.7z

File format · Released 1999 · By Igor Pavlov

About 7Z Files

7-Zip Archive

7z uses the LZMA2 compression algorithm to achieve significantly better compression ratios than ZIP. It is open-source and supports strong AES-256 encryption.

Family

Archives & Compressed

Extension

.7z

MIME Type

application/x-7z-compressed

Can Use As

Input Output

● Hex Magic-Bytes Signature (Offset 0x00) Archives & Compressed Binary/Text Stream

37 5A 46 4D 00 01 00 00 4B 41 49 4A ASCII: 7ZFM....KAIJ

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Width ()

Height ()

Unit

Print Density (DPI)

Passport & ID Presets:

📈 Target Minimum File Size (Guaranteed ≥ KB)

Lossless JPEG Q100 + standard COM segment padding for government & exam portals

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The story

HOW 7Z CAME TO BE.

7z is the open-source archive format created by Russian programmer Igor Pavlov in 1999, shipped as part of the 7-Zip utility. The format's headline feature is LZMA compression — a dictionary-based algorithm that routinely outperforms ZIP and RAR by 20–50% on typical files. Its open license and technical superiority made it the archival format of choice for Linux distributions, software installers, and anyone optimizing for size over compatibility.

The 7-Zip utility itself became a Windows staple — free, open source, no nag screen, no bundled adware — and the Linux port (p7zip) is standard in every distribution. The format is licensed under the permissive LGPL and has no royalty or usage restrictions.

ISO / MIME SPECS

Technical Specifications

MIME type: application/x-7z-compressed
Compression: LZMA, LZMA2, PPMd, Bzip2, DEFLATE
Max file size: 16 EB (exabytes)
Encryption: AES-256 (content + filenames)
License: LGPL

Typical Sizes & Weights

Source code archive

~50% smaller than ZIP

Linux distro installer

2–10 GB

Virtual machine disk image

5–40 GB

STRENGTHS & LIMITATIONS.

Strengths

Outstanding compression ratio — typically 20–50% smaller than ZIP, 10–30% smaller than RAR.
Completely free and open source.
AES-256 encryption of both content and filenames.
Supports enormous archives (16 exabytes).
Multi-threaded compression on modern CPUs.

Limitations

Not natively supported on Windows before Windows 11 23H2 or macOS — requires a separate tool.
Slower compression than ZIP (though decompression is fast).
No built-in recovery records like RAR.
Less ubiquitous in email and casual sharing than ZIP.

CURIOSITIES & TRIVIA.

LZMA2 (7z's default codec) was later adopted by the xz utility — the compression ratio is legendary.

7z archives can hit 10× better compression than ZIP on text-heavy content.

7-Zip is one of the most-downloaded Windows utilities ever — hundreds of millions of installs.

The format supports AES-256 encryption on filenames AND contents — a feature ZIP still lacks in practice.

7z's author, Igor Pavlov, has maintained the project almost single-handedly since 1999.

STUDIO TOOLS FOR 7Z

Specialized Utilities for .7Z Files

View all 45 tools →

archive →

Compress Files to ZIP

Compress multiple files and folders into a single ZIP archive. Reduce total size for faster transfers and organized storage.

compress →

Compress Image to 50KB

Compress JPG, PNG, or WebP photos to strictly under 50 KB (50,000 bytes) for passport portals, university admissions, civil service forms, and KYC uploads without changing pixel dimensions.

merge →

Merge PDF

Combine multiple PDF files into a single document. Drag and drop to reorder pages before merging. No software installation required.

compress →

Compress PDF

Reduce PDF file size without visible quality loss. Choose from low, medium, or high compression levels. Ideal for email attachments and web uploads.

CONVERT FROM 7Z

7z zip 7z tar 7z gz 7z bz2 7z xz 7z lzma 7z zst 7z lz4

CONVERT TO 7Z

zip 7z tar 7z gz 7z bz2 7z xz 7z rar 7z tgz 7z cab 7z jar 7z war 7z lzma 7z zst 7z lz4 7z cpio 7z ar 7z apk 7z deb 7z rpm 7z lz 7z iso 7z dmg 7z snap 7z

Common Use Cases

Maximum compression, large file archives, encrypted storage.