Convert Always

Decision guide

Best archive format

Archives are judged on whether the recipient can open them without installing anything, how well they compress and whether the format is openly specified.

Short answer: ZIP ranks first (77/100) because Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS all open it without extra software.

The ranking, and the reasoning behind it

Scores are computed from structured facts in the knowledge graph, weighted for this specific question. Nothing here is written by hand, and every line of reasoning traces back to a recorded fact.

  • #1ZIP

    77/100

    ZIP is the universal archive format, bundling and compressing files with Deflate.

    Why it scores well

    • Operating system compatibility 100/100 — Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS all open it without extra software; most platforms handle it natively.
    • Open standards 100/100 — the specification is published openly.
    • Everyday consumer usage 75/100 — it opens by double-clicking on every mainstream device; it is a current format that people and services still expect.

    Where it loses points

    • Compression efficiency 23/100 — it stores data losslessly, so files stay large; its codec generation predates modern entropy coding and block partitioning.
    All ZIP facts

  • #2TAR

    42/100

    TAR bundles files into one stream without compressing them.

    Why it scores well

    • Open standards 100/100 — the specification is published openly.

    Where it loses points

    • Compression efficiency 23/100 — it stores data losslessly, so files stay large; its codec generation predates modern entropy coding and block partitioning.
    • Everyday consumer usage 25/100 — some devices ask the person to install something first; it does not satisfy: small files are easy to email, message and upload.
    • Operating system compatibility 33/100 — at least one mainstream platform needs extra software.
    All TAR facts

  • #37z

    32/100

    7z is the 7-Zip archive format with stronger compression than ZIP.

    Why it scores well

    • Open standards 100/100 — the specification is published openly.

    Where it loses points

    • Operating system compatibility 0/100 — at least one mainstream platform needs extra software; platform coverage is thin.
    • Compression efficiency 23/100 — it stores data losslessly, so files stay large; its codec generation predates modern entropy coding and block partitioning.
    • Everyday consumer usage 25/100 — some devices ask the person to install something first; it does not satisfy: small files are easy to email, message and upload.
    All 7z facts

  • #4RAR

    12/100

    RAR is a proprietary archive format with recovery records and strong compression.

    Where it loses points

    • Operating system compatibility 0/100 — at least one mainstream platform needs extra software; platform coverage is thin.
    • Open standards 0/100 — the specification is proprietary or undocumented.
    • Compression efficiency 23/100 — it stores data losslessly, so files stay large; its codec generation predates modern entropy coding and block partitioning.
    All RAR facts

How this ranking is calculated

Each format is scored 0–100 on every dimension the graph can evaluate for it. For this question the dimensions carry these weights:

  • consumer usage ×3
  • os compatibility ×3
  • compression efficiency ×2
  • open standards ×2

No machine learning is involved. The engine is deterministic: the same facts always produce the same ranking, and adding a new fact to the graph updates it automatically.

Frequently asked questions

Why is ZIP still the default?

Because every desktop and mobile operating system opens it natively. Compression ratio matters less than the recipient being able to open the file at all.