WinZip's download page lists Windows 11 and Windows 10 and a 21-day free trial, and it prints no version number. The download file names contain "winzip77", which may indicate version 77, but the page does not say so, so this page does not name a version. The page lists WinZip, WinZip Mac Edition, WinZip Self-Extractor and WinZip Command Line, with a Buy now option and a link to pricing.
WinZip is paid software. The download page says a licence must be purchased after the trial ends, and the pricing page says the consumer editions are billed annually.
Editions and terms on the pricing page
| Item | What the pricing page says |
|---|---|
| Consumer editions | Standard, Pro and Ultimate; each listed per month, billed annually, including VAT; the dollar amounts did not appear in the text we read |
| Standard | WinZip Standard for Windows and Mac, plus WinZip Courier for email encryption |
| Pro | WinZip Pro for Windows and Mac, WinZip Courier, and ZipShare for managing cloud accounts and sending files up to 5 GB |
| Ultimate | Everything in Pro, plus WinZip System Utilities and PDF Fusion |
| Guarantee | 30-day money-back guarantee on each consumer edition |
| Contract | Typically one year; if you cancel, use continues until the subscription expires |
| Trial | 21 days, no credit card; it expires and blocks access, with no charge afterwards |
| Enterprise | Priced by quote, with FIPS 140-3 compliant encryption, an IT-controlled recovery key and volume licensing |
Scope: winzip.com download and pricing pages, read 24 Oct 2026. The pricing page says the trial needs no credit card and does not charge afterwards. The download page lists no prices, and neither page prints a release date.
The subscription structure is the main difference from the other archivers in this category. 7-Zip and PeaZip charge nothing, WinRAR charges after a trial, and PowerArchiver sells a perpetual licence. WinZip's page frames the consumer editions as yearly subscriptions bundled with other tools, so the price covers more than compression.
What Windows already does
Windows 11 24H2 opens ZIP, RAR, 7z and TAR without extra software, per Microsoft, and the built-in Compressed (zipped) folder creates plain ZIP files. WinZip's product page lists AES encryption, cloud access and backup tools, so the case for paying rests on those extras. The File Compression page puts WinZip next to the other seven archivers.
The product family on the download page
The download page lists four separate products: WinZip, WinZip Mac Edition, WinZip Self-Extractor and WinZip Command Line. This directory covers the Windows desktop program. The pricing page adds that the Pro edition includes ZipShare for sending files up to 5 GB, and that Ultimate adds System Utilities and PDF Fusion, so the editions differ in the extras as well as in compression.
Before you install: a short check
- Find the current price on the pricing page, since the amounts did not show up in the text we read.
- Note the billing: billed annually, one-year contract, cancel to stop renewal, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Check Windows: only Windows 11 and 10 are listed.
- Decide whether you need the extras. Courier, ZipShare, System Utilities and PDF Fusion are bundled in the higher editions, and compression itself is in all of them.
What the WinZip product page lists
| Item | What the page says |
|---|---|
| Windows | Windows 11 and Windows 10, 64-bit |
| Requirements | 1 GHz processor; 1 GB RAM (32-bit) or 2 GB (64-bit); 235 MB disk space; .NET 4.6; DirectX 9 or later; 800 x 600 display |
| Licence check | An active internet connection is required for single-user licences |
| Encryption | AES, 128 and 256 bit, described as FIPS-197 certified |
| Cloud services | Box, Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, CloudMe, SugarSync and MediaFire |
| Sharing | ZipShare file sharing |
| Backup | Predefined and scheduled backups, burning to disc |
| Pro and Enterprise apps | SafeShare, Duplicate File Finder, PDF Express, Image Manager |
| Refund | 30-day money back guarantee; the terms are not on this page |
Scope: winzip.com/en/product/winzip, read 24 Oct 2026. The page shows no trial length; the download page gives 21 days.
The feature tables on this page do not show which checkmarks belong to Standard and which to Pro, so this directory cannot say from it which edition includes which feature. The internet connection requirement for single-user licences is worth knowing for a PC that is often offline. The refund and trial figures also come from different pages: 30 days for the guarantee here and 21 days for the trial on the download page. This page does not say when the 30 days begin, so check the terms before buying.
Alternatives in this directory
7-Zip, PeaZip and NanaZip are free. Bandizip has a free edition and a paid Professional one. WinRAR and PowerArchiver are paid with trials.