Subscribe to Updates

    Get the latest creative news from FooBar about art, design and business.

    What's Hot

    Economic Factors That Affect The Foreign Exchange Market

    October 31, 2023

    Vital Vehicle Services to Know When Your Career Depends on Your Car

    October 30, 2023

    Kelis Net Worth 2023: Rising Star in the Music Industry

    October 27, 2023
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    • Tech
    • News
    • Business
    • Health
    • Cryptocurrency
    • Auto
    • Gaming
    • Other
      • Biography
      • CBD
      • Home Improvements
      • Fashion
      • Packaging
      • Pet
      • Questions
      • Style
      • Weird
      • Education
      • How To
      • Packages
      • SEO
      • Softwares
      • Sports
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Home » RAR v/s ZIP – a Comparative Study
    Tech

    RAR v/s ZIP – a Comparative Study

    adminBy adminDecember 1, 2021No Comments4 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest Telegram LinkedIn Tumblr WhatsApp Email
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Telegram Email

    There are myriad types of file formats in the world of computers, and among them, the archive file format helps store varied documents and files in a single container. Even though there are over 250 known archive formats, most people choose between ZIP and RAR when compressing files. For decades, these two file types have been the go-to choice and thanks to them, it is hassle-free to send 100 or 200 files at one go. But are they different or the same?

    ZIP has been a standard file choice and is most commonly used because most operating systems are compatible. RAR is also common, but WinRAR is required to create them. ZIP doesn’t require the help of any commercial or third-party support. So, many computer users prefer to convert RAR to ZIP to ensure that the files are supported across operating systems.

    However, this doesn’t mean that ZIP is better than RAR. Keep reading to know how these two file formats are different from each other and make an informed choice.

    Table of Contents

    • RAR vs ZIP – definitions
    • What is the compression ratio?
    • File format availability
      • Speedy v/s speedier
      • Licensing
      • Wrapping up

    RAR vs ZIP – definitions

    ZIP is an archive file format that offers lossless data compression support, and it was developed in 1989 by Phil Katz. The format is widely used and supported by various software utilities. For instance, Windows and macOS come with in-built support for the format.

    ZIP file formats can be opened easily with the programs that create those files. These files act as containers of data with several files compressed using ZIP compression. Users can compress or zip different files together using BZIP2, DEFLATE, WavPack, etc.

    RAR, on the other hand, is a file format of proprietary archive type. RAR files contain various files and folders together, but they cannot be opened quickly as ZIP files. Third-party software is required for extracting and opening the content of the files. The RAR file format was developed by Eugene Roshal in 1993. In general, this file format works better than ZIP in compressing data, but you need WinRAR or other software to store and access the files.

    What is the compression ratio?

    In many cases, RAR creates smaller file sizes than ZIP. Sometimes, the margin can be quite huge. However, the difference depends on the type and size of the files that are compressed.

    Ideally, WinRAR can compress a 310MB file to 90MB and has a 71% compression ratio. Whereas, WinZIP can compress the file down to 125MB and has a compression rate of 60%.

    File format availability

    On the question of availability, both file formats are readily available and quite popular among computer users. But ZIP has been around for much longer than RAR, and the support for ZIP is ubiquitous across platforms.

    The ZIP format is supported natively by Windows and Linux, and macOS users will not have any trouble too. That’s why ZIP is considered superior when you want an archive format easily available everywhere. It is for this reason that software developers prefer using ZIP over RAR because they don’t want users troubling you all the time and complaining about the inability to extract some of the files.

    When talking about archiving files online, the ubiquity of ZIP formats holds true. There are ZIP converter tools available that can convert files instantly and even store and compress them without downloading the files to the desktop. It is bandwidth-friendly and quite convenient.

    Even though RAR is available easily, you need additional tools for compressing and decompressing the files. The elongated process is viewed as a hassle by many.

    Speedy v/s speedier

    Whether you are using WinZIP or the native ZIP support from the Windows OS, ZIP is fast for compressing and decompressing. But RAR is speedier, primarily when you use WinRAR. So, if speed is what you want, you have a clear winner.

    Licensing

    The RAR format is proprietary, but the decompression source code can be achieved easily. WinRAR provides the code. But, the code cannot be utilized to build the compression algorithm of RAR.

    On the other hand, ZIP is a standard file format and works with varied implementations.

    Wrapping up

    RAR and ZIP are both equally popular and widely used archive file formats. RAR is ahead in the race when it comes to speed and compression rate. But ZIP wins in terms of availability and ubiquitous support across platforms.

    The choice of using whichever file format is up to you. Assess your needs carefully and make your decision. But no matter what choice you make, you don’t stand to lose anything.

     

    RAR vs ZIP
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Previous ArticleEnjoy Online With The COD Vanguard Hacks
    Next Article Digital marketing and Your Small Business
    admin
    • Website

    Related Posts

    Exploring Alternatives to PHP for Modern Web Development Projects

    October 6, 2023

    TikTok Vs. Snapchat: A Battle of the Social Media Titans

    October 6, 2023

    Microsoft Outlook Won’t Open Issues and Fixes

    October 6, 2023

    How Is Russia VPS Hosting Beneficial For Traffic Websites?

    October 6, 2023

    How to Fix Unresponsive Printer?

    October 4, 2023

    10 Benefits of Mobile Usability Testing | Guide for App Owners

    October 3, 2023

    Comments are closed.

    Latest News

    Economic Factors That Affect The Foreign Exchange Market

    October 31, 2023

    Vital Vehicle Services to Know When Your Career Depends on Your Car

    October 30, 2023

    Kelis Net Worth 2023: Rising Star in the Music Industry

    October 27, 2023

    James Marsden Net Worth 2023

    October 27, 2023
    Categories
    • Auto (21)
    • Biography (35)
    • Business (137)
    • CBD (24)
    • Cryptocurrency (45)
    • Education (1)
    • Entertainment (14)
    • Fashion (20)
    • Food (9)
    • Gaming (57)
    • Health (59)
    • Home Improvements (25)
    • How To (28)
    • Marketing (7)
    • News (283)
    • Other (31)
    • Packaging (15)
    • Pet (8)
    • Questions (18)
    • Relationships (6)
    • SEO (23)
    • Softwares (21)
    • Style (2)
    • Tech (182)
    • Weird (1)
    Pages
    • About Techlars
    • Contact Us
    • Home
    • Homepage
    • Our Authors
    • Privacy Policy
    • Write For Us
    Top Reviews
    Advertisement
    Demo
    About Us

    Techlars Coverage technology news, business news, startups, tech news from US, Gadgets, mobile phones reviews, and gaming updates.

    We're accepting new partnerships right now.

    Email Us: [email protected]
    Contact: +1-320-0123-451

    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest
    Our Picks

    Economic Factors That Affect The Foreign Exchange Market

    October 31, 2023

    Vital Vehicle Services to Know When Your Career Depends on Your Car

    October 30, 2023

    Kelis Net Worth 2023: Rising Star in the Music Industry

    October 27, 2023
    Helpful Pages
    • About Techlars
    • Contact Us
    • Home
    • Homepage
    • Our Authors
    • Privacy Policy
    • Write For Us
    © 2023 Techlars. Designed by Techlars.com.
    • Home
    • Tech
    • Buy Now

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.