PeaZip

ApplicationGiorgio Tani

Also called pea zip, peazip archiver

Giorgio TaniSystem

A free archive manager that can call 7z and other backends. The window is peazip.exe. It is not the 7-zip.org installer.

What you need to know

PeaZip is a free archive UI. 7-Zip is a separate program it can call.

Giorgio Tani's PeaZip opens and creates many archive types. It can use 7z as an engine. Download it from peazip.github.io. Installing PeaZip is not the same as installing Igor Pavlov's 7-Zip.

What is it?: A free archive UI with extra backends
Same as 7-Zip?: No. It can call 7z. It is not 7-Zip
Paid?: The official build is free

Feex says

If you wanted 7-Zip and landed on PeaZip, I would treat them as two apps. PeaZip is the friendlier window. 7-zip.org is still the Pavlov build.

What is PeaZip?

PeaZip is an open-source archive manager. peazip.exe is the Windows window. Backend binaries can include 7z. That does not make it 7-Zip.

If you have never used it

If you want a free unzipper with more buttons than 7-Zip, PeaZip is Giorgio Tani's app. Get it from peazip.github.io. It can call 7z behind the scenes. It is not the 7-zip.org File Manager and it is not WinRAR.

What is it used for?

Open mixed archives

Zip, 7z, rar extract, and other containers from one window. The PEA format is PeaZip's own extra, not a 7-Zip feature.

Call 7z and other engines

PeaZip can shell out to 7z. That is a backend. The product you installed is still PeaZip.

Secure delete and split volumes

Extra file tools live in this UI. 7-Zip's File Manager does not ship the same sidebar.

Who is it for?

People who want a free archive window with more options than Explorer
Users who already have 7-Zip and still want this UI
Anyone who should ignore "PeaZip Pro" ad pages

Current status

PeaZip (2006) is a current archive utility from Giorgio Tani. The vendor still points Windows users at https://peazip.github.io/.

How old is it?

PeaZip started in 2006. It is younger than WinRAR and a few years younger than 7-Zip. It is not a Windows 11-only Store app.

Versions

Major channels first. Exact build numbers are not all verified here.

Windows install

Portable

System requirements

Values follow the publisher's public guidance. Workload still changes the real need.

Minimum

Minimum system requirements
Operating system	Current Windows 10 or Windows 11, per the PeaZip Windows download
RAM	Enough for Windows plus this app. Heavy projects want more.

Resource profile

CPU demand: Follows the backend and compression level
RAM demand: Follows dictionary size

Installed processes

These executables belong to this product when it is installed.

Installed processes
peazip.exe	Main archive window

Startup components

PeaZip should not start with Windows. A Startup entry is unexpected.

File locations

Common PeaZip locations
Typical install	C:\Program Files\PeaZip\

File formats

ZIP7zPEATARRAR (extract)

Common problems

People think they installed 7-Zip

Check the window title. PeaZip can call 7z. The Start tile still says PeaZip.

Context menu missing after install

Use the official installer from peazip.github.io and reopen Explorer. This is not NanaZip's sparse package.

Getting unstuck

Confirm peazip.github.io before you run setup

Random "PeaZip plus toolbar" pages are not Tani's project. 7-zip.org is the other free unzipper if that is what you meant.

If a format fails, check which backend PeaZip assigned

Help and the format list name the engine. A missing 7z binary is a PeaZip install problem, not a broken Windows zip folder.

Do not replace 7-Zip files inside PeaZip's folder by hand

Update PeaZip from the project site. Mixing Igor Pavlov's folder with PeaZip's backends makes support harder.

Alternatives

7-Zip is the smaller official 7z tool. WinRAR is shareware RAR. NanaZip is a 7-Zip fork with a Windows 11 menu.

Official help and downloads

Start with the vendor. Random exe sites are not a support channel.

Official contacts
Download	peazip.github.io/ Official installer or vendor page
Help	peazip.github.io/peazip-help.html Vendor support
Official site	peazip.github.io/ Start here, not a random exe host

Related hardware

Large solid 7z or PEA jobs want CPU and free disk. The GPU is not the bottleneck.

Technical details

Vendor version numbers change. This article does not pin a build.

Sources and verification

Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Feex Reviewed. How we research.

PeaZip official site · Vendor product page
PeaZip help · Vendor support
PeaZip GitHub · Source and releases
Foxhole process map · First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark.

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