7-Zip

The best free file archiver for Windows. High compression ratio, fast, and no nonsense.

Windows Open Source Utilities

7-Zip is the archiver that handles everything: 7z, ZIP, RAR, TAR, GZIP, and dozens more. Its native 7z format achieves compression ratios significantly better than ZIP, and it's completely free and open-source. Integrates with Windows Explorer for right-click extraction. The interface is utilitarian but the engine is unmatched — it's been the standard Windows archiver for over two decades for good reason.