Our verdict: Bandizip is a fast, polished archiver with a cleaner interface than 7-Zip. The free Standard edition covers everyday compression and extraction but shows ads. Repair, password recovery and archive malware scans are reserved for the paid Professional edition.
About Bandizip
Bandizip is made by Bandisoft, which also makes the Honeycam GIF maker. The free Standard edition may be used at home and at work without buying a license; Bandisoft lists it as advertising-supported software.
It extracts more than 40 formats, including 7Z, RAR, RAR5, ISO, ZSTD and LZ4, and creates ZIP, 7Z, ZIPX, TAR, TGZ, ISO and self-extracting EXE archives. A Professional license costs a one-time fee, covers one person on up to five PCs and removes the ads.
What it does well
- Multi-core compression. Uses several processor cores to compress up to six times faster.
- 40+ formats to extract. Opens RAR, RAR5, 7Z, ISO, CAB, ZSTD and many more.
- Edit inside archives. Modify files in an archive without extracting it first.
- Smart extraction. Avoids messy folders by choosing the destination automatically.
- AES-256 encryption. Password-protects ZIP and 7Z archives with strong encryption.
Who it is for
Good fit
People who want a fast archiver with a tidy interface and do not mind ads in the free edition.
Look elsewhere
Users who want an ad-free archiver without paying; 7-Zip, PeaZip and NanaZip have no ads.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Fast multi-core compression
- Clean, modern interface
- Edits files inside archives
- Free for home and business use
Cons
- Free edition shows ads
- Archive repair, password recovery and malware scan need the paid edition
- Closed source
How to install Bandizip
The download button gets the x64 Standard installer from Bandisoft. Bandisoft also offers an installer with all architectures and a portable version on the same page. During setup, check which file types Bandizip will take over, and turn off the context-menu items you do not need in Settings.
Questions about Bandizip
Is Bandizip free?
Yes. The Standard edition is free for home and business use but shows ads. The Professional edition is a one-time purchase that removes ads and adds extra tools.
What does Bandizip Professional add?
No ads, a password manager, archive repair, password recovery, image previews inside archives and an antimalware scan of archives.
Can Bandizip create RAR files?
No. It extracts RAR and RAR5 archives, but creates ZIP, 7Z, ZIPX, TAR, ISO and other formats.
