NanaZip is an open source file archiver for Windows, forked from 7-Zip and rebuilt for the modern Windows experience. It adds Fluent Design, a modern context menu, Smart Extraction, and extra codecs for Zstandard, Brotli, LZ4, and more.
NanaZip is an open source file archiver for Windows, forked from the source code of 7-Zip and rebuilt around the modern Windows experience. You work with it the way you work with any archiver: right-click a file or folder in File Explorer, pick a NanaZip command, and create or unpack an archive without leaving the desktop. A dedicated file manager opens .7z, .zip, .rar, .tar and dozens of other container types for browsing, testing and repairing their contents. The project keeps 7-Zip's proven compression engine and command-line behaviour, then layers on a Fluent Design interface, dark mode and extra codecs, so existing 7-Zip habits carry over to a cleaner, more current tool.
Unlike the stock 7-Zip shell extension, NanaZip registers with the Windows context menu through MSIX packaging, so its commands appear in the compact right-click menu rather than a legacy submenu. Smart Extraction trims a redundant level of nesting when an archive holds a single root folder, and you can configure archives to open straight into extraction instead of the file manager. Password-protected archives, split volumes and integrity testing all work as expected, and more than thirty hash algorithms are available for verifying file checksums. People comparing it with WinZip get the core archiving jobs without a licence fee.
The main benefit is that NanaZip keeps the reliability of the 7-Zip engine while removing the friction of an old-fashioned Windows 3.2-style interface. Commands sit in the modern context menu, the window follows light and dark mode with Mica material, and every control scales correctly on high-DPI monitors and in reading tools that rely on accessibility APIs. Because it is packaged as MSIX, it installs cleanly, updates through familiar Windows channels, and can be constrained by Group Policy when an IT team needs consistent settings across machines. Security is treated as a first-class concern: Control Flow Guard, CET shadow stack support, blocked dynamic code generation and package integrity checks are on by default, and Mark-of-the-Web is propagated to extracted files so Windows SmartScreen can still assess them. Support for Zstandard, Brotli, LZ4, Lizard, LZ5, NSIS and other formats means fewer separate utilities to install, and the inherited 7-Zip command line lets scripts and existing workflows keep running unchanged.
NanaZip plugs into the modern Windows File Explorer context menu, so compress, extract and test commands appear directly in the compact right-click menu instead of a legacy submenu. Routine jobs no longer require switching to a separate window, individual files, folders and drives can be handled the same way, and file associations let double-clicked archives open straight into the built-in file manager.
Smart Extraction inspects an archive's structure before anything is written to disk. When the container holds a single root folder, that redundant level is stripped so files land where you expect; when several root items exist, a dedicated folder is created to keep the contents organised. It can also be set as the default action when opening an archive, saving clicks for people who usually just want the files.
The interface follows the Fluent Design System, with Mica material, modern message boxes and folder pickers, and full dark mode support across every window. Controls are per-monitor DPI aware, so layouts stay sharp on mixed-resolution multi-monitor setups, and the application implements Windows accessibility features while meeting Section 508 conformance expectations. The result is an archiver that feels like a current Windows application rather than a legacy port.
Beyond the formats 7-Zip already handles, NanaZip adds encoders, decoders or read-only archivers for Brotli, Lizard, LZ4, LZ5, Fast-LZMA2 and Zstandard. It can also browse niche container types such as ROMFS, UFS and littlefs file system images, Electron ASAR bundles, .NET single-file application bundles and WebAssembly binaries, which means fewer standalone tools installed for developer, packaging and embedded work.
Create, extract, test and repair archives, split them across multiple volumes, add AES encryption with a password, and edit contents without a full re-extract. The built-in file manager browses folders inside a container, reports compression ratios, and lets you copy files between archives. Comic-book containers such as CB7, CBZ and CBR are supported too, so the same tool serves readers and collectors.
NanaZip compiles with mitigations that reduce the blast radius of a parsing vulnerability: Control Flow Guard, CET shadow stack compatibility, strict runtime handle checks, blocked dynamic code generation in release builds and package integrity checking. Mark-of-the-Web is propagated to extracted files by default, so downloaded content keeps the zone information Windows SmartScreen relies on. Administrators can tighten or relax individual protections, including archive format restrictions, through Group Policy.
More than thirty hash algorithms are available for verifying downloads and archive integrity, spanning MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256, the SHA-3 family, BLAKE2b, RIPEMD-160, TTH, Whirlpool, ED2K and xxHash variants. Digests are computed through Windows CNG or the RHash library, so results match values published by software vendors. Comparing a file against a published checksum takes a right-click, a practical safeguard before running an installer.
For automated work, NanaZip exposes a command line interface and can register a 7-Zip execution alias, letting existing batch files, build scripts and scheduled tasks keep working after migration. Self-extracting executables gain localised interface text, and administrators can enforce consistent settings across an organisation using the supplied Group Policy templates and documented policy options.
NanaZip is an open source file archiver for Windows, forked from the 7-Zip source code and modernised for current Windows releases. It compresses and extracts the formats 7-Zip handles, adds extra compression codecs and hash algorithms, and integrates its commands into the File Explorer context menu with a Fluent Design interface.
Yes. NanaZip is built from the 7-Zip source code and inherits its compression engine, archive format support and command-line behaviour. Maintained by Kenji Mouri and the M2Team, it layers MSIX packaging, modern shell integration, a redesigned interface and additional codecs on top of that established base.
Yes. Because it ships as an MSIX package, NanaZip registers in the compact Windows 11 context menu instead of the legacy Show more options submenu, and it works in the Windows 10 context menu as well. If the commands do not appear right after installation, restarting File Explorer with Task Manager brings them back.
It reads and writes ZIP, 7z, TAR and the other formats inherited from 7-Zip, and adds support for Zstandard, Brotli, LZ4, LZ5, Lizard and Fast-LZMA2 as well as comic-book containers. A few specialist formats, including ROMFS images, .NET single-file bundles and WebAssembly binaries, can be browsed and extracted but not created.
Yes. You can create AES-encrypted archives with a password, open archives that are already protected, and split large jobs across multiple volumes. The compression dialogs let you choose the level and method before the job starts, and the test command verifies an existing archive without extracting it.
Yes. NanaZip provides a command line interface and can register a 7-Zip execution alias so scripts written for the familiar 7-Zip syntax continue to run. Most switches carry over unchanged, which makes migration straightforward for build pipelines, backup jobs and scheduled tasks that already call an archiver.
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