需要压缩一堆文件，想知道哪种压缩格式(compression format)最好？哪个程序会给你最小的文件？嗯，答案比这要复杂一些。
是的，对于任何一组数据，一个程序总是会给你最好的压缩和最小的文件，但根据数据，它可能不是每次都是同一个程序。
此外，除了文件大小(file size)之外，还有其他因素需要考虑。正如您将看到的，有时两个压缩实用程序之间的差异很小，但格式可以产生很大的不同。另外，有些是免费的，有些是收费的，所以如果你有预算意识，那么它很容易减少你的选择。
在本文中，我将介绍四种不同的压缩工具，并尝试为您介绍每种工具的优缺点。除了这四个之外，还有许多其他选择，但我发现这些是大多数人最受欢迎和众所周知的。
真实世界压缩测试
首先，让我们看看直接压缩数字，因为这总是很有趣。对于我的测试，我决定创建一个包含各种格式数据的测试文件夹。(test folder)
我不喜欢仅压缩图像或仅压缩文档，因为差异最终非常小，而且很难选择明确的赢家。
就我而言，我拍摄了1.47 GB(1.47 GBs)的视频（不同格式）、图像（RAW和其他格式）、文档（PDF、Office文件等）和音乐文件（MP3、M4A等），并通过每个压缩实用程序(compression utility)将它们传递给默认设置。
首先，让我们从我的设置和版本开始。我正在使用带有Service Pack 1的 Windows 7 PC，并且截至本文发布之日我安装了每个程序的最新版本：7-Zip 15.09 beta（64 位）、WinZip 版本 20(WinZip version 20)和WinRAR x64 5.30 beta 6。
除了内置的Windows 7压缩之外，我还将在Windows 10上运行相同的数据集，看看(Windows 10)Windows的版本之间是否有任何差异。好的，我们来看看下面的结果。
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Windows 7 ZIP - 1.21 GB（减少 17.6%）
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Windows 10 ZIP - 1.21 GB（减少 17.6%）
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7-ZIP - 1.11 GB（减少 24.4%）
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WinZip - 1.20 GB（减少 18.3%）
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WinRAR - 1.16 GB（减少 21.0%）
那么谁赢了？
好吧，就压缩能力(compression ability)而言，7-Zip 无疑是赢家。7-Zip 已经存在了一段时间，并且在多个第三方测试中，它们在最佳压缩实用程序中名列前茅，因此这些数字并不令人惊讶。(compression utility)
所以你应该出去用 7-ZIP 压缩你的文件吗？这取决于。像 7-ZIP 和WinRAR这样的程序在压缩方面做得最好，唯一的问题是它们使用了其他系统不完全支持的专有格式。
为了让某人打开 7-ZIP 或WinRAR 文件(WinRAR file)，他们需要先在他们的机器上下载并安装适当的软件。如果您为自己压缩数据，那么您使用哪种格式并不重要。
但是，.7z 和 .rar 文件在(.7z and .rar files)Windows、Mac 和 Linux(Mac and Linux)上需要额外的软件。如果兼容性是一个问题，那么我建议使用Windows(Windows)中的内置压缩。
WinZip是另一种选择，但内置Windows 压缩和 WinZIP(Windows compression and WinZIP)之间的差异很小。另外，WinZip至少要花 30 美元，所以免费选项更有意义。
此外，Windows 7中的压缩算法(compression algorithm)似乎与Windows 10中的完全相同，因为文件最终大小完全相同。因此，无论您使用的是Windows 7、8(Windows 7)还是 10，您都将获得相同的压缩比(compression ratio)。
同样，由于 .ZIP 格式无需任何额外软件即可在Windows、Mac、Linux甚至ChromeOS上打开，内置的Windows 压缩(Windows compression)是兼容性的最佳选择。如果您需要尽可能小的尺寸，请使用7-Zip。如果您有任何问题，请随时发表评论。享受！
7-Zip vs WinZip vs WinRAR vs Windows Compression
Need to compress a bunch of fileѕ and want to know which cоmpressiоn format is the best? Which program will gіve you the smallest file? Well, the answer is a bit more complicated than that.
Yes, for any set of data, one program will always give you the best compression and the smallest file, but depending on the data, it may not be the same program every time.
In addition, there are other factors to consider beyond file size. As you’ll see, sometimes the difference between two compression utilities is quite small, but the format can make a big difference. Plus, some are free and others cost money, so if you are budget conscious, then it reduces your choices easily.
In this article, I’ll go through four different compression tools and try to give you the advantages and disadvantages for each. Beyond these four, there are many other options, but I found these to be the most popular and well known by most people.
Real World Compression Test
First, let’s just look at straight compression numbers because that’s always fun. For my tests, I decided to create a test folder with a bunch of data in various formats.
I don’t like just compressing images or just compressing documents because the differences end up being very small and it’s hard to choose a clear winner.
In my case, I took 1.47 GBs of videos (different formats), images (RAW and other formats), documents (PDF, Office files, etc) and music files (MP3, M4A, etc) and passed them through each compression utility with default settings.
First, let’s start with the setup I have and the versions. I’m using a Windows 7 PC with Service Pack 1 and I installed the latest versions of each program as of the date of this post: 7-Zip 15.09 beta (64-bit), WinZip version 20 and WinRAR x64 5.30 beta 6.
In addition to the built-in Windows 7 compression, I’m also going to run the same set of data on Windows 10 to see if there is any difference between the versions of Windows. OK, let’s check the results below.
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Windows 7 ZIP - 1.21 GB (17.6% reduction)
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Windows 10 ZIP - 1.21 GB (17.6% reduction)
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7-ZIP - 1.11 GB (24.4% reduction)
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WinZip - 1.20 GB (18.3% reduction)
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WinRAR - 1.16 GB (21.0% reduction)
So Who Wins?
Well, in terms of just compression ability, 7-Zip is the clear winner. 7-Zip has been around for a while and they have ranked at the very top for best compression utility on multiple third-party tests, so the numbers are not really surprising.
So should you go out and get 7-ZIP to zip your files? It depends. The only issue with programs like 7-ZIP and WinRAR, both of which did the best in compression, is that they use proprietary formats that are not fully supported on other systems.
In order for someone to open a 7-ZIP or WinRAR file, they will need to download and install the appropriate software on their machines first. If you are compressing data for yourself, then it doesn’t really matter which format you use.
However, .7z and .rar files will require additional software on Windows, Mac and Linux. If compatibility is an issue, then I recommend using the built-in compression in Windows.
WinZip is another option, but the difference between built-in Windows compression and WinZIP is minimal. Plus, WinZip will set you back at least $30, so the free option makes much more sense.
Also, the compression algorithm in Windows 7 seems to be exactly the same as in Windows 10 since the files ended up being exactly the same size. So whether you are using Windows 7, 8 or 10, you will get the same compression ratio.
Again, since .ZIP format can be opened on Windows, Mac, Linux and even ChromeOS without any additional software, the built-in Windows compression is the best choice for compatibility. If you need the smallest size possible, go with 7-Zip. If you have any questions, feel free to comment. Enjoy!
