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what is the difference between .rar and .zip?

Hi!So I've been downlaoding some files to my computer recently,and some of them were .zip and some of them were .rar.I know they are both compressed file types but I started wondering-what is the difference?

8 Answers

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  • Anonymous
    2 months ago

    2 different companies made 2 different compression programs.    Think of it like a Language You speak English and the other guy speaks Spanish.  You both hope the store owner speaks both languages.  That is how different they are.

  • Rita
    Lv 6
    2 months ago

    ZIP is an archive file format created by Phil Katz as a standard format for lossless data compression. RAR is a proprietary archive file format for lossless data compression developed by Eugene Roshal. ... ZIP uses the ZIP 2.0 encryption algorithm which is relatively weak. RAR uses the much effiicent AES-128 encryption.

  • 2 months ago

    the manufacturer of a file compression software names their extensions after their software.

    WinZip =.zip

    WinRAR =.rar

  • Anonymous
    2 months ago

    one rars and the other zips                        

  • 3 months ago

    They are both compressed files, just made by different programs from different companies.  Both use the LZ77 algorithm to compress the files.  But "zip" is free and in the public domain where anyone can use it.  "RAR" is still owned by the company that makes WinRAR and only the WinRAR program can open such files.

    If you are creating the files for wide distribution, you would want to use "zip" rather than "rar" because there hundreds of programs that open "zip" files, and a very limited number than can do "rar".  

  • 3 months ago

    Similar concepts using algorithms created by different people. 

  • 3 months ago

    ZIP is an archive file format created by Phil Katz as a standard format for lossless data compression. RAR is a proprietary archive file format for lossless data compression developed by Eugene Roshal. ... ZIP uses the ZIP 2.0 encryption algorithm which is relatively weak. RAR uses the much effiicent AES-128 encryption.

  • Anonymous
    3 months ago

    Not sure. they are both compressed files. Maybe nothing unless someone else has insight on it

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