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Two of the most popular file compression programs on the market today are WinZIP and WinRAR. The question that inevitably arises is, which is a better buy? The answer can be found by comparing the performance, price, and features of each.

Compression - the whole purpose behind using compression software is to shrink the size of files for more efficient storage and faster transmission over a network. Thus, how well a utility compresses files should be of primary concern to those needing to choose one. Many independent sites on the Internet consistently show that WinRAR compresses files more than WinZIP. There are a few exceptions with specific file types, particularly those that are already compressed in their native format, like mp3 files. These do not compress very much in any case by either WinRAR or WinZIP. WinRAR comes out the clear winner among most other, highly compressible file types, and the aggregate or overall measures generally show WinRAR on top. Supporting data can be found on wikipedia (Comparison_of_file_archivers) , techarp.com (Compression Comparison Guide Rev. 2.0), and maximumcompression.com.

Feature s and Price - WinRAR and WinZIP (basic edition) cost the same, about $30.00 each. However, WinRAR supports a number of features in it's base product that are only available for WinZIP via add-ons with extra cost, or by purchasing the 'Pro' version, which costs about $50.00. Most important among these features is the ability to script and automate data compression. WinRAR comes with command-line support, so it's easy to create and schedule jobs to archive files, deploy software, or transmit compressed data. Command-line support is an extra download for WinZIP, and only available to users of the more expensive 'Pro' version. Note that WinZIP Pro also ships with a built-in scheduler, but it won't integrate well with scripts that run across an enterprise. Both WinZIP and WinRAR can create self-extracting archives, but to utilize more advanced features like creating custom logos, embedding your own license information, or using the command-line interface all require additional purchases for WinZIP. Anyone who needs to support an international (ie; non-English) character set can forget about WinZIP - it does not support filenames with Unicode characters in them, and the help and on-screen prompts are only available in English. WinRAR supports something like 45 different languages and handles Unicode filenames with no problem.

Platform Support - WinRAR offers considerably more flexibility in terms of where it will run and the type of archive it can create. WinRAR is available not only for Windows, but also DOS (if anyone is still using it), MacOSX, linux, and FreeBSD, allowing one to use the same product pretty much everywhere. WinZIP is only available for Windows (or in a DOS command window with the 'Pro' version and the command-line add-on installed). Finally, while WinRAR can create ZIP files (if someone really wants to), WinZIP cannot create RAR files.

Conclusion - WinRAR does everything WinZIP basic does, and for the most part, does it better. It also does much of what WinZIP Pro does, but at no additional cost. Finally, it does some things that WinZIP doesn't do at all. It seems clear that WinRAR is the better buy.

Learn more about this author, Joe Poniatowski.
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