7-Zip vs Keka
We give 7-Zip a 3.6 GPA and Keka a 3.4, out of 4.0. 7-Zip grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Keka
File archiver for macOS and iOS with drag-and-drop compression
Free plan · from $3.99 one-time
How we grade them
| 3.6GPA7-ZipExcellent | 3.4GPAKekaVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AIt costs nothing, at home or at work. 7-Zip is free and open source, and you can put it on any computer, including one in a commercial organization, with no registration or payment. | AThe full Mac app is free from keka.io. The Mac App Store copy is the same app at $6.49, there to support development, and the iPhone and iPad app is $3.99 once. Small money either way. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe complete archiver is free. There's no paid edition and nothing held back, so there's no limit to run into. | AThe website download is the whole macOS app, and tips are optional. Only the iOS app and the Mac App Store copy cost anything. |
| Features | AIt packs and unpacks 7z, XZ, BZIP2, GZIP, TAR, ZIP and WIM, and unpacks many more, RAR, ISO and DMG among them. Add AES-256 encryption, self-extracting archives and a command line version. One job, done fully. It opens RAR files but can't make them. | AIt does one job, archives, and does it fully. It creates 7Z, ZIP, TAR, ZSTD, DMG, ISO and more, and extracts those plus RAR, ZIPX, CAB and MSI. Add passwords, with AES-256 encryption for 7z files, and splitting for big sends. It opens RAR but can't make one. |
| Ease of use | BNo rating is on record to go by, so a B. On Windows it adds its commands to the shell and has its own File Manager, so nobody has to type anything. On Linux and macOS it's a console version only, which means commands. | BNo store rating on record, so a B is as high as we go. Drop files on the Dock icon and they're compressed, with no need to open the app first. Making it your default for extracting needs a separate helper download. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWindows, Linux and macOS, on x86 and ARM processors, so three unrelated systems. But the graphical app and File Manager are Windows only. No phone apps are listed, and the one integration on record is FAR Manager. | CMac, iPhone and iPad, so one family of devices. There's no Windows, Linux or Android version, and no integrations are listed. Old Macs are looked after, with legacy builds going back to Mac OS X 10.4. |
| Best for | opening and making archives on Windows for free | zipping and unzipping on a Mac by drag and drop |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: 7-Zip and Keka. How we grade
Where they differ
- 7-Zip is free. Keka starts at $3.99 one-time for the iOS app; $6.49 one-time on the Mac App Store.
- Only 7-Zip lists Windows and Linux apps.
- Only Keka lists an iOS app.
- 7-Zip is open source, according to its own site.
In commonFree planmacOSWorks offlineFile compression
At a glance
| 7-Zip | Keka | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $3.99 one-time for the iOS app; $6.49 one-time on the Mac App Store |
| Free plan | Free, open-source software. No registration or payment is needed on any computer, including one in a commercial organization. | The full macOS app is a free download from keka.io. The site says the Mac App Store copy is the same app, bought to support development, and tips are optional. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Igor Pavlov | aONe |
| Price read from | 7-zip.org | apps.apple.com |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 |
Who each one suits
7-Zip
- Windows users who need to open or create archives at no cost
- Compressing large folders into 7z archives with a high compression ratio
- Organizations, since the license allows use on commercial computers without registration
Keka
- Mac users who want to create 7Z or ZIP archives by drag and drop
- Sending password-protected or split archives
- Older Macs: legacy builds go back to Mac OS X 10.4
Worth knowing
7-Zip
- The graphical app and File Manager are for Windows; the Linux and macOS downloads are console versions only.
- RAR archives can be unpacked but not created; RAR is listed under unpacking-only formats.
- Help comes through the forum, bug reports and feature request systems on the project's SourceForge page.
Keka
- There is no Windows, Linux or Android version: Keka is for macOS and, as a separate purchase, iOS and iPadOS.
- The website download is free, but the Mac App Store copy costs $6.49 and the iOS app $3.99 (US prices).
- RAR archives can be extracted, but RAR is not on the list of formats Keka creates.
- Setting Keka as the default extraction app needs a separate helper download.
Key features
7-Zip
- 7z format with LZMA and LZMA2
- Creates 7z archives using LZMA or LZMA2 compression. The format supports solid compression, Unicode file names and compressed archive headers.
- Wide format support
- Packs and unpacks 7z, XZ, BZIP2, GZIP, TAR, ZIP and WIM, and unpacks many more formats, including RAR, ISO, DMG, CAB, MSI, VHD and VMDK.
- AES-256 encryption
- Archives in the 7z and ZIP formats can be encrypted with AES-256.
- Windows shell integration and File Manager
- Integrates with the Windows shell and includes its own File Manager for browsing and working with archives.
- Command line version
- A command line version ships with the Windows release, and console builds are offered for Linux and macOS on x86 and ARM processors.
- Self-extracting archives
- Can create self-extracting archives in the 7z format.
Keka
- Drag-and-drop compression
- Files and folders dropped on the Dock icon or the Keka window are compressed, so the app does not need to be opened first.
- Wide format support
- Creates 7Z, ZIP, TAR, GZIP, BZIP2, XZ, LZIP, DMG, ISO, BROTLI, ZSTD, LRZIP, AAR and WIM archives, and extracts those plus RAR, ZIPX, LZMA, EXE, CAB, MSI and more.
- Password protection
- Sets a password on an archive, using AES-256 encryption for 7z files and the legacy Zip 2.0 encryption for Zip files.
- Split archives
- Splits an archive into pieces when it is too large for email or a server. The pieces expand back into the original file.
- Keka for iOS
- A separate iPhone and iPad app compresses, extracts and browses archives, previews their contents and can be reached from other apps through Share Actions.
- Legacy versions
- Older builds stay on the website for Macs that cannot run the current release, going back to a version for Mac OS X 10.4.
Plans
7-Zip
7-Zip$0
The complete archiver for Windows, plus console versions for Linux and macOS. Most of the code is under the GNU LGPL.
Keka
Website download$0
The full macOS app from keka.io for Mac OS X 10.10 or newer. Tips through PayPal or GitHub Sponsors are optional.
Keka for iOS$3.99
one-time purchase (US App Store)
The iPhone and iPad app, which creates 7Z, ZIP, TAR, ZSTD, GZIP and BZIP2 archives and extracts many more. Requires iOS 15.5 or later.
Mac App Store$6.49
one-time purchase (US Mac App Store)
The same macOS app as the website version, updated through the App Store. Its in-app purchases are tips that add no features.
