# Zip & Unzip Online — Create or Extract ZIP Files Locally

> Zip files or unzip archives right in your browser — no upload, no size cap, no account. Create a .zip from any files, or open one and pull out what's inside.

Source: https://toolpantry.app/zip-tool

## About

Bundle files into a .zip, or open an archive and pull out what's inside — entirely in your browser. No upload, no size cap, no account.

## Quick answer

How do I unzip (or make) a ZIP online? Drop the archive into Extract to see every file inside and save them; switch to Create to bundle files into a new .zip. Nothing is uploaded — archives with private documents are exactly what this is for.

## How to unzip a file in the browser

1. **Drop the .zip** — it's read locally; nothing is sent anywhere.
2. **Look inside** — every file appears with its size.
3. **Save what you need** — individually, or "Save all" for the lot.

## Why local unzipping matters

Most "unzip online" sites upload your archive to their servers, extract it there, and hand you the pieces back — which means everything inside (bank statements, scans, contracts) briefly exists on someone else's disk. This tool opens the archive with a DEFLATE engine compiled to JavaScript, right in your tab. You can verify with the Network panel: after the page loads, nothing moves.

## Creating a ZIP, the desktop way — without the desktop

On Windows and macOS you can right-click → Compress to make a ZIP; on a phone, or on a locked-down computer, that's not always available. The Create tab does the same job: add files, pick a compression level (Balanced is right almost always), and download. It's the standard way to send a folder's worth of documents as one attachment — the [Gmail guide](https://toolpantry.app/blog/gmail-attachment-limit-25mb) explains when zipping helps (documents) and when it doesn't (photos, videos).

## Good to know

Files come out with their folder paths intact, so nested archives extract correctly. Multi-hundred-MB archives work; multi-GB ones are better on a desktop-class machine with more memory. And the output of "Save all" is the original files, byte-for-byte — extraction never alters content, so checksums match what the sender zipped.

## Notes

Standard ZIP and ZIP64 archives work; password-protected ZIPs, RAR, and 7z aren't supported (no password guessing here). For photos and videos, ZIP barely shrinks anything — they're already compressed; it's for bundling, not shrinking. Making a batch of images smaller? That's the bulk image resizer .

## FAQ

**How do I unzip a file online?**

Drop the .zip in, and the archive is opened in your browser — you'll see every file inside with its size, ready to save individually or all at once. Nothing is uploaded to a server, so even private archives are safe to open here.

**Is there a file size limit?**

No server-imposed limit — the practical ceiling is your browser's memory. Typical document and photo archives (hundreds of MB) work fine; multi-GB archives are better handled on a desktop with more headroom.

**Can I create a ZIP too?**

Yes — switch to the Create tab, add any files, pick a compression level, and download the .zip. It's the same flow as the right-click → Compress on a desktop, without needing a desktop.

**Does this open password-protected ZIPs?**

No — encrypted archives aren't supported (and we don't guess passwords). Standard ZIPs and ZIP64 work. RAR and 7z are different formats this tool doesn't handle.