Do not use the command line unless you must. Download 7-Zip (from 7-zip.org) or the community-favorite NanaZip (from the Microsoft Store) for a modern interface.

RAR requires a proprietary license for distribution. ZIP is technically open but encumbered by patents. 7z and 7-Zip are completely open source under the GNU LGPL. This means anyone—Anya, you, or a developer in Tokyo—can audit the code, improve it, and port it to any operating system.

Unlike ZIP’s decades-old Deflate algorithm, 7z uses LZMA (Lempel-Ziv-Markov chain algorithm). LZMA offers a compression ratio that is typically 30-40% better than ZIP and 10-15% better than RAR for similar file types. LZMA2 adds multithreading support, allowing modern CPUs to crush terabytes of data without breaking a sweat.