ZIP / UnZIP Files
Compress and extract ZIP archives in browser
Drop files to ZIP or a ZIP to extractTap to choose files to ZIP or a ZIP to extract
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Create or extract ZIP archives
Large files (over 50 MB) may take longer or run out of browser memory
About ZIP / UnZIP Files
Creates ZIP archives from multiple files, or extracts files from an existing ZIP archive, entirely in your browser.
Upload files to compress into a ZIP, or upload a ZIP file to extract its contents. Download the result.
Compressing already-compressed file types (like JPGs or MP4s) into a ZIP typically saves very little space, since they're already tightly compressed — ZIP is much more effective on text-heavy or uncompressed files.
Watch: ZIP / UnZIP Files in Action
- Will zipping already-compressed files like JPGs save much space?
- Typically very little — compressing already-compressed file types (like JPGs or MP4s) into a ZIP saves almost nothing, since they're already tightly compressed. ZIP is much more effective on text-heavy or uncompressed files.
- Can I create and extract in one go?
- No. Once a .zip file is in the list, Create ZIP is switched off and only Extract ZIP is available. To build a new archive instead, remove the .zip from the list first, then add the files you want packed.
- Are folders kept when I extract?
- No. Each extracted entry is saved under its file name only, with folder parts and dot-dot segments removed. Entries that end up with the same name are numbered, so two files called notes.txt become notes.txt and notes (2).txt.
- How much smaller will my ZIP be?
- That depends on the content. Text, CSV and uncompressed images shrink a lot. Photos in JPG, MP4 videos and files already in archives shrink very little. The message after creation shows the exact before and after sizes.
- What happens when two files have the same name?
- The tool numbers the later ones, so photo.jpg, photo.jpg and photo.jpg become photo.jpg, photo (2).jpg and photo (3).jpg. The comparison ignores letter case, which matches how most unzip programs treat names.
- Can it open a password-protected ZIP?
- No. The tool has no way to enter a password, and extraction of an encrypted archive fails with a Failed to extract ZIP message. Use the program that created the archive, or ask the sender for an unprotected copy.
How to use ZIP / UnZIP Files
To make an archive, drop one or more files onto the page, in as many batches as you like. They appear in a list with their sizes, and each has an X to remove it. Press Create ZIP; when it finishes, Download ZIP saves archive.zip and a message shows the size before and after. Files that share a name get (2), (3) and so on added, so nothing overwrites anything.
To open an archive, drop a file ending in .zip. Create ZIP switches off and Extract ZIP switches on. Press Extract ZIP and every file inside is listed with its own Download button. Clear empties the whole list so you can begin again.
When to use it
Use it to bundle loose files into one attachment, to shrink text-heavy material such as logs, CSV exports or source code before sending, or to look inside a ZIP someone sent you when you are on a locked-down computer or tablet with no unzip program. Because extracted files download one at a time, it suits small and medium archives best.
When not to use it
Do not expect folder structure to survive. Extracted entries are reduced to their file names, and new archives are built from the files themselves, not from folders. There is no password protection or encryption, and only ZIP is understood, not RAR, 7z or tar. For a huge archive or a whole project tree, a desktop archiver is the better tool.
Tips for best results
You get the biggest savings from text, spreadsheets and uncompressed images such as BMP or WAV; JPG, MP4 and existing archives barely shrink. Each file keeps its name and last-modified date inside the archive, so rename files first if you want clearer names. If an extraction shows a name like report (2).pdf, the archive held two entries with the same file name in different folders.
Limitations
Archives are created with DEFLATE at level 6, with no way to change it, and are always named archive.zip. Everything is read into memory, so very large files can exhaust a browser tab. Folder paths inside an extracted archive are dropped. Only files ending in .zip are recognised for extraction, and encrypted archives cannot be opened. Extracted files are downloaded individually, not as a bundle.
Privacy
Files are read from your device by the browser and compressed or unpacked by a JavaScript ZIP library running in the page, so their contents stay in your tab's memory. Nothing is uploaded, and no engine or data file is fetched while the tool works. Each extracted file is offered back to you as a local download. Closing the tab clears everything.
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