Bandizip vs PowerArchiver
Bandizip
bandisoft.com
PowerArchiver
powerarchiver.comSide by side
| Figure | Bandizip | PowerArchiver |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 3 | 6 |
| Spec score · File Compression Software | 8.4 (#2) | 8.1 (#8) |
| Encryption | Bandizip supports AES-256 encryption, and 7Z archives can encrypt filenames. | AES-256 encryption is integrated into PowerArchiver archive operations. |
| Founded | 2008 | 1998 |
| Headquarters | Seoul, South Korea | Reston, Virginia, United States |
| Support | Bandisoft directs users to its forum or email for product support and bug reports. | Technical support is free for all users, while active PA Select customers receive priority engineering support with a one-business-day response commitment. |
| Windows support | The Windows edition supports Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10, and 11 on 32-bit, x64, and ARM64 systems. | The Windows build supports Windows 7 through Windows 11 and Server 2008 R2 through Server 2025. |
Plans
Bandizip
- Standard EditionFree
- Enterprise Edition$20, paid once
- Professional Edition$30, paid once
PowerArchiver
- PowerArchiver FreeFree
- Business$22.95, paid once
- Professional$34.95, paid once
- Professional Toolbox$49.95, paid once
- Enterprise$59.95, paid once
- Enterprise Unlimited$4,995, paid once
In their own words
Bandizip
Bandizip is an archiver for compressing and extracting files on Windows and macOS. It creates formats including ZIP, 7Z, ZIPX, EXE, TAR, and ISO, and extracts more than 40 formats, including RAR and RAR5. It supports multi-volume and high-capacity compression, smart extraction, and editing files inside an archive. AES-256 encryption is available, and 7Z archives can encrypt filenames. On Windows, archive scanning uses the system antivirus through Microsoft AMSI and requires Windows 10 or later with real-time protection enabled. The free Standard Edition includes ads and limited features; its malware scan is restricted to archived files smaller than 1 MB and cannot detect malware in every archive or format. Professional Edition adds a password manager, ZIP archive repair, password recovery, and image previews inside archives. It costs 30.00 USD once for one user on up to five PCs at a time. Enterprise Edition costs 20.00 USD once per single-PC license, with a minimum purchase of two. Windows support covers versions 7, 8, 8.1, 10, and 11; macOS requires version 10.13 or later.
PowerArchiver
PowerArchiver creates, extracts and manages more than 60 archive formats, including ZIP, 7Z, RAR, TAR, ISO and CAB. It supports archive encryption with AES-256, split archives and archive repair. Its proprietary PA codec provides lossless compression and is described as reducing documents by 30–70%. The Windows edition supports Windows 7 through Windows 11 and Server 2008 R2 through Server 2025; PowerArchiver Pro for Mac is a separate macOS codebase with Finder integration and native drag-and-drop. Edition features vary: Professional includes Outlook, Word and Excel add-ins, while Professional Toolbox adds a cloud browser for S3, Google Drive, OneDrive, Azure and Box, as well as the PACL command-line tool. Business and higher editions include MSI installation, Group Policy support and silent deployment. Enterprise adds FIPS 140-2 validated encryption and lists HIPAA and DFARS support. The free edition is restricted to non-commercial personal, student and nonprofit use. A 30-day trial unlocks the highest Toolbox edition’s features. Prices range from PowerArchiver Free at free to Enterprise Unlimited at $4,995, paid once.