How to compress and open ZIP, 7z and GZIP files in your browser, free

How to compress files into ZIP, 7z or GZIP in your browser

Upload the files, pick the tool ("Compress to ZIP", "Compress to 7z" or "Compress to GZIP") and click the compress button: the package downloads right away. To open one, upload the .zip, .7z, .gz or .rar to the extraction tool and download the original files. Passwords and format conversion live in the same place. Everything happens in your browser, with no software to install.

1. Open "Compress to ZIP" and drag or select every file you want to bundle, in any format.
2. Click "Zip 3 files" (the button shows how many you uploaded).
3. Download atlasdocs-arquivos.zip, ready to send or store. Files with the same name get a number in parentheses so none is overwritten.

ZIP, 7z or GZIP: which one to pick

• ZIP: the most universal. Windows, macOS and phones open it with no extra software, so it is the choice for sending to someone else. It comes out as atlasdocs-arquivos.zip.
• 7z: compresses more (it uses the LZMA2 method), so the package is usually much smaller. The recipient needs a program such as 7-Zip. It comes out as atlasdocs-arquivos.7z; the first time, the browser downloads the 7z engine (about 1.6 MB).
• GZIP: compresses one file at a time, as is common on servers and Linux systems. One file becomes name.ext.gz; several are first bundled into an atlasdocs-arquivos.tar.gz package.
• There is no compression-level setting and no password at creation time: the password is a separate step, explained below.

How to open a ZIP, 7z or GZIP you received

Upload the package to "Unzip", "Extract 7z" or "Decompress GZIP" and click "Extract and download". If there is a single file inside, it downloads directly. If there are several, the "Extracted files" window opens, with "Download" next to each item, "Download all" and, in Chrome and Edge, "Save to folder", which writes everything into a folder you choose. A .tar.gz or .tgz is unpacked all the way to the actual files, not to a .tar. These three tools do not accept passwords: a protected ZIP is refused with a notice telling you to go through "Remove password (ZIP)" first, and a protected 7z won't open either. In that case, go through "Remove ZIP password" or "Remove 7z password" first, entering the password, and then extract.

Just want to peek inside without extracting? "ZIP contents" lists the files, the package size, the uncompressed size and the compression savings, and marks password-protected items with a lock. It works with .zip only. That inspector, along with the ones for PDF, photos, Office and media, is covered in how to view a file's metadata.

How to add or remove a password on a ZIP or 7z

• To protect: upload the package to "Protect ZIP with password" or "Protect 7z with password", type into the "Password (min. 4 characters)" field and click "Protect and download". You get name-protegido.zip or name-protegido.7z. The button becomes active only once you have typed 4 characters.
• The protected ZIP uses AES-256 encryption, stronger than the old ZIP password. Windows' built-in extractor does not open AES-encrypted ZIPs: the recipient needs a program such as 7-Zip or WinRAR. If that is a problem for them, prefer 7z, which needs a program anyway.
• With 7z, the password also hides the file names: without it, not even the list of contents shows up.
• To remove: upload it to "Remove ZIP password" or "Remove 7z password", type the current password into the "Archive password" field and click "Remove password and download". You get name-desprotegido.zip or .7z. A wrong password shows "Incorrect password — could not open the file."
• Received a password-protected package? Remove the password here and then extract, or open it directly in the program on your computer.

How to convert between ZIP, 7z and GZIP

Received a format that doesn't work for you? "Convert archive" accepts .zip, .tar, .7z, .gz, .gzip and .tgz. Pick ZIP, 7z or GZIP in the list next to the button and click "Convert and download". The files are genuinely extracted and repacked in the target, with the original package name and the new extension; when you open the result you see the files, not a .tar inside the package. When converting to GZIP with a single file inside, the result takes that file's name plus .gz. A password-protected package must go through "Remove password" first. For .rar, use the dedicated tools below.

Received a RAR? Open it or convert it to ZIP or 7z

RAR is the format that arrives by email most often and that the fewest programs open. AtlasDocs reads RAR4 and RAR5 in the browser: "Extract RAR" pulls out the files with "Extract and download"; "RAR → ZIP" and "RAR → 7z" repack them in an open format with "Convert and download ZIP" or "Convert and download 7z". All three have a "RAR password (if any)" field. A RAR split into volumes (part1, part2) is not accepted: the whole set must be in a single .rar. Symbolic links inside the package are left out, with a notice. Accented file names, common in RARs made on Windows, come out correctly. If the RAR has a password, the items come out with a notice that they could not be verified, because the format does not allow checking encrypted items. Creating a RAR is not possible: the format is proprietary and its license only allows extraction. The full steps are in how to extract RAR files online and how to convert RAR to ZIP.

Everything happens in your browser: the files are compressed, opened, protected and converted on your own device and are never sent to any server. The only thing downloaded from the internet is the 7z or RAR engine, the first time.

Sending a password-protected ZIP to someone who only has Windows? Tell them they need 7-Zip to open it, or send a protected 7z instead. The limit is 2 GB per uploaded file.