The files in a computer reduce the storage space and can have many effects on the working of the computer. Also, larger files take more time and network bandwidth to transfer during file transfer.
Key Takeaways
- Zip is a file compression and archive format developed for Windows, while Gzip is a compression program commonly used on Unix-based systems.
- Zip files have a .zip extension, while Gzip files have a .gz extension.
- Zip files can be opened on Windows, Mac, and Linux, while Gzip files require a Unix-based system or additional software to open on other operating systems.
Zip vs Gzip
Zip is a widely used file compression format introduced in 1989 and created using a compression algorithm that compresses multiple files into a single archive file. Gzip is a file compression format that uses the GNU Zip algorithm, commonly used on Linux and Unix systems.
Zip refers to a compression application that serves the purpose of not only compressing and decompressing files but also archiving them.
Gzip refers to a compression application that serves only the purpose of compression and decompression. It requires the assistance of tar files for archiving files.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Zip | Gzipย |
|---|---|---|
| Operating Systems | Zip compression application has popularity among the Windows operating systems. | Gzip compression application has more popularity among the Unix and Linux systems. |
| Speed | Zip is not as quick in compressing and decompressing as Gzip. | Gzip is quicker than ZIP in compressing and decompressing. |
| Tools | Zip compression application is a tool for archiving as well as compression. | Gzip is a tool for compression which needs Tar commands for archiving files. |
| Disk Space | It saves a lesser amount of space than the Gzip compression application. | It saves more amount of space than zip compression applications. |
| Origin | Originally the format was created in 1989.ย | The first version (0.1) was released on 31 October 1992. |
What is Zip?
Zip application refers to the gzip format, an archive file format supporting data compression. A zip file can contain more than one compressed file or directory.
The built-in zip support, i.e. compressed folders, has been a part of Microsoft since 1998. Built-in zip support is also available on Mac.
.zip or. ZIP or /zip are the usual Zip file extensions. Many programs use zip as a base program with a different name. Multiple files can be stored as Zip archives.
This is also beneficial while extracting or adding files within the archive, as compression or decompression can be done individually and not as a group.
What is Gzip?
Gzip refers to a file format and a software application serving the purpose of file compression and decompression. The creators of this program are Jean-loup Gaily and Mark Adler.
Implementation of the gzip decompression format as a streaming algorithm is feasible. For Web protocols, data interchange, and ETL (in standard pipes) applications, the streaming algorithm is the main feature.
Amongst all these implementations, the GNU Projectโs implementation using Lempel-Ziv coding (LZ77) is the most common one. Gzipโs actual compress compressing program was OpenBSDโs version.
Main Differences Between Zip and Gzip
- Gzip compressing application saves more amount of disk space than the zip compression application.
- The original zip format was released in 1989, and the original version of gzip was released in 1992.
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Sandeep Bhandari holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Computers from Thapar University (2006). He has 20 years of experience in the technology field. He has a keen interest in various technical fields, including database systems, computer networks, and programming. You can read more about him on his bio page.
