In case we want to send several files over the Internet or when we want a file to occupy less space than it typically uses, one of the best alternatives is the compression of these contents. Of course, we all know that there are very famous applications in this segment, such as WinZip and WinRAR, although this does not mean that they are the only ones, and they also have the problem that they are paid.

It is precisely for this reason that we want to show you another exciting option in this type of situation, such as Bandizip, which is free and superior to those mentioned above in almost all aspects. We believe that once you have downloaded and installed it, you will forget about other similar programs forever.

How it works

As we said, Bandizip is a file manager focusing mainly on compression, with multiple file opening options, but perhaps without as many complementary tools as we would like. If you are only interested in compressing or decompressing files, you should know that this system is compatible with the main formats, such as Zip, ZipX, TAR, TGZ, 7Z, LZH, and ISO.

A necessary clarification that we have to make in this sense is that although this software allows us to decompress files in RAR and the new RAR5 formats without any inconvenience, it does not offer the possibility of generating files. This has to do with a licensing issue, so we don't know if they will solve it in the future, but for the moment, it is a limitation that you should consider.

Going into some of the qualities that we believe place this application above other similar ones, we have to mention, for example, that it can support Unicode to display international characters. To that, we have to add that it can detect files that have been poorly compressed in fast compression processes, performing standard compression in those cases to avoid problems.

Bandizip also allows us to create self-extracting files, the so-called EXE, and others in multiple volumes, so you can launch practically any content you want from this service. And suppose you are worried about the security of your content, thanks to this program. In that case, you will have the possibility to encrypt the files thanks to the libraries ZipCrypto and AES 256, preventing third parties from being able to see your contents.

With this collaborator, you can also create or extract several archives simultaneously from Windows Explorer , saving many users considerable time in this situation. And before you are done with the production of the new compressed content, you will be able to Preview the file as if to make sure it is correct before finally sharing it.

Keep in mind

Bandizip is not only available for Windows operating systems through the traditional installation process, but we also have a portable version that allows us to take the app with us to run it on multiple computers during the day. If you have a Mac computer from Apple, you can enjoy its benefits since it has a variant developed for Mac OS X.

We liked the user interface, which has both the look and feel and the functionality one would expect for a service of this type, considering that navigation between menus is easy. On top of that, its aesthetics are very much its own, which sets it apart from other platforms, and while this is just a detail, it's lovely.

The best

If we were to mention the aspects we liked the most about this program, we would have to refer to some in particular, such as the fact that it decompresses files in the main compressed file formats. Besides that, we liked that it allows the creation of archives whose contents are automatically extracted or multi-volume, something that does not always happen among these applications.

The Worst

As for the negative features of this application, we will have to mention one above the others, which has to do with the fact that it does not allow you to generate compressed files in RAR format, which makes us miss more options in this regard. Beyond that, we are sure that it has practically no important weak points, as it would be, for example, if it did not allow to open RAR files, something that does not happen, of course.

Rating

Bandizip seems to us, without any doubt, one of the best alternatives that should be taken into account by those who are tired of the warning messages of WinRAR or WinZip when managing their compressed files. Because of its user-friendly interface, the fact that it is free, and how easy it is to take advantage of each of its tools, we are convinced that it will satisfy almost everyone.