---
title: "Create & Extract ZIP Files Online — Private | Compress Pro"
description: "Create ZIP, 7Z or TAR archives from any files, or extract ZIP, RAR, 7Z, ISO and more — entirely in your browser. No upload, no size caps. Free & private."
canonical: https://compress-pro.com/zip-files
---

# Zip & Unzip files.

> Zip and unzip files locally — nothing ever gets uploaded.

Bundle any files into one archive — ZIP, 7Z, TAR, TAR.GZ and more, with optional AES-256 password protection — or drop an archive (ZIP, RAR, 7Z, TAR, ISO, CAB…) and pull its contents out: each file becomes its own download. Everything runs in your browser, so **even huge archives never leave your machine**.

**No uploads · No ads · Free & open source.**

## How it works

1. Drop files anywhere on the page, click to browse, or paste with Ctrl/⌘ + V.
2. Pick a quality or preset — or set an exact target size and let the tool find it.
3. Compress, compare before/after, and download — individually or as a ZIP.

## Compression levels

| Level | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| Store | No compression — instant, right for already-compressed files |
| Fast | Light compression — quick, modest savings |
| Balanced | The usual default |
| Max | Smallest output, noticeably slower on big batches |

## What actually compresses

ZIP compression loves redundancy: text, code, CSVs, logs and office documents often shrink 60–90%. Photos, video and audio are already compressed — zipping them mostly just bundles bytes, so pick Store and save the time. A mixed folder lands somewhere in between, and the per-file rows show exactly where the savings came from. When the contents themselves need to shrink, run them through the [image](https://compress-pro.com/compress-jpg), [video](https://compress-pro.com/compress-video) or [PDF](https://compress-pro.com/compress-pdf) compressors first — then Store the results.

## One archive, or files out of one

Zipping shines when the point is a single attachment: a project folder, a batch of scans, a handoff. Extraction works the other way — drop an archive (ZIP, [RAR](https://compress-pro.com/extract-rar), [7Z](https://compress-pro.com/extract-7z), [tarball](https://compress-pro.com/extract-tar-gz), [ISO](https://compress-pro.com/extract-iso), CAB, DEB, RPM, CPIO, LHA, ARJ or .Z) and every file inside becomes its own row, downloadable individually or all at once, without the archive ever leaving your machine. Convert switches container without touching content — [RAR to ZIP](https://compress-pro.com/rar-to-zip) is the classic trip.

## Under the hood

Archives here are handled by 7-Zip 24.09 itself — the real desktop engine, compiled to WebAssembly — so 7Z creation gets the same LZMA2 ratios and the same AES-256 encryption you would get from the app, and extraction reads every format 7-Zip reads. For everyday ZIP and gzip work, the bundled fflate library takes the fast path. Nothing is ever uploaded.

## Frequently asked questions

### Why do my photos barely shrink in a ZIP?

JPGs, PNGs, videos and PDFs are already compressed — ZIP’s compression can only shave a percent or two off them. ZIP shines for text, code, spreadsheets and for bundling many files into one attachment. 7Z squeezes hardest of the formats offered here, but the same physics applies.

### Is there a size limit?

No server means no upload cap — the practical limit is your device’s memory. Multi-gigabyte archives work, they just take a moment.

### Can it open password-protected archives?

Yes — enter the password in the panel and protected ZIP, 7Z and RAR archives extract right in your browser. The password is only used locally, never stored or sent anywhere. Creating AES-256-encrypted ZIP and 7Z archives works too.

### Is it private?

Yes. Archives are built and converted entirely in your browser — neither the archive nor the files inside it are ever uploaded, and any password you set is applied locally. The server does nothing but deliver this page. Want proof? Run one file through, switch your connection off, and run another — it still works.

## Related tools

- [Convert RAR to ZIP](https://compress-pro.com/rar-to-zip)
- [Create 7Z archives](https://compress-pro.com/create-7z)
- [Extract RAR archives](https://compress-pro.com/extract-rar)
- [Compress JPG images](https://compress-pro.com/compress-jpg)

---

Part of [Compress Pro](https://compress-pro.com/) — every tool page has a markdown twin at `<page url>.md`. Full tool index: [llms.txt](https://compress-pro.com/llms.txt)