Ark vs XZ Utils
Ark
apps.kde.orgXZ Utils
tukaani.orgSide by side
| Figure | Ark | XZ Utils |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | — |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 0 |
| Spec score · File Compression Software | 7.9 (#11) | 6.9 (#29) |
| License | The KDE Ark page identifies its license as GPL-2.0+. | Core components from version 5.5.2beta onward use the BSD Zero Clause License (0BSD), while some scripts and build files use other free software licenses. |
| Purpose | Ark is a graphical utility for compressing and decompressing files and archives. | XZ Utils is a C99 implementation of the .xz file format. |
| Support | KDE links to the Ark Handbook, UserBase Wiki, and KDE Forum for help. | The project accepts bug reports through GitHub, email, or IRC, and asks that security issues be reported privately by email or through GitHub's vulnerability reporting feature. |
| Supported formats | The site lists tar, gzip, bzip2, rar, zip, and CD-ROM images, and its features list also includes 7z. | The tools support the .xz format and the legacy .lzma format. |
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.