's very good.

DigitalSin reviewed v10.0 Build 6685 on Nov 19, 2005

Winzip is still the best. People say "Why buy Winzip when XP has its own zipping mechanism?". Well, I've executed numerous tests and Winzip completely outperforms XP's zip utility by about 150%.

What about 7 zip? Well, its easy; 7Zip sucks. The interface is horribly clunky, doesn't support drag and drop last I tried it out.

What about WinRar? Also a clunky interface. I will say that I like WinRAR's performance and the ability to read into ISO files.

If you're gonna actually spend money on a zip util, you might as well get it from the guys who've been doing it forever (barring pkzip).

Caleb reviewed v10.0 Build 6685 on Nov 19, 2005

You seriously have to be an idiot to keep using this crappy software.

Not only that WinZip has the worst interface (how about showing DIRECTORIES inside the Zip for the love of god?), the ZIP format itself is _very_ much lacking.

The ZIP format does not support Unicode (it uses OEM encoding) so it's just s***.

Blackhole8746 reviewed v10.0 Build 6685 on Nov 19, 2005

I do enjoy using WinZip... But WinRAR is still better

psychoactive1 reviewed v10.0 Build 6685 on Nov 18, 2005

Am I losing it, or do I recall updates of the product for life if you were a registered user?

Too bad, I won't spend the money to upgrade.

Scipio reviewed v10.0 Build 6685 on Nov 18, 2005

I bought WinZip a couple of days after Nico Mak first issued it, and I've used it ever since. I've rated it high because it's a great program and I've seen it through nine major updates and a fair number of betas.

But I'm not planning to buy version 10. I doubt that the new business model will succeed. Too bad. I guess there comes a time when every shareware program comes to an end, and this appears to be that time for WinZip.

dougk2 reviewed v10.0 Build 6685 on Nov 18, 2005

Anyone considering to pay for the upgrade would be well served to evaluate competing products such as WinRAR. Certainly we will be doing so here at work where we have an old enterprise license for this product.

I give WinZIP a 4 rating strictly on its merits as a mature app that works.

mjmarshall reviewed v10.0 Build 6685 on Nov 18, 2005

For existing (paid) WinZip users, the upgrade fee is too much for too little.
For example, many of the new "features" would generate ZIP files that may not be compatible with many (most?) other ZIP utilities (defeating the ZIP format's greatest strength: ZIP's created with one application can be read by any other, even on another platform).
Also note that the command-line add-on (great for scripts), free with WinZip 9, now requires the more expensive Pro version of WZ 10.
While I have no problem with WinZip moving to paid upgrades, they need to make those upgrades much more compelling.

dougau reviewed v10.0 Build 6667 Final on Nov 3, 2005

okay, i got my upgrade and save 50% off the WinZip 10.0 retail price email but on top of that they want $11.95 for a years worth of "upgrade assurance" see http://www.winzip.com/ua.htm this is insane!!

oomingmak reviewed v10.0 Build 6667 Final on Nov 2, 2005

I checked out v10 (just for a laugh). Sure enough they STILL haven't fixed a whole bunch of usability issues that go back several years.

This program is tired and dated.

Look elsewhere for your compression software.

yamaneko reviewed v10.0 Build 6667 Final on Nov 2, 2005

Eh, registered users get 50% of the WinZip 10.0 list prices. No way, never!

donpacman reviewed v10.0 Build 6667 Final on Nov 1, 2005

Who's ever calling the shots at WinZip needs to go!
WinZip is 10 years behind the times.

Psycho-uk reviewed v10.0 Build 6667 Final on Nov 1, 2005

Used winzip from day one but now find it very lacking in any true relative update and the charge they now expect however small does not warrant an upgrade. 7zip has a far better compression ratio and i also like the features with PowerArchiver.
WinZip should now be dead and buried and the coding team should get their heads together and come up with something else.
My 2 cents worth ;-)

Neoprimal reviewed v10.0 Build 6667 Final on Nov 1, 2005

I am inclined to agree with the other reviews. However, let me mention right now that winzip isn't a bad program at all. It's a great compressor and a stable program. Unfortunately, and especially in light of other 'great' programs with similar functions - the mean doesn't justify the end. It's it's one thing I HATE with software companies, it's greed. So, on that note. 5 for the program, 1 for the price - and a reduction even further for blatantly uncaring programmers (who really do completely ignore user requests).

zridling reviewed v10.0 Build 6667 Final on Nov 1, 2005

I think the only people still using WinZip are people who also use AOL. Just awful the direction this software has chosen to use old archive formats.

alanpalmer reviewed v10.0 Build 6667 Final on Nov 1, 2005

I can see no real purpose in upgrading. I have WinZip 9, use it regularly, and like the program. However the new features are nowhere near enough to justify paying out. Good on them for not asking for money for prior upgrades, but they have made a mistake asking for extra this time.

r-eyes reviewed v10.0 Build 6667 Final on Nov 1, 2005

I think Winzip stopped in the time and all others have left behind.

ZombieREA reviewed v10.0 Build 6667 Final on Nov 1, 2005

Actually with me Winzip is one of good compressor.
But this time i choosed Winrar for me for better ratio compress.

I think if i dunt have Winrar. Winzip is my choice.

oomingmak reviewed v10.0 Beta 2 Build 6644 on Oct 8, 2005

This program used to be an indispensable classic, but the company lost its way a long time ago (after version 8). The developers are ignorant and arrogant and refuse to listen to the complaints and enhancement requests of their paying customers (so that well known bugs and problems persist from version to version without ever getting fixed).

If Winzip developers are happy to ignore their users then users should do the same and ignore Winzip.

There are far better alternatives out there.

dejavu reviewed v10.0 Beta 2 Build 6644 on Oct 7, 2005

Living In The Past? Why Winzip, one of the first zip tool for Windows (excellent program), still ignore
new archivers formats?

Banquo reviewed v10.0 Beta 2 Build 6644 on Oct 7, 2005

Who still uses the zip format? That should have died with the zoo and arc formats by now. WinZip doesn't support creating any of the modern formats like 7zip and it isn't even free! Shareware in 2005? Forget that. I could buy a game like Half-Life 2 for the price of this dated utility.

fourte3n reviewed v10.0 Beta 2 Build 6644 on Oct 7, 2005

meh! well past it's time. if it were free like so many of it's competitors it may be a top runner. but i wouldn't pay for this when if dont need to.

it works though.... so it gets 1 star!

serendipityguy reviewed v10.0 Beta 2 Build 6644 on Oct 7, 2005

They do not offer the free upgrade for users which means that they are not the company that I would want to use in my business, nor would I favor a partner as such. Rar is the way to go, dont be fooled by the hype, winzip has been around for a while, and the updates are solely to generate revenue for the capalist company.

I suspect it is a company employee who is the one or are the one's who are favoring this app. Beware

dougau reviewed v10.0 Beta 2 Build 6644 on Oct 7, 2005

It's not worth the money to pay for this upgrade if you are already a registered WinZip user.

From the WinZip website:

"Note: WinZip 10.0, when it is released, will not be a free upgrade. If you are a registered user of a previous version of WinZip and install WinZip 10.0, WinZip 10.0 will not be a registered version. If you have a multi-user license and you wish to try WinZip 10.0, make sure you save a backup copy of your current WinZip before installing WinZip 10.0, so you can go back to your previous registered version of WinZip, if you so desire. You do not need to uninstall your prior, registered version of WinZip. You can install this version of WinZip to the same location as a previously installed copy of WinZip.

Once released, the Standard version of WinZip 10.0 will cost $29.95, WinZip 10.0 Pro will be $49.95. Existing registered single-users will be able to upgrade to WinZip 10.0 Standard for only $14.95 and to WinZip 10.0 Pro for only $24.95. Proof of purchase will be required."

MarcFou reviewed v10.0 Beta 2 Build 6644 on Oct 7, 2005

By far the best compression utility out there. Winzip provides a balance of features, speed & ease of use.

The GUI second to none and makes other apps look "dated".

The new features in beta 10 make this a no contest IMHO.

yleclerc reviewed v10.0 Beta 2 Build 6644 on Oct 7, 2005

Too bad they do not offer the free upgrade for past users. It looks like the other "free" alternatives are better now!

itsmarcos reviewed v10.0 Beta Build 6604 on Sep 15, 2005

Sorry to burst your bubble, but WinZip is very widely adopted by the corporate world. If you send a winrar attachment to non-technical people they usually ask you to send it in zip.

Iria reviewed v10.0 Beta Build 6604 on Sep 14, 2005

Why do people use RAR on the Internet? Because it compresses files much better than ZIP does. Unfortunately, WinZip, which used to own this program space, is now so far behind the times it's probably too late.

GoodThings2Life reviewed v10.0 Beta Build 6604 on Sep 14, 2005

I actually like WinZip's interface better than WinRAR or WinACE. Aside from that, I don't know what the heck people are downloading that requires RAR only instead of other, more common formats such as ZIP, TAR, or CAB, or whatever.

What I'd love to see at this point is something that can handle MSI and MSP (Windows Installer & Patch) files.

I'm rating this a 3 since there really isn't any innovation to *any* ZIP softare anymore, and while it has a better interface (in my opinion), its use is fairly standard and limited.

Wes reviewed v10.0 Beta Build 6604 on Sep 14, 2005

1999 called.

it wanted its program of the year back.

sorry, winzip, you're just not worth it anymore.

serendipityguy reviewed v10.0 Beta Build 6604 on Sep 14, 2005

The One thing that this Amp does is take up space, other than that, does not support .rar which is by far the best application.

has a very limited file extension supports, can not do half the things that .rar does, which is why I wonder, how long will they be around ?

I think that this is type of app that should have not been reviewed.

zridling reviewed v10.0 Beta Build 6604 on Sep 14, 2005

WinZip dies with this version. With so many other freeware zip apps who do the same [very limited] things that WinZip does, I can't imagine anyone paying for this. Add the fact that the program is split among four different modules and versions, all found in other apps.

norky reviewed v10.0 Beta Build 6604 on Sep 14, 2005

no rar support is a horrible thing.

rijp reviewed v10.0 Beta Build 6604 on Sep 14, 2005

You people are killing me. You want a product, whose research and development takes a few months, to support a new product that's been out 1 week? Are you ****ing serious? Everyday I am amazed at the stupidity of people that have no idea what it takes to make a product, you whine about no support, and the damn product isn't even out of beta yet.

Here's an idea, get a clue! Be patient, they can't implement something today, what came out yesterday, and who says 7z is better than PMD? Eh? It was just REVIEWED but hasn't been test. The next hurricane that comes to USA, be in it, ok? Thanks.

zridling reviewed v10.0 Beta on Sep 7, 2005

WinZip went for PPMd compression over 7z, and I'd love to know why. It was reviewed this week along with other archivers here.

ddebidin reviewed v10.0 Beta on Sep 4, 2005

This software has a great intuitive interface for managing of zip archives. WinZip has been an internet packaging standard in the past but that no longer applies. There are far superior software with more features and greater compression.

theheff reviewed v10.0 Beta on Sep 1, 2005

WinRar is better. WinZip is a little too bloated for my liking, not to mention it's not as fast.

DarkMana reviewed v10.0 Beta on Sep 1, 2005

Ok, please... yes, its a ZIP program, but jesus h.... its so outdated in the way it does things. Other competing problems actually SUCCEED in not annoying the hell out of you and allow you to open more then one freakin file at a time.

horsecharles reviewed v10.0 Beta on Sep 1, 2005

Call me jaded, but i see nothing in this latest version worthy of writing home to mama about.
Further, no shareware archive app tempts me enough to open up the wallet.
It's a good product, but so are several of its competitors, most of which are free and/or have additional features/ better performance.
What would tempt loosening up the purse strings?
As AnthonyB states, if one app could be the one-all / be-all. And never would i follow Orbiting234's example of using multiple pay apps.

bobad reviewed v10.0 Beta on Sep 1, 2005

I don't get it. WinZip is a fine program, but how in the world can it survive with 2 or 3 better programs available for FREE? IZArc, for example handles every archive you can think of, including RAR, CAB, ISO, BIN, IMG, and NRG. On the 1 hand, you have WinZip for $29 that won't even handle RAR archives. On the other hand you have IZArc for free that handles just about anything. Which one to use is a no-brainer. I wish WinZip would get with the program and fight back.

mjm01010101 reviewed v10.0 Beta on Sep 1, 2005

A dying software need. There are better alternatives out there. I rate 10 so low because I had a coporate sponsorship and they never responded to my pleas for reinstalling the software on our network, after our perpetual license.

AnthonyB reviewed v10.0 Beta on Sep 1, 2005

As the first Shareware program I actually ever paid for almost 10 years ago WinZip has always been an "old faithful". But over the last few years, the very average support, unenthusiastic responses to feature requests (my god, they only make a few products yet they only release a new version of WinZip about every 2 years!! How many new features are there in each release?? 3-4??), the narrow range of formats supported (they really should just bite the bullet and add RAR support!!) which means I always need at least WinRAR and often WinImage as well means that I'm only giving a score of 3.

C'mon WinZip - listen to your loyal customers and give them what they ask for!

Metshrine reviewed v10.0 Beta on Sep 1, 2005

I love how people have to troll fileforum and spam reviews with posts that have nothing to do with the program being reviewed. They do not even bother to download the program and try it out, they simply post "winrar rocks, winzip sucks, roflmaobbq". I am sorry, but winrar is NOT the standard format, nor is 7zip. For those of you who claim 80-90% of sites now use the rar format, your wrong. I have seen VERY FEW commercial sites that utilize the rar format for distribution. Zip is still the most widely used. Rar is mainly used to distribute copyrighted material over p2p networks. I know this because I used to be involved with it, and this can further be proven by going to any site that distributes copyrighted material. Please, dont assume that just because the piracy fanatics make rar their format of choice that it is the most utilized format in the rest of the world.

Winzip is a great program, has always been. No, it might not support all the formats out there, but again, most of those are used VERY RARELY (such as ace). Zip is the primary format on the windows platform, while tarball, gzip, and bzip/bzip2 are the primary ones supported on linux. Winzip only needs to support those formats as those are the formats a majority of people use. It would be nice if they supported every format under the sun, but they dont need to. The majority of winzip users only need the major formats, they dont need niche formats like ace, rar, and 7zip. I have yet to see a company that utilizes ANY of those three mentioned formats or has a need to do so. So please, quit trolling winrar and 7zip here, and rate the program at hand. It did lose a point because it didnt support more formats, but again, I understand the reason they choose not to. The new cd wizard is a great feature for those who choose to automate their backups. The new bzip2 max deflate method is outstanding, havent tried the PPM one yet. The interface finally got a much needed updating and overhaul. Anyways, perhaps adding a few more linux distribution formats would make me rate this a 5, but I will give them a 4 for the vast improvements to the program that they have made.

ALSO, Please stop rating low simply because a program is not free. not every program on the market can be free otherwise innovation would be stifled. Developers have to make a living and just because you base your sole decision for using a piece of software on its price doesnt mean everyone does. Most free programs, like 7zip, require you sacrifice a lot in usability in exchange for it being free (this is NOT ALWAYS the case, but is most of the time).

1uk3 reviewed v10.0 Beta on Sep 1, 2005

It's good but I prefer WinRAR.

Kramy reviewed v10.0 Beta on Sep 1, 2005

-1 Shareware.
-1 Doesn't support lots of formats, so I'd need multiple programs.
+1 Simple user friendly interface.
+1 Nag screen does nothing.

I prefer 7-zip for everything. The interface is uncluttered, and although nobody in my family can run it, I get better compression ratios than any zip or rar file could ever achieve(although I haven't tried WinRar 3.50).

The main problem with 7-Zip is there's no "I'm a dummy, do the best" option for people that aren't willing to mess with it for 30 minutes until they understand it.

The main problem with Winzip is the lack of format support when I can get all that and more in freeware, as 7-Zip.

Lurifax reviewed v10.0 Beta on Sep 1, 2005

This tool was good like 10 years ago. Now 80-90 percent of the compressed files are rar-files, which makes WinZip rather useless. Use another tool, like WinRar.

dazran reviewed v10.0 Beta on Sep 1, 2005

Only WinRAR and 7-Zip =)

LordNikon reviewed v10.0 Beta on Sep 1, 2005

I agree with Scipio, I have also used WinZip since the Windows 3.1 days. Everyone should give the company it's due credit for making great Zip software. I have also Used WinRAR, WinACE, 7-zip and most of the others. I use WinRAR the most, but Winzip still has a place on my desktop. w00t!!!!

Crypton reviewed v10.0 Beta on Sep 1, 2005

dont know why people complain, If you do not like winzip, don't use/try it and don't complain about what it does not support. Fact is, Zip is the most widely used format. Winzip supports your "basic" zip formats. Rar, and others are not standard. Where as Winzip can do Cab ect.. which are the "basic standard" archives used widely by users and developers alike.

Who cares if it is not "free" another fact. Winzip just nags you when you open, you simply click a button to continue.. Even after 30 days, the functionality of the program does not quit.. It continues to allow you to use it regardless.

You are not forced to pay anything. I prefer Winrar myself, I admit, but I still use Winzip for many things, and unless you really know what you are doing, there are things Winzip can do that Winrar and others cannot :) If you have not figured that out yet, you will never know :) All depends on your needs and what you are packaging, some files as well get a better compression rate using Winzip and certain settings than others such as Winrar or 7zip.

There are many other features about Winzip that are good that most of you have probably never even used, you most likely just zip up a file and say bleh, well, why not check out all it has to offer? Check out everything from automation to the zip and compression features, play around with the settings..

don't just post bad scored because you feel it is not as good as something your using, A program does not need to support everything "under the sun" in order to be good. It provides exactly what the developers wanted to support and that is the basic used all around formats that are used for various packaging, distrobution and installer methods. Not sure if you noticed but most arhives you download from many places are .zip Only smaller sites and personal site users use anything else, take places such as Fileplanet for example, huge gaming community providing all sorts of gaming software, news ect.. What do they use? Exactly.. They did not need anything else under the sun to simply place a set of files in a zip.

How exactly is it ugly? It is a clean layout, simple to use easy to understand. Winrar looks almost identical, cept the skin being different. So again, what makes it any uglier than the others?

Now compare:
http://xs44.xs.to/pics/05354/comparewzipwrar.jpg

Tell me exactly how Winzip is ugly? In fact the icons even look better than Winrar..

I am a hardcore Winrar users, I use it for everything pretty much, 99% of what I do ends up in a rar file, but most of you peeps are so impartial it is pathetic.

The Beta 10 has been out how long?? And already a few crap posts about it, did you bother testing it, or just feel like getting your word in about your feeling on the program?

Pathetic..

kgruber reviewed v10.0 Beta on Sep 1, 2005

The program provides basic archive capabilities however it is a poor buy in light of competing and free alternantives. 7-Zip a freeware program supports RAR files which are very common, yet this feature still eludes version 10.0!

PowerArchiver has a WinZip like interface and costs $10.00 less and supports nearly every archive file format under the sun!!!!

I have a rhetorical question for WinZip developers. Why would I want to pay money for a software that fails to support many common file formats when there are free or less expensive alternatives available. I just don't see the value.

Jose reviewed v10.0 Beta on Aug 31, 2005

yes your wrong

kashin reviewed v10.0 Beta on Aug 31, 2005

I really don't understand why some people still defend this program and herald it as the definitive compression utility, when it's anything but. On one hand, I know what it's like to get attached to a piece of software and feel reluctant to try a similar product, let alone make the switch. On the other hand, if you do take the plunge and try something else (WinRAR for instance), how can you go back to this lackluster, ugly thing? Granted, it is far more simplistic than some other solutions and this may appeal to some. (ie. the elderly, the computer illiterate and people who aren't tech savvy) Personally, I've tried them all and I would rather use anything OTHER than WinZip. That's just my $0.02 and I'm probably wrong.

Scipio reviewed v10.0 Beta on Aug 31, 2005

I've been using WinZip from the beginning, on Windows 3.0 or 3.1. I was actually put on to it by the makers of the original DOS zipping program, who foolishly decided that adapting their program to Windows wasn't worth the trouble. When I asked them asking if they planned to do a Windows version, they replied that they were not, but that if I really wanted such a silly thing there was this little program called WinZip. . . .

I'm sorry to see the free upgrade ride finally come to an end, but it's certainly been going for a VERY long time.

I suppose nobody likes to pay for something if they can get it free, but Niko Mak certainly deserves to get a little money for upgrading this excellent product for so many years.

marty reviewed v10.0 Beta on Aug 31, 2005

I have to give Niko Mak a 1 here for the same reasons as most other reviewers. Let's see - I UPGRADED to ver 6.0. I used it on OS/2. Guess that's been a long time. A permanent upgrade policy was promised. Guess I'll put Winzip 9 on my machine but actually I use WinRar for everything.

uNdisputed reviewed v10.0 Beta on Aug 31, 2005

hi, i`m a registered user since long...the older version`s did`nt need to be bought again,
and rar file`s you still need win rar????lol not upgrading..

gawd21 reviewed v10.0 Beta on Aug 31, 2005

I have used Winzip for a very long time now. I love them. I however am not going to buy 10. I will stick with 9. I did run this for a little while, I didn't see any reason to buy a newer version. If you don't own it then buy 10. There were a few things added to 10, but not worth the extra $29 for me to buy it again.

dougau reviewed v10.0 Beta on Aug 31, 2005

I have been a legally registered user of Winzip since version 6.3 in 1997. While I can understand version 10 not being a free upgrade, to me paying full price to upgrade from version 9 to 10 is just not worth the $30.00 asking price, should Nico Mack Computing, Vector Capital, or whoever owns WinZip now decide to offer a decant upgrade price I may reconsider.

jaybergen reviewed v10.0 Beta on Aug 31, 2005

Another thought to put the update cost (whatever that'll be) in context. I bought Winzip back in 1997. The price has remained the same up to now. All updates have been free, year after year, version after version. I'm not thrilled to have to pay to upgrade, and maybe I'll stick with version 9. But I don't think what they're asking for is unreasonable given their track record.

rotjong reviewed v10.0 Beta on Aug 31, 2005

The changes appear to be decent and it's about time for more advancement. Is anyone actually surprised at it not being a free upgrade? The program has been pirated for at least a decade by many and others just haven't registered it because it wasn't required. Vector Capital is in the business of buying out companies and recapitalizing them. As was already been written in older articles when the buyout took place, Vector Capital intends on using the "carrot-and-stick" method to get users to register WinZip with the addition of new features. I would guesstimate that maybe a maximum of 5% of the existing WinZip users legally registered the product. I hope they continue to advance WinZip even though I prefer PkZip and WinRar for everyday use.

Esquire reviewed v10.0 Beta on Aug 31, 2005

Their beta information page reads: "Caution, WinZip 10.0 is not a free upgrade. If you are a registered user of a previous version of WinZip and install WinZip 10.0, you will no longer be registered."

What?!! This is what we registered users get after being sold to Vector Capital for years of support the product when many have moved on to other products! Just for this I'm giving it a "1" rating.

It's WinRAR only from now on even though I prfer WinZip's interface.

iknowyouknow reviewed v10.0 Beta on Aug 31, 2005

I`ll give it 5, its been around since the year dot, relaiable and dependable, its the mutss nuts, the wizards cuff :) marvellous. only downside as noted in another review here, STILL no Rar support.. otherwise great!

Dreimanis reviewed v10.0 Beta on Aug 31, 2005

it's a progress! wondering, why they don't include rar support. because of this 4 stars.

Tanya Tara reviewed v9.0 SR-1 on May 5, 2005

my large files are split into smaller files, so that i can email them seprately as my email
systems limit the size of attachments.

Christopher Reeve reviewed v9.0 SR-1 on May 5, 2005

it has a simple step-by-step instructions guide, even a novice can install it easily.

Ramchandra reviewed v9.0 SR-1 on May 4, 2005

i like that feature where files are scanned for viruses.

Asa Asher reviewed v9.0 SR-1 on Apr 4, 2005

I'd rate this 5 just because of its usefullness and the stability.

JohnEric reviewed v9.0 SR-1 on Apr 1, 2005

Winzip should start adding new features into it. It still is the best program for me!!

Shiv Shankar reviewed v9.0 SR-1 on Mar 28, 2005

If there is support for RAR, I would give it more stars!

Bright Clarita reviewed v9.0 SR-1 on Mar 28, 2005

I don't think there's anything better out there, until I make it myself!!

Liza Donald reviewed v9.0 SR-1 on Mar 28, 2005

Highley Recomended!!
Thank you Winzip!

Tushar Kapoor reviewed v9.0 SR-1 on Mar 24, 2005

great program! a must have

Maya Mayon reviewed v9.0 SR-1 on Mar 23, 2005

Good in unzipping everything. Using Winzip from the day when i purchased my first computer!

Stella Crow reviewed v9.0 SR-1 on Mar 22, 2005

Easy to use. Straight forward and integrates into windows nicely.

Kedar Kirti reviewed v9.0 SR-1 on Mar 17, 2005

Good. I use this program for all my compression requirements, but WinRAR is needed for a rar file

robmanic44 reviewed v9.0 SR-1 on Sep 7, 2004

I don't see anything better out there, until I do it's WinZip for me.

bourgeoisdude reviewed v9.0 SR-1 on Aug 29, 2004

One thing WinZip does do better than all other compression software--just has better compatability, and opens some .cab files that winrar and winace don't, as well as those rare but annoying .hqx files and .??_ files. I still wish it could at least open .ace and .rar files as this would allow it to be my only compression program. Oh well--I'll just continue use winzip as my primary and winace for .ace and .rar for now...

deda reviewed v9.0 SR-1 on Aug 27, 2004

Works fine!!!

randman reviewed v9.0 SR-1 on Aug 27, 2004

Still a well designed program, but falls well behind WinRAR and other programs. When support for RAR is added I'll give it more stars.

Noldster reviewed v9.0 SR-1 on Aug 27, 2004

I've been using this for at least 4 years. This combined with WinRAR is the only thing I need.

WickedKane reviewed v9.0 SR-1 on Aug 27, 2004

I Just Wanted To Say That I Run XP Pro. And I Love This Program Alots Can't See Why All The Bad Reviews. I Have Been Using This Program For Over 4 Years And Still Running It And It Still Runs Good With Me..

tangentlin reviewed v9.0 SR-1 on Aug 27, 2004

I bought this software back when it was 6.0. Up to version 9.0, I haven't seen much improvement to the software. I finally realized the build-in ZIP support in XP is much easier. I can browse, drag and drop folders just like regular Explorer operation.

zridling reviewed v9.0 SR-1 on Aug 27, 2004

Sadly, WinZip is the runt of the compression apps, falling far behind WinRAR in performance and reliability, and out-featured by PowerArchiver. A true anachronism except for its name, I could not recommend it to anyone over either WinRAR or PowerArchiver.

jpmccord reviewed v9.0 SR-1 on Aug 27, 2004

This is great for Win9x/Me computers. There is no need for it on WinXP. The end.

TerryHau reviewed v9.0 SR-1 on Aug 27, 2004

right now theres no reason to use this over windows' built in zip capabilites. Until winzip integrates itself into explorer its useless.

MHJ reviewed v9.0 SR-1 on Aug 27, 2004

@ mrgoogleguy67

You downloaded a Beta or RC not the Final!
This one is NEW and not 4 weeks old.

Well WinZip ist cool, but useless for me, as it has not enough features. Compression rates are still very good and it's fast.

mrgoogleguy67 reviewed v9.0 SR-1 on Aug 27, 2004

I D/l this like 4 weeks ago why is it just showing up now?

CPC464 reviewed v9.0 SR-1 Beta Build 6195 on Aug 8, 2004

WHAT!!! A NEW Release

Well that maybe so but there is NO WAY this is any better or different that the last version.

It's about time WINZIP had a facelift, new features and most of all lowered it's pricing for this program.

Alot of Freeware product do this now and the People at WINZIP should start pumping new and exciting features into it instead of the same old thing

huppel reviewed v9.0 SR-1 Beta Build 6195 on Aug 5, 2004

WinZip has been THE N° 1 archive program once.
Nowadays there are plenty of clones that do the same or even more (and better).
These clones are freeware - so what's the use of WinZip ?

But there is hope !
WinZip should abandon its OWN interface and FULLY nest into the Windows XP Explorer interface instead.
WinZip should have a look at ICEOWS and improve what ICEOWS is already doing (an even better integration into Windows XP, that's what we need).

beattsme reviewed v9.0 SR-1 Beta Build 6195 on Jul 25, 2004

id rate this a 5 mainly because it is very usefull. i dont agree with the price but i supose that they need to make $$$ somehow...
still i dont know anyone who has bourght the full version...

Inray reviewed v9.0 SR-1 Beta Build 6195 on Jul 21, 2004

Maybe overpriced for some people, or less efficient when compared to other compression formats like RAR.
Personally i rate it with 5 because of its speed, stability and security. Besides that it's the standard (for now)

PC Rat reviewed v9.0 SR-1 Beta Build 6195 on Jul 21, 2004

$30 is kinda high for a program which -for most users- doesn't do a thing that the myriad of FREEWARE zip proggies don't also do.

The Computer Rodent

deadmonkey reviewed v9.0 SR-1 Beta Build 6195 on Jul 21, 2004

WinZip is a good program however if you just want to use Zip files then you probably don't need the advance features of WinZip and can probably get away with using the built in Windows XP Zip utility or a freeware alternative. If you do a lot of archiving then you would probably be interested in WinRAR as it has more options and better compression than Zip.

WinZip is a good program however it is not the best anymore and for the same price you can get a more powerful program with identical Zip support. Which would you rather buy? I know I would rather buy a program with a more powerful set of features.

GoodThings2Life reviewed v9.0 SR-1 Beta Build 6195 on Jul 20, 2004

Despite the negative reviews of my peers, I like WinZip because (multiple choice):

A) It does it's job.
B) It's not "feature bloated".
C) It's easy to use.
D) All of the Above.
E) None of the Above.

The correct answer, for me at least, is D... All of the Above. It's a fast, simple way of compressing and archiving files, and it's an industry standard.

Don't get me wrong, WinRAR, WinACE, and various other tools are great too... in fact, I use WinRAR regularly... but the point of reviews is to review the product in question... not slam it and say how much better another product is just by personal opinion.

Aaron

zridling reviewed v9.0 SR-1 Beta Build 6195 on Jul 20, 2004

For an app that set the standard for many years, it's funny how WinZip now lags so far behind the competition today. WinZip's feature set is the most sparse of all the zip apps, and version 9.x was essentially pointless.

spiked reviewed v9.0 on Feb 25, 2004

The AOL of archiving programs. How long before WinZip CDs arrive in our junk mail? SIGN UP NOW FOR 1045 FREE ZIP FILES!

daveyboy reviewed v9.0 on Feb 25, 2004

Uh, they did - WinXP zip folders...?

patmc7 reviewed v9.0 on Feb 25, 2004

The only change I've noticed with recent versions seems to be with the nag message. If MS ever decided to add a zip feature to Windows they would be finished.

uNdisputed reviewed v9.0 on Feb 25, 2004

hi...after downloading the 3 4 5 and 6 men table base for chess i wanted to zip them all..i could`nt with winzip 8.1, Until recently, the maximum file size allowed by the Zip file specification was 4 gigabytes.
[With the 64-bit extensions to the Zip file format enhancement, archives of 18,446,744,073,709,551,615 bytes (2 to the 64th power) are possible.
This is 16 exabytes, or over 16 billion gigabytes. Over 4 billion files and folders can be included in an archive.]
well i can now.
very good .
my respect`s to the writer

jywalt reviewed v9.0 on Feb 25, 2004

I tested the Beta for what seemed a very long time,and although it was a good program to have in the Win98 days, the Xp enviornment is more suited for WinrRar, and the more "ease of functionlity" programs. Alot of people will stick with it though,I have it, but would like to move on.

lzvk25 reviewed v9.0 on Feb 25, 2004

What is really incredible is that this extremely limited and old software still generates sells. This proves what J.P. Barney said : "There is a sucker born every minute !".

bobad reviewed v9.0 on Feb 25, 2004

Winzip is an all-time favorite, and one of the very first Shareware programs. Sorry to say it has outlived its usefulness. There are now Freeqware programs with more functionality. Sad to say that Winzip is now a dinosaur.

Tridus reviewed v9.0 on Feb 25, 2004

Winzip has been standing still for what seems like an eternity now, there aren't any real major differences between this version and Winzip 6.

Its a pretty good program for what it does, but its missing support for unpacking too many newer formats. I'm using Powerarchiver personally, but there are a few alternatives that will do .zip and so much more.

jessshaun623 reviewed v9.0 on Feb 25, 2004

I have both Winzip and Winrar, and out of the 2, I prefer Winzip...(who says you have pay for it) The screen still pops up, but you don't have to register. Besides after years of using Winzip, you get used to it.

Strangerke reviewed v9.0 on Feb 25, 2004

I just can't figure out how society persist in trying to sell obsolete and unefficient solutions at excessive prices.
WinZip is just this : obsolete and inefficient.

oomingmak reviewed v9.0 on Feb 25, 2004

How long has this damn version 9 been in Beta? (it seems like years now) and nothing seems to change from build to build. I have to say that while I used to really like WinZip, I have gone off it in a big way. More specifically, my problem is with the development team (who stubbornly refuse to fix, or even address, the many glaring problems that exist with WinZip). Instead they would rather add more and more new features without fixing the existing problems first. WinZip has great potential, but as long as the development team continue to dismiss or ignore user feedback about problems, then I think users are better off looking elsewhere. If they don't care about you, then why should you care about them?

MHJ reviewed v9.0 on Feb 25, 2004

It always was a standard tool on my computer. It's very fast in comparison with WinRAR, even if you use the deflate compression method. I recommend everybody to give it a try. The only fact that i switched to WinRAR was, that you can split files what is important to me and therefore i didn't needed WinZIP anymore, but that's not a reason to give it 1 star ratings like others do.

GeneralLeoFF reviewed v9.0 on Feb 25, 2004

alot of people are always ripping on Zip. It's realy not a great format anymore and there are alternatives that compress files smaller. But ya know... theres also alot of formats out there better then MP3 for audio but but MP3 is highley compatable and universaly accepted as the standard format on the internet. It's the same with Zip files. It;s universaly accepted :). Shure WinZIP cant open ace format like WinRAR can but honestly how many ace files do you even run into in your life? I only ran into ace files one time. As for WinZip vs WinRAR... Yea WinRAR is a better program. supports more formats (most you wont come across very offten) and is a bit better at zip compresion then WinZIP is (kinda said to but 7zip is even better then WinRAR). Anyone that buys WinZIP wouldent be wasting there money and it;s more then the avrage user would realy need. RAR is a better format but it;s not as common as ZIP and mostly tends to be used in warez releases and stuff :) Anyway I recomend WinRAR over this but this is still a solid program so i'll still give it 5 stars.

gsurface reviewed v9.0 on Feb 25, 2004

Seems pretty good, though I will never leave winrar. Give it 4 stars for its improvements

grturne reviewed v9.0 on Feb 25, 2004

Winzip is an excellent program with an easy to use interface. I have used many other similar programs over the years & realise everyone has their own preferences. This is my favorite & the one I recommend.

Greg.

animecabbit reviewed v9.0 on Feb 25, 2004

I'd have to give WinZip a 4 star because it was an excellent archiver since zip and unzip in the command line days and served me very well.

Unfortunately, I use WinRar almost exclusively now as it does every format I use or come upon.

As for you guys complaining about the size and amount of files in the archive, who cares? If you're really zipping or raring a *SINGLE* file to the 2 gig file limit or the number of file limit, you really need to be archiving a different way. Use backup software. =o)

Also, if you're thinking of sending a single 2 gig file over the net, you're crazy! The chances of it surviving a single transmission is not good. It's much better to break them into smaller (20-50 meg) files and maybe using a par2 file or two for parity/rebuilding. It's more secure sending multiple files anyways.

oomingmak reviewed v9.0 Beta 3 Build 6007 on Jan 24, 2004

Conwor Said: "Who cares about the interface?" Well, you obviously do for one, because you go on to say "And i like WinRar interface". Everyone has their own preference, but if you think interfaces are so unimportant then use a command line.

ssb reviewed v9.0 Beta 3 Build 6007 on Jan 22, 2004

Michael Dracon,
Sorry but next time please read the whole paragraph, before you post.
Quote from win-rar.com followes
The size of a ZIP archive, as well as the size of any single file within a ZIP archive, is limited to 2 GB.
RAR format can hold more than this, but i was talking about ZIP, the most known format. And btw, have you ever run any speed comparison ?
PS: I'm registered Winrar and Winzip owner since their first days, You ?

Joco reviewed v9.0 Beta 3 Build 6007 on Jan 21, 2004

When an archive is corrupted. RAR format is generally better recovered than ZIP. Can anyone confirm?

vis666 reviewed v9.0 Beta 3 Build 6007 on Jan 21, 2004

i really really REALLY miss a decent multiple span feature... i'll stick to winrar thank you. (even tough we all started with winzip 4, winrar has far surpassed the once king of archivers.)

Sephirstein reviewed v9.0 Beta 3 Build 6007 on Jan 21, 2004

Useless.

It's not a terrible program, but to give it a higher implies that there is actually a reason to use it over the bevy of its superiour alternatives.

If they can afford to overprice this product, they can afford to give it a support for a wider variety of common compression formats.

dssdbs reviewed v9.0 Beta 3 Build 6007 on Jan 21, 2004

WinZip is still the best archiver on the market, and it just keeps getting better. I have no use whatsoever for any other archive type. RAR, WinRAR, etc.. just doesn't appeal to me at all, has an unprofessional, hobbiest feel to it. Like the programmers don't really know what they are doing. .zip has been and will always be the best archive format on the internet. I only deal with .zips, and WinZip is the best .zip based archiver, period.

mrp- reviewed v9.0 Beta 3 Build 6007 on Jan 21, 2004

I've been using WinZip since 1993 (i think it was version 2.x at the time?) I've tried other compression applications but I just feel at home with WinZip, I trust it. Sure some formats compress better but usually by only a few bytes. I hope to still be using WinZip in the next 10 years (p.s. whoever says winzip isn't needed because of windows xp is silly, the way xp handles zips is horrible.. i dont want my zips being treated as folders and the extracting program is horrible)

ditroia reviewed v9.0 Beta 3 Build 6007 on Jan 20, 2004

First of All There's nothing Wrong with Win Zip and I like the Interface. Also Its Compression is Pretty Close to RAR.
You May think WinRAR/winAce is better, but all in all the program does what it does well.

alister reviewed v9.0 Beta 3 Build 6007 on Jan 20, 2004

Why bother with this? Windows XP will already handle zip files without it.

funky303 reviewed v9.0 Beta 3 Build 6007 on Jan 20, 2004

winzip has set a semi-standart for most of the time, and had a big influence of inet development.

Since including RAR is not that easy (rarlabs wants money for giving rar compression & decompression abilities to a commercial program) and M$ changed the cab format often to stop ppl changing M$ stuff it is not easy to keep up with all the time.

Why also changing anything what works well.

I got the shareware installed on my machine just bec. many installer & programs who have a selfextracting *.exe file can be opened with winzip. winace & winrar don't do so, so they are worthless for that specific task. since this task happens quite often if one is often downloading stuff&installable demos/progs etc. winzip needs to be apreciated for the format they made popular

on the other side:

developing of other features has been forgot, so 1 star for that, 4 for the program in general (it does what it has to do), middle is 2,5 so it's a 3

Darken reviewed v9.0 Beta 3 Build 6007 on Jan 20, 2004

Not bad... ;)

donpacman reviewed v9.0 Beta 3 Build 6007 on Jan 20, 2004

WinZip isn't even in the race! WinZip has NOTHING to offer!

scodan reviewed v9.0 Beta 2 Build 5611 on Nov 1, 2003

I originally registered (yes, actually paid for) WinZip in early 1997. Back then, the release version was WinZip 6. Now, nearly SEVEN full years later, the release version is only WinZip 8. If that isn't a shining example of a glacially-slow development pace, I don't know what is. WinZip has been intent on ignoring popular file formats like RAR, and still does not even fully support CAB files--while, at the same time, many freeware and competing shareware alternatives do. WinZip is indeed a solid product in what it offers; it's just that is is dreadfully behind, and--judging by what I've seen in WinZip 9 beta--has no hope of EVER catching up.

ScottR reviewed v9.0 Beta 2 Build 5611 on Oct 18, 2003

I'm a registered user of winzip and really like it. Only complaint is that some of the user interface could be a bit more intuitive.

Tridus reviewed v9.0 Beta 2 Build 5611 on Sep 16, 2003

Well this was great back around Winzip 6, and has really stood still since then. I'm not sure what they are doing making so few major changes and releasing new versions all the time, but whatever.

I give it 5 stars for 1995, and 2 stars for 2003.

Alien-X reviewed v9.0 Beta 2 Build 5611 on Sep 16, 2003

winzip

ukexpat reviewed v9.0 Beta 2 Build 5611 on Sep 16, 2003

I have been using WinZip since its very first incarnation when then were practically no similar apps except command line. For me it was well worth the initial registration fee as all subsequent versions have been free. This version continues to be the "best of the best" as far as I am concerned.

RobertM reviewed v9.0 Beta Build 5480 on May 13, 2003

A very professional program, but there are a few downsides. While its name *is* WinZip, support for more compression formats (it does support a few more) would be nice--notably RAR. That's the main thing with which it needs to keep up with the times. Additionally, several free (not shareware) programs, such as UltimateZip, have WinZip's features plus support for additional formats. It's not that WinZip is bad, but several other programs--some free--are just better.

sn0wman reviewed v9.0 Beta Build 5480 on May 13, 2003

Winzip, pkzip & pkunzip has been my friends since the bbs time :).

Its stable, fast and compress good, It do what's it meant todo and the upgrade is free.

And the extensions to explorer is great.

So keep up the good work Winzip Computing!.

Scipio reviewed v9.0 Beta Build 5480 on May 12, 2003

I've used WinZip since it first came out, and still think it's an excellent program. It opens all the compressed files you need to deal with unless you have a thing for eccentric zip formats.

Over the years I've used all the betas as they have come out, and have always found that Niko Mak is very careful about getting out most of the bugs before he releases a public beta.

donpacman reviewed v9.0 Beta Build 5480 on May 12, 2003

WinZip just isn't competing with the other archive types and that's a shame...

rendermaster reviewed v9.0 Beta Build 5480 on May 12, 2003

WinZip has always been a decent utility, but when there are so many other apps that are able to work with ALL compression formats, not just some as winzip still does, it simply doesn't make much sense to use two apps (winzip and something else) when one app can take care of all.

Joco reviewed v8.1 SR1 on Oct 24, 2002

Average program compared to other much better archivers: Power Archiver, WinRar and WinAce. While its better competitors spent their time in improving the technical features, Winzip's author spends this time in marketing communication. Results: a so-so product but yet it is used by the majority. Every average computer users I've seen so far use WZ as archiver. WZ is fully functional even in shareware mode, the nag screen is not too much intrusive. That is very smart from its author and that explains why WZ is popular. Too bad. Give your money to other archivers. Their authors are really working on the software. WZ no more desserve its cost.

AlanS2001 reviewed v8.1 on Dec 11, 2001

Shareware was around before WinZip
I think the previous poster most be thinking of PKZip.
Frankly the first WinZip that was put out sucked.
It was only a shell for PKZip (WinZip didn't zip s***, PKZip did) and at the time I found it prefferable to just continue using PKZip at the command line (especially for multi disk archives.

BoNeLeSS reviewed v8.1 on Dec 11, 2001

same as below... :/ Not bad program but lacks of support for other popular formats

Practice reviewed v8.1 on Dec 11, 2001

bobad, I couldn't agree with you more.

bobad reviewed v8.1 Beta 3 Build 4306 on Dec 5, 2001

Still no RAR and ACE support. Is Winzip in denial about such programs as WinRAR, WinAce, and Power Archiver? It's a good app, but if it handles only ZIP's and a couple of seldom used archives, it's pretty worthless. That's too bad, because Winzip practically invented shareware. Bye bye old friend! (bobad@charter.net)

apalmer reviewed v8.1 Beta 3 Build 4306 on Dec 5, 2001

Still the archiver I use most, although WinRar & WinAce can both read/write more archive formats. Easy to use as ever but with the growth of free unzipping programs they might need to look to their laurels.

AlanS2001 reviewed v8.1 Beta 3 Build 4306 on Dec 5, 2001

It isn't build 4036. It's build 4306.
Personally I use WinRAR for most of my archiveing, but there are some types of zipped archives that WinRAR wont open and because I'm familar with WinZip I use it for them.
Thank god the days of PKZip at the command line prompt are gone. Every time I had to do a multidisk archive I'd have to look up all the switchs that I had to use. Taught my a lot about the command line prompt though.

DooDoo reviewed v8.1 Beta 3 Build 4306 on Dec 5, 2001

Winzip has become a permanent fixture on every PC I use, mainly because everyone I communicate with uses it. But despite the funky toolbar, Winzip really ought to be collecting its pension by now. I like Winzip but there are better tools out there. It is very stable and reliable, but the old ZIP algorithm is an antique, and its encryption method is a joke.

mrbee reviewed v8.1 Beta 2 Build 4285 on Oct 20, 2001

still only good for .zip files and a small handful or formats that are rare to come by. Wheres the RAR and ACE support? It's one of the few archiving utilities that refuses to branch out to ALL arvive formats yet it remains the most popular.

bobad reviewed v8.1 Beta Build 4180 on Jul 12, 2001

No RAR and ACE suport renders it a useless dinosaur. I charitably gave it a 3 because it is fast. (bobad@charter.net)

Me2You reviewed v8.1 Beta Build 4180 on Jul 12, 2001

Damn, can't believe it. This thing is finally updated. Well, it took them years, but their shell extension finally lets you extract multiple zips to folders in one shot. That and the ability to split archives are the only good things about the new version. Everything else is either useless flash or catch-up with the competition.

jvoves reviewed v8.1 Beta Build 4180 on Jul 11, 2001

Yeah, I needed another Taskbar tray icon!!! Thank god for that fast access to recently used zip files. I been losing sleep.

golbex reviewed v8.1 Beta Build 4180 on Jul 11, 2001

The new version is very easy to use and integrates better with Windows. The only downside is it will NOT let you use the WinXP style if you are not running XP. That was something I was looking forward to, so they get a 4 rating from me because of it. Man I hate doing that.

allain reviewed v8.0 on Apr 26, 2000

As always with WinZip, the upgrade is free. So I guess your comment is not necessary.

animeleech reviewed v8.0 on Apr 26, 2000

extract multi zip files is just a pain! come on, do something! they need to know what the users end wants

felix reviewed v8.0 on Apr 26, 2000

The reason why they don't support RAR and others is because then it would no longer be called WinZIP. :-)

Miyu reviewed v8.0 on Apr 26, 2000

Compressing program now a day has to be able support at least all the common compression internally (zip, rar, ace). It is not very useful if it can only do *.zip

mediacenter reviewed v8.0 Beta on Jan 20, 2000

"They finally managed to give their zip-icons more than 16 colors!"?! they've HAD their icons in more than 16 colors in version 7 TOO!!

chinese reviewed v8.0 Beta on Jan 19, 2000

I like Winzip too
Simple and clear and easy to use

GangMan reviewed v8.0 Beta on Jan 19, 2000

I like WinZip, this is the reason why I give it a 5-*-rating. The new version is definitely better - it shows some good improvements. I especially like the e-mail zip feature. The sad thing - already mentioned by others - the missing support of other archive types like rar and ace and that still external programs for arj and lzh are needed. The interface hasn't changed much. I didn't notice only small changes, but that is okay. I hope they managed to improve disk-spanning and the ability to read broken zip-files. While WinRAR is still able to read at least the contents of a broken zip file, WinZip says the file is corupt and aborts. One cool thing: They finally managed to give their zip-icons more than 16 colors!

PhilSpencer reviewed v8.0 Beta on Jan 19, 2000

Ritz - I e-mailed their support guys some months ago asking about other file formats (RAR in particular) and they said not enough people had asked to warrant spending time on it. Perhaps if you (and anyone else who wants this) mails them (see their web page) about it they may take the hint.

ispringer reviewed v8.0 Beta on Jan 18, 2000

a must-have. great user interface.