Bandizip vs Keka (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Bandizip and Keka share a 3.0 GPA, both have a free plan and their prices can't be set side by side, so the choice depends on whether you care more about features, where Bandizip grades higher, or the free plan, where Keka does.
Checked Oct 6, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on value for money, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Bandizip
Archiver for Windows and Mac that opens 40+ formats including RAR
Keka
File archiver for macOS and iOS with drag-and-drop compression
Which one is for you
Pick Bandizip if
- Fits if you want a free Windows archiver that opens RAR, ALZ and 40 other formats
- Works for compressing large or split archives on a Windows PC
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if ads bother you, as the free Windows edition shows them
- Skip it if you use Linux, because no version is listed
- Watch out: repair, password recovery and the password manager are Professional, $30 one-time
- Watch out: the Mac edition creates ZIP, 7Z, TAR, GZ and TGZ only, and is sold only on the Mac App Store
Pick Keka if
- Fits if you make 7Z or ZIP archives on a Mac and don't want to pay for it
- Works for older Macs, since legacy builds go back to Mac OS X 10.4
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you're on Windows, Linux or Android, as it's Apple devices only
- Not for you if you need to create RAR files, because it only extracts them
- Watch out: the iPhone and iPad app is a separate $3.99, and the Mac App Store copy costs $6.49 for the app that's free on keka.io
- Watch out: making Keka your default for extracting needs a separate helper download
How we grade them
| 3.0GPABandizipVery good | 3.0GPAKekaVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AThe Windows edition is free to download and use. Professional is $30 one-time, and the Mac edition is $21.99 or $0.99 a month. | AThe full Mac app is a free download from keka.io, nothing held back. 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. |
| Free plan and trial | BThe Windows edition is free and fully usable, with ads. Professional-only features need paying. | AThe website download is the whole macOS app with every format and setting, and tips are optional. Only the iOS app and the Mac App Store copy cost anything. |
| Features | BZIP, 7Z and TAR creation, 40+ formats opened, AES-256, split archives and editing without extracting. Nothing in the listing is missing from the job. | CArchives are its one job: it makes 7Z, ZIP, TAR, ZSTD, DMG and ISO, opens those plus RAR, ZIPX, CAB and MSI, sets AES-256 passwords and splits big files. It's a smaller job than most utilities here, and it can't create a RAR. |
| Ease of use | BInstall it and extract archives with nothing to set up. No store rating is on record. | BNo store rating on record, but there's nothing to set up: drop files on the Dock icon and they're compressed without the app even opening. Making Keka your default for extracting needs a separate helper download. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWindows and Mac, computers only. No Linux, phone or web version. | CMac, iPhone and iPad, so one family of devices. No Windows, Linux or Android version and no integrations listed. Legacy builds go back to Mac OS X 10.4. |
| Best for | a free archiver on Windows | 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: Bandizip and Keka. How we grade
Where they differ
- Bandizip also covers file management.
At a glance
| Bandizip | Keka | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $0.99 per month (Mac, Bandizip 365); Windows Professional $30 one-time | $3.99 one-time for the iOS app; $6.49 one-time on the Mac App Store |
| Free plan | Windows edition is free to download and use, with ads; paid editions remove them and add Professional-only features. | 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 | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Bandisoft International Inc. | aONe |
| Price read from | bandisoft.com | apps.apple.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Bandizip
- The free Windows edition shows ads, and Professional-only features need a paid license.
- The Mac edition is sold only through the Mac App Store, as a one-time purchase or subscription.
- No Linux version is listed.
- The Mac edition creates fewer formats than Windows: ZIP, 7Z, TAR, GZ and TGZ.
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
Bandizip
- Many formats
- Creates ZIP, 7Z, ZIPX, TAR, TGZ, ISO and self-extracting EXE, and extracts 40+ formats, including RAR, ALZ and EGG.
- Multi-core compression
- Uses several processor cores for compression, which the vendor says is up to 6 times faster on Windows.
- Large and split archives
- Supports archives over 4 GB and multi-volume compression for splitting a file across email attachments.
- AES-256 encryption
- Password-protect archives with AES-256, and test an archive's integrity before opening it.
- Edit without extracting
- Add, delete or rename files inside an archive without unpacking it first, and preview contents from the archive list.
- Professional extras
- Paid editions add a password manager, repair of corrupted ZIP files, brute-force password recovery and image thumbnails.
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
Bandizip
Windows Free$0
Compress and extract common formats on Windows. The vendor says a license removes the ads in this edition.
Windows Professional$30
one-time, per user, up to 5 PCs
No ads, plus password manager, archive repair, password recovery, image preview and antimalware scan.
Windows Enterprise$20
one-time, per PC, minimum 2
Commercial edition for organizations, sold per single-PC license with a minimum purchase of two.
Mac (one-time)$21.99
one-time, Mac App Store
Bandizip for macOS as a one-time purchase on the Mac App Store, with the Mac feature set.
Mac (Bandizip 365)$0.99
per month, or $6.99 per year, Mac App Store
Subscription version with the same functions as the one-time purchase, with a 1-week free trial.
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.
Ways to pay less
Bandizip
- Other savings
Bandizip plus Honeycam package, 20% off
The Windows buy page sells a Bandizip and Honeycam bundle at $55.20 instead of $69.
- Annual discount
Bandizip 365 yearly plan
The Mac App Store lists Bandizip 365 at $0.99 monthly or $6.99 yearly, against $11.88 for twelve monthly payments.
Keka
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Bandizip or Keka?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Bandizip starts at $0.99 per month (Mac, Bandizip 365); Windows Professional $30 one-time, and Keka starts at $3.99 one-time for the iOS app; $6.49 one-time on the Mac App Store.
Which has a free plan, Bandizip or Keka?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Bandizip and Keka have a free plan.
Which platforms do Bandizip and Keka run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Bandizip lists a Windows app and only Keka lists an iOS app. Both list a macOS app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.