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Zip files and folders

Pack files and whole folders into a ZIP with their folder structure, a compression level and an optional AES-256 password; the archive is built in your browser and nothing is uploaded.

Drop files to zipor click to browse · add as many as you like
Choose filesProcessed on your device — never uploaded
Or add a whole folder (keeps its structure)
Runs in your browser · no uploadHow it works

How to use Create ZIP file

  1. 1

    Add files or a folder

    Drop files, drag a folder onto the page or pick one with Add folder; the folder structure is kept inside the ZIP.

  2. 2

    Pick the compression

    None for speed, Normal for most uses, Best for the smallest file. Photos, videos and PDFs are stored as they are.

  3. 3

    Add a password if needed

    Switch on “Protect with a password” to encrypt the contents with AES-256.

  4. 4

    Create and download

    Name the archive, press Create ZIP and download it; open or check it later in the Open archive tab.

Limits and Pro

Up to 20 files per ZIP, each up to 500 MB.

Up to 500 files per ZIP, each up to 4 GB. See Pro

About Create ZIP file

Zip files and folders packs any mix of files into one .zip archive inside your browser — for e-mailing a set of scans, uploading several documents to a portal that takes a single file, or sending a project folder through a messenger without losing its sub-folders. Folders keep their paths (photos/2026/march.jpg), whether you drag them in or choose them with Add folder, and two files with the same name get "(2)" added instead of overwriting each other.

Compression uses the standard Deflate method that every unzip program reads. Normal is the usual balance; Best squeezes text, spreadsheets and other uncompressed files a little further at the cost of time. Files that are already compressed — JPG, PNG, MP4, MP3, PDF, DOCX, XLSX and other ZIP-based formats — are stored without recompressing, because deflating them again gains nothing.

With a password, every file is encrypted with WinZip-style AES-256: the key is derived from your password with PBKDF2 and each entry carries an authentication code, so tampering is detected. This is far stronger than the old ZipCrypto scheme, which can be broken in minutes and isn't offered here. File names inside the archive stay readable without the password, and some built-in unzip tools, such as Windows File Explorer and macOS Archive Utility, may not open AES archives — 7-Zip, WinRAR, WinZip and this site's extractor do.

Files are read into memory while the archive is built, so a ZIP of several gigabytes needs a computer with enough free RAM.

Privacy

The files and the password stay in this browser tab: the archive is assembled and encrypted on your device by fflate and zip.js, nothing is uploaded, and the password isn't stored.

Create ZIP file: frequently asked questions

How do I zip a whole folder?
Drag the folder onto the drop area, or click Add folder and choose it. Every file inside is added with its path relative to that folder, sub-folders included, and the list shows those paths before you create the archive. You can add more folders or loose files afterwards and remove anything you don't want with the × button.
How secure is the password protection?
The contents are encrypted with AES-256 in the WinZip AES format, with the key derived from your password using PBKDF2, the scheme used by 7-Zip and WinZip. Its strength depends on the password: use at least eight characters, ideally a long phrase. File names and sizes remain visible to anyone who opens the archive.
Why won't Windows or my Mac open the password-protected ZIP?
Windows File Explorer and macOS Archive Utility were built for the old ZipCrypto encryption and may refuse AES-encrypted entries or report the archive as damaged. Open it with 7-Zip or WinRAR on Windows, Keka on a Mac, or the Open archive tab on this page, which asks for the password and extracts it in the browser.
Which compression level should I choose?
Normal suits almost everything. Best is worth it for large amounts of text, CSV or log files, where it can save a few more percent; None is fastest and useful when the files are already compressed. Whatever you pick, photos, videos, PDFs and Office files are stored as-is, since squeezing them again only costs time.
Is there a size limit for the ZIP?
On the free plan a ZIP can hold 20 files of up to 500 MB each; Pro raises that to 500 files of up to 4 GB. The archive is built in memory, so the practical ceiling is your device's free RAM — a phone handles a few hundred megabytes comfortably, a desktop computer several gigabytes.

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