Bandizip vs WinZip (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Bandizip grades higher than WinZip: 3.0 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Bandizip grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features, 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
WinZip
Archiver with encryption, cloud sharing and file management tools
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 WinZip if
- Fits if you want zip, encryption and cloud sharing from one paid program
- Works for IT-managed teams that want a quoted Enterprise edition
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if all you do is unzip files, because free archivers do that for nothing
- Skip it if you won't pay a yearly subscription, since there is no one-time licence
- Watch out: backup, SafeShare, image tools and the system utilities need Pro or Ultimate
- Watch out: prices include VAT, so the amount charged may differ by region
How we grade them
| 3.0GPABandizipVery good | 2.4GPAWinZipFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | CStandard is $3.33 a month billed yearly, which is this category's typical monthly price. Pro is $5.00 and Ultimate is $10.00. |
| Free plan and trial | BThe Windows edition is free and fully usable, with ads. Professional-only features need paying. | CThere is a 21-day trial. The page we read doesn't say whether a card is asked for, and there is no free edition after it. |
| 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. | BCompression, extraction, encryption, cloud file management, backup and system utilities across the tiers. Nothing in the listing is missing from the job, though much of it is above Standard. |
| Ease of use | BInstall it and extract archives with nothing to set up. No store rating is on record. | BInstall it and zip or unzip files with nothing to set up. No store rating is on record. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWindows and Mac, computers only. No Linux, phone or web version. | CWindows and Mac, computers only. No Linux, phone or web version. |
| Best for | a free archiver on Windows | a paid zip tool with cloud and backup extras |
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 WinZip. How we grade
Price against what you get
Bandizip starts at $0.99 a month and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. WinZip starts at $3.33 a month and scores 2.7.
They score the same, and Bandizip starts $2.34 a month lower. Of the other desktop utilities on the chart, none scores higher than Bandizip for less, and none scores higher than WinZip for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- WinZip also covers file sharing and pDF editing.
At a glance
| Bandizip | WinZip | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $0.99 per month (Mac, Bandizip 365); Windows Professional $30 one-time | $3.33 per month, billed annually (incl. VAT) |
| Free plan | Windows edition is free to download and use, with ads; paid editions remove them and add Professional-only features. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 21-day free trial |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Made by | Bandisoft International Inc. | Corel Corporation |
| Price read from | bandisoft.com | winzip.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 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.
WinZip
- Sold only by subscription, billed annually; there is no free edition beyond the 21-day trial.
- The pricing page labels prices as including VAT, so the amount charged may differ by region.
- Backup, SafeShare, image tools and the system utilities suite need Pro or Ultimate.
- Enterprise has no published price and is sold through a quote request.
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.
WinZip
- Compression and extraction
- Zips and unzips files and opens other archive types such as RAR, 7Z, TAR and ISO.
- File and email encryption
- Encrypts files and email attachments, and lists secure, unrecoverable file wiping among its core capabilities.
- Multi-cloud file management
- Browse and manage files across several cloud storage accounts, with batch file conversion.
- Backup and advanced tools
- The comparison table lists automated backups, secure FTP transfers, malware scanning of zip files and PDF and image management.
- System utilities
- Pro and Ultimate bundle the System Utilities Suite: disk and memory cleanup, registry optimization, a driver updater and a speed booster.
- Enterprise controls
- Enterprise adds AES-256-GCM with FIPS 140-3 compliance, an IT-held recovery key and policy enforcement across the organization.
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.
WinZip
Standard$3.33
per month, billed annually (incl. VAT)
Zip, protect, share and manage files; includes WinZip Standard for Windows and Mac, Courier and Ad Remover.
Pro$5.00
per month, billed annually (incl. VAT)
Adds Secure Backup, SafeShare, Image Manager, Duplicate File Finder and the System Utilities Suite.
Ultimate$10.00
per month, billed annually (incl. VAT)
Everything in Pro plus WinZip PDF Pro, the PDF editing and watermarking tool.
EnterpriseCustom
Quote-based edition for IT teams with AES-256-GCM encryption, policy enforcement, recovery keys and volume licensing.
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.
WinZip
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Bandizip or WinZip?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Bandizip is cheaper to start with: $0.99 a month, against $3.33 a month for WinZip. Bandizip starts at $0.99 per month (Mac, Bandizip 365); Windows Professional $30 one-time, and WinZip starts at $3.33 per month, billed annually (incl. VAT).
Which has a free plan, Bandizip or WinZip?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Bandizip has a free plan. WinZip does not, though it has a free trial.
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.