PowerArchiver's download page lists version 22.10.02, a Windows installer of 51.6 MB, and prints no release date. The installer link sits in a 2023 folder and the page footer reads 1998 to 2026, so the version's age is not confirmed. The home page's metadata shows a last-updated timestamp of 14 May 2026, which is not a release date.
The page lists Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10 and 11 and Server 2008 R2 through 2025, in one installer with 32-bit and 64-bit builds. It states 2 GB of RAM as the minimum and 4 GB as recommended, and about 150 MB of disk space.
Editions and prices
| Edition | Price on the page |
|---|---|
| Business | $22.95 |
| Professional | $34.95 |
| Professional Toolbox | $49.95 |
| Enterprise | $59.95 per seat; Enterprise Unlimited from $4,995 |
| PowerArchiver Select (optional maintenance) | 25 percent a year, or 50 percent for three years |
Scope: powerarchiver.com download page and home page, read 24 Oct 2026. Prices are US dollars as displayed. The pages call the licence perpetual, with free updates within the current lifecycle.
The page describes a 30-day trial with every feature of the Toolbox edition unlocked, no watermarks and no nag screens, followed by a prompt to license it. It says the licence is "perpetual, never expires." The home page claims support for more than 60 archive formats, including ZIP, 7Z, RAR, TAR, ISO and CAB, and AES-256 encryption through Microsoft CryptoAPI, with FIPS 140-2, HIPAA and DFARS validation listed for the Enterprise tier.
Vendor claims, not tests
| Claim on the home page | Stated figure |
|---|---|
| Documents versus ZIP | 30 to 70 percent smaller |
| JPEGs | About 23 percent smaller |
| MP3 archives versus ZIP | About 3 times smaller |
| Duplicates | Up to 85 percent savings |
| Usage | Over 40 million downloads, trusted since 1998 |
These are the vendor's statements, and the home page gives no test conditions. Compression results depend on the files, so the same figure does not hold for every collection.
What Windows already does
Microsoft's page says Windows 11 24H2 opens ZIP, RAR, 7z and TAR on its own and that encrypted archives are outside what Windows supports. PowerArchiver's pages list AES-256 encryption plus backup and cloud tools, which are the features that go past the built-in support. The File Compression page compares it with the other archivers.
What the Select plan could cost
The page offers PowerArchiver Select at 25 percent a year, or 50 percent for three years, and does not say what the percentage is applied to. If it applies to the edition price, the Professional edition at $34.95 would come to about $8.74 a year, or about $17.48 for three years. That is our arithmetic on an assumption, and the page should be checked before buying.
Before you install: a short check
- Check your PC against 2 GB RAM and about 150 MB of disk.
- Pick the edition after the trial: the page lists four plus the Unlimited tier.
- Look for the release date inside the program, since the page prints none.
- Remember the page says licences are perpetual and updates are free within the current lifecycle, with an optional paid Select plan.
What else the PowerArchiver home page lists
| Item | What the page says |
|---|---|
| Formats | 60+ archive formats |
| Encryption | AES-256 through Microsoft CryptoAPI; filename encryption; authenticated encryption checked on extract |
| Signing | OpenPGP signing and verification from Professional upward |
| Transfer | FTP, FTPS and SFTP |
| Backup | Backup in Professional, including backup of locked files |
| Toolbox extras | Virtual ISO and a disc burner |
| Office add-ins | Outlook, Excel and Word |
| Compliance | FIPS 140-2, HIPAA and DFARS validation at the Enterprise tier |
| Licence | Perpetual, with free updates within the current lifecycle |
| Trial | 30 days with every paid-edition feature unlocked, no automatic conversion afterwards |
Scope: powerarchiver.com home page, read 24 Oct 2026. These are the vendor's statements, with no test conditions.
The tier wording helps read the editions table: OpenPGP signing and backup start at Professional, the toolbox extras sit in the Toolbox edition and the compliance validation is listed at Enterprise, while Business at $22.95 is the entry point. A reader who only needs ZIP files may not use most of what the higher editions add. Two statements are open to question before paying: free updates within the current lifecycle, where the page does not say how long a lifecycle lasts, and the Select plan percentages, which are the only price for continued maintenance that the page gives.
Alternatives in this directory
WinZip and WinRAR are the other paid archivers, with a trial each. Bandizip has a free edition. 7-Zip and PeaZip are free and open source.