XZ Utils is free general-purpose data compression software with a high compression ratio.
Publisher’s description
What is xz?
xz is an open-source archiver program for Windows. It ranks 38th by popularity among archivers in this catalogue. It is written in C.
Installation and requirements
Official installers exist for Any CPU as Portable. It runs without installation (portable).
Popularity and file types
The source code on GitHub (tukaani-project/xz) has 1,690 stars. Similar programs include 7-Zip, PeaZip and Zstandard.
Project description on GitHub: “XZ Utils”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Portable: runs without installation
In short: xz is an open-source archiver tool for Any CPU PCs.
Is xz safe to download?
- The file is served by github.com, the publisher’s own domain
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
E52E4BA41FF0BC7459A52BBAA303CF6FEB9429599189437CEC677D9E7CACAF7B· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link has not been checked yet
- The source code is public
- ExeAtlas does not host, wrap or modify installers
Related guide: How to check a file’s SHA256 hash on Windows
Security practices (OpenSSF Scorecard)
Automated checks of the tukaani-project/xz repository on GitHub by the Open Source Security Foundation, last run on October 19, 2026.
- Actively maintained10
- No binaries in the repository10
- Fuzzing10
- Security policy10
- Licence declared9
- Signed releases8
- Code review0
- Static code analysis0
- OpenSSF Best Practices badge0
- Branch protection0
The score rates how the project is developed and released, not whether the program is safe to install. scorecard.dev
Recent versions
All 1 versions ›| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.8.4Latest | — | Any CPU ZIP |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›scoop install main/xzRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
brew install xzInformation
- Category
- Archivers
- Licence
- LGPL-2.1-or-later,GPL-2.0-or-later,GPL-3.0-or-later,Public Domain
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/tukaani-project/xz
- Written in
- C
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- Any CPU
- Installer
- Portable
- Version
- 5.8.4
- Versions listed
- 1
- GitHub stars
- 1,690
- GitHub forks
- 275
- Website
- tukaani.org
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
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Frequently asked questions
Is xz free?
Yes. xz is open-source software under the LGPL-2.1-or-later,GPL-2.0-or-later,GPL-3.0-or-later,Public Domain licence.
Is xz safe to download?
The download comes from github.com, which belongs to the publisher; ExeAtlas does not host or change the file. Compare its SHA256 hash with the one shown here, or open the VirusTotal report for that hash.
Does xz run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
The installer is architecture-neutral.
Can I use xz without administrator rights?
Yes, it is portable: unpack and run it.
What are alternatives to xz?
7-Zip, PeaZip, Zstandard, UPX and WinRAR. The alternatives page compares them.
