PeaZip

Dealing with archives is an important process for all computer users and finding the perfect software for the job is sometimes difficult. Most people want to have a free solution for that purpose and PeaZip seems like a great candidate.

PeaZip is a free file compression program available for Windows, Linux, and Mac. It's quite tiny and it also offers a portable version. One characteristic that can be used to describe PeaZip is its orientation towards data security. Also, a great advantage is that it can be used to open and unarchive a huge number of archive formats.

It can also create many different archives but, unfortunately, RAR format is not on that list. PeaZip is designed to keep your data safe, so it offers to protect your archive with a password and a keyfile. Both the password and the keyfile can be generated using PeaZip for maximum protection.

When it comes to its UI, it's quite simple and consistent. Everything you need can be found easily and you don't have to look through menus and tabs for the basic features. Some of its cool features include context menu integration, archive splitting, duplicate file check, and its own image compression optimization tool.

It might not be the fastest compression tool available but you have to take into account that it's completely free, and is also very easy to use. Its safety concerns make it a must-have tool for people who deal with archives often enough.