File extensions

An open-source archive format known for high compression ratios via LZMA2. Typically smaller than ZIP for the same payload.

A Burrows-Wheeler compression format. Denser than gzip but slower; xz and 7-Zip have largely overtaken it in modern Linux distributions.

Windows' internal archive format. Still used to deliver drivers, Windows Update payloads, and MSI package contents.

The RAR-backed sibling of CBZ. Common in Western comic communities for years, where WinRAR tooling is ubiquitous.

A ZIP-based container for comics and manga. Just numbered image files inside a ZIP — popular for doujinshi, scanned manga, and self-hosted comic libraries.

macOS disk image format. The default for distributing apps — double-click to mount, drag the `.app` to Applications to install.

A gzip-compressed single file. Combined with tar it forms `.tar.gz`, the most common Linux distribution archive.

A bit-for-bit image of a CD/DVD/Blu-ray. Used for OS installers, recovery media, and backups.

A Japanese archive format released in 1988 by Haruyasu Yoshizaki. Ruled Japanese PC-98 and Windows 3.1 file distribution before ZIP took over. Rarely seen outside Japan; `.lha` and `.lzh` share the same bytes.

WinRAR's proprietary archive format. Higher compression ratios than ZIP and optional recovery records for repairing damaged splits.

Aladdin Systems' (now Smith Micro) 1987 archive format for classic Mac. The de-facto standard for Mac software distribution before OS X, and still occasionally encountered when digging through legacy Mac media.

A Unix-born archive format. Plain tar is uncompressed and is commonly paired with gzip or xz to produce `.tar.gz` / `.tar.xz`.

LZMA2-based high-ratio compression. Common in Linux kernel and distribution tarballs, steadily displacing gzip.

The most common archive format for bundling and compressing multiple files. Built into every major OS, widely used for email attachments and downloads.