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We often work with compressed file formats, but are not always sure how they work and which format is better. By default, we mostly use an archive file format like ZIP or RAR. These formats squeeze multiple metadata into a single container for easy portability and storage. This process is often used for packaging games and software for distribution.

RAR and ZIP are archive file formats, with some key differences. ZIP is a standard type format that any OS can quickly execute. On the other hand, we need various auxiliary tools to process any given RAR file format. RAR files offer better quality and flexibility while compressing, making them more suitable for working professionals handling large numbers of files. However, you can easily convert any RAR file to ZIP without downloading any additional software. You can use the online RAR to ZIP converter to simplify your workflow. Read on to know more on what file compression formats suit you the most.

ZIP: Wide Spread Compatibility, Suitable for Smaller Files

ZIP is a file format that supports lossless data compression and archiving. This file format was developed by math wizard Phil Katz and made public in 1989. Today, the ZIP format is popular and many companies create ZIP-friendly software utilities including built-in ZIP support by Microsoft( since Windows 7) and Mac OS X and above.

ZIP format makes compression effortless by squeezing each file individually and is one of the main reasons for its inherent popularity and widespread compatibility. ZIP files are containers of data consisting of several files together in a zipped or compressed format with ZIP compression. ZIP files are capable of more than just compressing files; they can encrypt files (password protected) and split the archives in no time with just a few clicks. If you are working with multiple file types, you can zip/compress them together using different algorithms like DEFLATE, LZMA, WavPack, PPMd, and BZIP2.

RAR: Efficient Compression for Professionals

The term RAR files is short for Roshal Archive Compressed files named after its creator Eugene Roshal. It is primarily a file format of proprietary archive format type under copyright. A RAR file provides better quality compression especially in solid mode. Using the multi-volume archives of winRAR, you can create easy self-extracting RAR files with multiple layers of files. The RAR compression technique is beautifully designed and has the capability to store several files as well as folders together. However, unlike a normal folder on your hard drive, you would require third-party software to open and extract the content present in the RAR archive.

To put it in another way, the RAR file format is a native file format of WinRAR application software which stores multiple files in compressed form, and can only be formed through this tool, which is licensed to WinRAR gmbh. But you have several options to open a RAR file. All you need to do here is to break the bulk of a RAR file to access the files present in it. You can also convert a RAR file into the ZIP format and open it on a Windows/Mac computer. By and large, the RAR file format has higher calibre in data compression than that of the ZIP file format.

Difference Between ZIP and RAR

PARAMETERS	ZIP	RAR
Definition	A ZIP is a standard archive type of file format which can effortlessly work with multiple types of implementations.	A RAR is a proprietary archive type of file format under copyright, that needs a third party software to process on any given operating system.
Developer	The ZIP file format is developed by Phil Katz.	The RAR file format is developed by Eugene Roshal.
Year of invention	1986.	1993.
Support for software	Most OS can open, extract and decompress ZIP files single-handedly.	Operating systems require  third-party software for handling RAR files.
Decomposition	In the case of ZIP files, the process of decomposition is impractical.	RAR files can be easily decomposed.
Speed	The ZIP file format is fast for compression as well as decompression. This is true whether you are using application software like WinZip or using the inbuilt ZIP support from Windows.	The RAR file format is comparatively fast especially when you are using the most common RAR application for windows i.e WinRAR.
Compression Efficiency	The rate of compression of the ZIP format is lower than that of  the RAR format.	The rate of compression of the RAR format is way better than the ZIP format, and sometimes it differs by a large margin.
Compression Algorithm	The ZIP file format uses the DEFLATE algorithm for squeezing the data, which is less efficient than the newer compression methods, which are not supported by any system by default.	The RAR file format uses a compression algorithm, which is monumentally better than the DEFLATE method of compression in ZIP.
Extension and file name	The file extensions of ZIP formats are .zip and .zipx.	The file extensions of RAR format are .r01, .r00, .rev, .rar.
Security	The Zip format offers a password-based protection.	The RAR format does not offer password protection.
Encryption Algorithm	The ZIP file format uses the ZIP 2.0 algorithm for encryption, which is relatively weak.	The RAR file format uses a far more efficient AES-128 encryption.
Softwares used for creation	ZIP files can be created with various programs such as WinZIP, WinRAR, Freebyte ZIP, etc.	The Creation of RAR files is limited to just one program which is WinRAR.
Popularity	The popularity of the ZIP file format is evident as it was developed a long time ago. Thus, it accounts for a large number of archive files on the internet.	The RAR file format is relatively new. Thus it is not as popular as the ZIP file format. But it is still popular.

Conclusion: RAR vs ZIP. Which is Better?

When compression rate, speed, and quality are your primary concerns, RAR wins the race by a distant margin. Generally, the speed depends on the type of file you need to compress, the application software you are using, and the hardware where you run the archiver. On the other hand, the ZIP file format wins the race in terms of availability i.e you can always be sure of compressing and decompressing in any computer system you use.