Ark vs Universal Extractor 2
Ark
apps.kde.orgUniversal Extractor 2
github.comSide by side
| Figure | Ark | Universal Extractor 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · File Compression Software | 7.9 (#11) | 7.2 (#25) |
| License | The KDE Ark page identifies its license as GPL-2.0+. | The main program is licensed under GPLv2, and some bundled third-party extractors have different licenses, including restrictions on commercial use. |
| Purpose | Ark is a graphical utility for compressing and decompressing files and archives. | Universal Extractor 2 extracts files from archives, installers, disk images, game archives and multimedia files. |
| Support | KDE links to the Ark Handbook, UserBase Wiki, and KDE Forum for help. | Users can report issues on GitHub, send feedback from the Help menu, or contact the maintainer by email; the maintainer notes replies may take a while. |
| Supported formats | The site lists tar, gzip, bzip2, rar, zip, and CD-ROM images, and its features list also includes 7z. | The project says it supports more than 500 additional file types, with an overview of supported types in its formats list. |
Plans
In their own words
Ark
Ark is a free graphical utility for creating and managing compressed files and archives on Linux and Windows. It can browse, extract, create, and modify archives, and preview file contents without extracting them. Its listed formats include tar, gzip, bzip2, zip, rar, 7z, xz, rpm, cab, deb, xar, AppImage, and CD-ROM images. Ark also supports archive encryption, split archives, and command-line tools. The listed plan costs nothing, with no plan limits stated, and the application is licensed under GPL-2.0+. On Linux, KDE offers installation through AppStream stores, distribution package managers, and Flathub. KDE lists Windows as a platform and provides a Windows nightly installer for testing. Its help links include the Ark Handbook, UserBase Wiki, and KDE Forum; KDE also provides a bug-reporting link and access to the source code. KDE describes itself as an international community developing free and open-source software, represented for legal and financial matters by KDE e.V., a registered nonprofit in Germany.
Universal Extractor 2
Universal Extractor 2 has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.