Comparison

Archive Utility vs Zipda

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Archive Utility

This utility app allows users to create ZIP files and decompress a wide variety of archive formats on their iPhone and iPad. It features a document browser for easy file management, including cloud storage integration and drag-and-drop functionality.

Highlights
  • Create ZIP files
  • Decompress multiple archive formats
  • Document browser view
  • Cloud storage integration
  • File management (move, delete, rename)
  • Drag and drop functionality
Features
Read full description

“Archive Utility” is a small and intuitive application to create .zip file and decompress many different kinds of archive files on iPhone and iPad. It supports to unarchive or expand common formats like Zip, RAR, 7-zip, CAB, Tar, Gzip and Bzip2, as well as older formats like StuffIt, Cpio, LZH, ARJ, ARC, DiskDoubler and LBR. It can also expand unusual formats like ISO, BIN, MDF, NRG and CDI, Windows self-extracting EXE files, and can even extract media from Flash SWF files and images from PDF files. Many more archive formats are supported, tap Developer Website to visit product page for the complete list. Your long time wait for computer like compress-uncompress tool on iPhone and iPad is over with "Archive Utility". It integrates Archive and Expand features with Document Browser View to make easy-to-use yet powerful Archive Utility. * How to create a ZIP file? - Use powerful Browser view to select file(s) and folder(s) you want to compress and tap Archive button to create ZIP file beside original items. * How to expand/unarchive/uncompress/extract an archive file? - Navigate to archive file you want to uncompress in Browser view and tap on it to expand. Decompressed file or folder saved in the same folder as the original archive file. - Use "Copy to Archive Utility" to open archive file received as email attachment, downloaded from the the web or contained in another app. You can even add files in the app's Documents folder from your computer through iTunes file sharing. - It lets you preview files and archives that iOS can support. DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT - "Archive Utility" built upon Document Browser view which allows to access files no matter where they’re located — on your device or in the cloud with Archive Utility. Handles access to iCloud Drive and third-party cloud storage services such as Dropbox and Box within the app. - Browse view to navigate folders, organise your files with tags, move files between folders, search and sort. - Share files using the Share button or a drag-and-drop action. - You can move, delete, duplicate and rename a document and folder. - Drag and drop to select files and organise them into folders. - Inherit tagged and favourite items from Files app and allow to create and change within the app. Note: “Archive Utility” is standalone application running natively to archive files and expand archives securely right on your iOS device. You can refer User Manual for any assistance Or Contact Support.

About

Zipda

Features
Read full description

Zipda is a light, fast archive app. Open, browse and preview ZIP, RAR, 7z and TAR archives, and unzip ZIP and TAR in one step. Big archives stream straight to storage, so there is no waiting. Everything happens on your iPhone: no account, no tracking, no advertising SDKs. WHY FILENAMES BREAK, AND HOW ZIPDA FIXES IT Archives made on Windows often store filenames in a regional code page instead of Unicode, so on an iPhone they arrive looking like "ÇѱÛ.txt". Zipda works out the original encoding right on your iPhone — CP949/EUC-KR, Shift_JIS, GB18030, Big5 and more — and shows the most likely original name. A banner tells you which encoding was detected, and one tap lets you override it if you disagree. Already extracted a folder full of mangled names somewhere else? The Repair File Names tool renames the whole folder back in one pass, shows you a before-and-after preview first, and never touches file contents. FORMATS • Extract: .zip, .tar, .tar.gz, .tar.bz2, .tar.xz; .rar, .7z, .lzh, .alz (Pro) • Create: .zip; AES-256 encryption (Pro) • Password-protected .zip opens whether it uses legacy ZipCrypto or AES (Pro) • Multi-part sets extract in one pass — pick the first part and Zipda finds the rest (Pro) BUILT FOR BIG ARCHIVES Zip64 archives past 4 GB, tens of thousands of entries, split volumes: Zipda streams them instead of loading them into memory. The progress view shows real bytes, real entry counts and a time estimate that matches reality. Cancel stops immediately and cleans up the half-written files it made. WHEN AN ARCHIVE IS DAMAGED A truncated download or one bad sector usually means the whole archive fails to open. Zipda extracts every entry it can still read, then tells you exactly which entries it skipped and why — so you get the 900 photos back instead of nothing. MADE FOR IPHONE • Got an archive in Mail, a messaging app or the Files app? Share it to Zipda and it opens • Choose where the files go in the Files app, or look inside first and pull out just the one file you need • Select photos, videos or files in Photos or the Files app and compress them right from the share sheet • Follow a long extraction on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island • Move files between your iPhone and a computer on the same Wi-Fi, using the computer's browser and a PIN • Dynamic Type and VoiceOver labels throughout • 12 languages, switchable inside the app without restarting PRIVACY Nothing leaves your iPhone. No account, no analytics, no advertising SDKs, and the app makes no network requests of its own. Zipda's App Store privacy label is "Data Not Collected" — because there is nothing to collect. Zipda Pro (optional) Zipda Pro is optional and comes in three plans: a monthly or yearly auto-renewable subscription, or a one-time lifetime purchase. All plans unlock the same features on iPhone, iPad and Mac and can be shared with your family through Family Sharing. Pro unlocks extracting RAR, 7z, ALZ and LZH archives, split archives and password-protected archives; extracting Korean, Japanese and Chinese filenames with their original names; the filename repair tool; and creating 7z, password-protected and split archives. Opening, browsing and previewing any archive, plus everyday zip and tar work, do not need Pro. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period; manage or cancel anytime in your Apple Account settings. If a subscription ends, Pro features lock again; the lifetime purchase does not expire. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://juki-j.github.io/privacy-policy/zipda-en.html

Screenshots

Archive Utility4 screens
Zipda4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Zipda at Free against Archive Utility's $2.99. Zipda also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 45 months). Archive Utility's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3). On ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Zipda is free to download; Archive Utility costs $2.99 up front. Zipda sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Archive Utility asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Archive Utility ships an update every 45 months, Zipda every 4 days. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Archive Utility versus Zipda: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterArchive UtilityZipda
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating3.9 (8 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings8 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 45 monthsEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS15.6 — better16.1
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRootRise Technologies Pvt. Ltd.JUKI JUNG

In-app purchases

None

Archive Utility

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Zipda

Subscriptions2
  • Zipda Pro Monthly$0.991 Month
  • Zipda Pro Yearly$9.991 Year
One-time1
  • Zipda Pro$44.99

Questions

Is Archive Utility free?
Archive Utility costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Zipda free?
Zipda is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Archive Utility or Zipda have ads?
Neither Archive Utility nor Zipda shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Archive Utility or Zipda?
Archive Utility ships an update every 45 months, and Zipda every 4 days. Most recently, Archive Utility was updated on October 24, 2026 and Zipda on October 24, 2026.

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