Ashampoo ZIP Free

Ashampoo ZIP Free is an archive management and compression tool that can create and extract archives, explore their content and perform conversions. While its name might suggest otherwise, it provides compatibility with various archive formats aside from the popular ZIP, such as 7-ZIP, CAB, RAR, TAR, LHA, ARJ, ARC, ZOO, ACE, ISO images and many more.

Its interface borrows the Windows 8 start screen look, displaying all the options and tools as tiles that can be rearranged with ease. This application is optimized for touch screens.

Creating a new archive is easy, since you are guided throughout the necessary steps. Ashampoo ZIP Free prompts you to select one or more files to add, choose the compression method and rate and select the data the archive should store (relative or full paths). Encrypted archives can also be created using the AES algorithm.

One of the pluses of Ashampoo ZIP Free is that it enables you to explore the content of any supported archive without prior decompression, which is actually a mandatory feature for reputable compression tools.

You can view a list of the files that are inside the archive and preview images, documents or even multimedia files. Moreover, files can be easily deleted, renamed, copied and pasted or send via email without having to save them locally.

With a stylish look and intuitive options, Ashampoo ZIP Free provides basic options for archive creation, modifying and browsing. The range of supported formats is not disappointing at all, including common and special archive types. Additional features enables it to repair damaged or corrupt archive files, split a large ZIP file into smaller archives and build SFX archives.

Some of its features are only available in the Pro edition, but Ashampoo ZIP Free remains a reliable compression tool that can come in handy to any user.