Windows’ built-in archive manager is getting better these days. But for more advanced features, you’ll likely need a third-party tool. After using 7-Zip for a long time, I found NanaZip. It impressed me so much that I quit using alternatives.
What is NanaZip?
NanaZip is an open-source file archive manager just like 7-Zip. In fact, it’s a fork of 7-Zip. However, NanaZip has extended much of the 7-Zip project. So, despite having similar functionalities, NanaZip has some distinct advantages.
Some of its key features include:
- Modern UI that blends with the latest Windows versions.
- Packaged with MSIX for a smooth, modern installation experience.
- Full context menu support in Windows 10 or Windows 11 File Explorer.
- Includes a 7-Zip execution alias to help users transition to NanaZip.
- Compression and decompression support for Brotli, Fast-LZMA2, LZ4, LZ5, Zstandard, and more, as well as read-only archive formats.
- Many enhanced security features, such as Control Flow Guard, CET Shadow Stack, and strict runtime handle checks, disabled dynamic code generation in release builds.
There are currently two versions: NanaZip and NanaZip Classic. Each version is geared toward different types of systems. For most modern systems, the non-classic version is recommended.
One thing it lacks from 7-Zip is non-Windows support. NanaZip is made for Windows. The only way you can get it to work on Linux and macOS is by using Wine.
The team behind NanaZip is a Japanese software development group who are also behind many other applications such as NanaBox, NanaGet, and NanaRun. A fun fact. Nana in Japanese means seven.
Why NanaZip is Better Than 7-Zip
I’ve used 7-Zip for a long time. I’ve also used Windows’ own archiving features. While 7-Zip has been a great program, there are some areas where NanaZip shines. It has all the functionalities of 7-Zip but has a few advantages that make it a better choice.
Ever felt that having the option to extract files from an archive from the right-click context menu would be great? NanaZip has that. Whether you want to extract files or create an archive from files, you can select the target file(s), right-click to open the context menu, and choose NanaZip from there.
This is a big one for me: not having to open your archiving software from the menu, then loading the ZIP file in it to work with it. This is a great quality-of-life feature for people who often have to work with different types of archives. Moreover, it has many options right in the context menu, not just unzipping.
It Has a Modern Look and Feel
7-Zip’s look and UI don’t feel like it belongs to modern computer systems. It takes you back to the old days. I’ve found this to be true of many archive management applications. NanaZip is different.
It blends well with the Windows look. Like me, if you prefer dark mode, it has that too. It even has the Mica effect on its main window. Its shiny interface makes you really feel like NanaZip is a modern native Windows app.
The user interface is quite intuitive and easy to use. If you compare the buttons on 7-Zip and NanaZip, you’ll see a clear difference. Even without hard labels, you can easily recognize which button does what on NanaZip. You can also hover your mouse over the button to see the tooltip.
It Supports Automatic Updates
Unlike 7-Zip, which doesn’t have an automatic update system, NanaZip keeps itself updated without you intervening. This means you don’t have to download security patches or new setup files every time there is a new release. A big time-saver.
How to Use NanaZip
First, you need to download and install NanaZip. You can download it from the official GitHub repository, SourceFourge, or Microsoft Store. For simplicity, I’m going with the last option. Open the Microsoft Store and search for NanaZip. Install it from there.
When you’re done installing, you can find the application from the search bar on the Taskbar. Open the application.
Another way to use NanaZip is from the context menu, as I said earlier. If you have a ZIP file you want to extract files from, right-click on it, and you’ll find NanaZip in the context menu. Hover your mouse pointer over NanaZip to check all the available options.
You can add it to an archive, extract files from it, and do many other things.
One thing I like here is that, based on the option you choose, you can extract files directory in the current directory without creating additional directories. This can be useful when you need all your files in the same directory as the archive. This was a problem I used to face with 7-Zip and Windows’ built-in archive management system.
With NanaZip, zipping and unzipping files on Windows is quite easy and efficient. Not to mention its better compression support and modern UI. All these make it my new go-to for dealing with archives.
