7-Zip makes some of the smallest archives around, but a .7z file is a dead end for anyone who does not have 7-Zip installed. Drop the archive here and ConvertCove repacks it as a standard ZIP, or lets you pull out just the files you need. Everything runs on your device; the archive is never uploaded.
How to convert 7Z to ZIP
- Click Select 7Z files or drag them onto the box above. You can add as many as you like.
- Check that the target says ZIP. Click the slider icon next to a file to change its options.
- Press Convert. Each file shows its own progress, and the work happens on your device.
- Download files one by one, or use Download all (ZIP). Press Convert more to start a new batch.
Solid 7z archives have to be decompressed from the beginning. If you only need one file from a big archive, it still takes as long as extracting all of it, so be patient on phones.
7Z vs ZIP
What is 7Z?
A 7z archive usually uses LZMA2 compression and often stores files as one solid block, so it squeezes folders of similar files, like source code or documents, far better than ZIP. The trade-off is compatibility: older Windows versions, macOS and most phones cannot open it out of the box. More about the 7Z format.
What is ZIP?
ZIP compresses each file separately with DEFLATE. It is less compact than 7z but opens everywhere with a double-click, from Windows Explorer to iPhone Files. More about the ZIP format.
| 7Z | ZIP | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | 7-Zip archive | ZIP archive |
| Extensions | .7z | .zip |
| MIME type | application/x-7z-compressed | application/zip |
When to convert 7Z to ZIP
- A download or game mod came as .7z and you are on a Mac, Chromebook or locked-down PC.
- You want to send the contents to someone who does not have 7-Zip.
- A website or company system only accepts ZIP uploads.
- You need a single document from a large archive without installing anything.
Quality and settings
Every file is extracted bit-for-bit and written into the ZIP with its folder path. Expect the ZIP to be larger than the 7z, sometimes two or three times for text-heavy archives, because DEFLATE cannot match LZMA2’s solid compression. Already-compressed files such as images and videos are stored as they are, so their size barely changes.