PeaZip

This is useful if you receive many different archives or want to compile packages yourself. It also suits you if you want to automate archive tasks later. To save multiple historical copies, you also need to have a backup strategy; an archive manager does not automatically keep track of your entire recovery plan.

Unpack new archives first in a separate folder. Test a homemade archive before deleting the original files.

You can create local archives and choose encryption for appropriate formats. Security depends on the chosen format and password. Send passwords separately and store any key files carefully. An encrypted archive becomes readable as soon as you unpack it; so check the destination.

Not every format supports the same functions. All compressed photos and videos usually don't get much smaller.

Not every size you can open, you can also create your own. A strong compression can take a lot of time and memory. Check unknown content before starting a program. Save originals until you have established that the archive is complete and usable.

PeaZip is suitable if you want to manage different archive formats and have more control over wrapping, unpacking and file operations. You get a graphical environment over multiple compression techniques. The consideration is simplicity versus choice: for one ZIP file you need few settings, but with recurring archive tasks that extra check can be useful.

Based on what you often do, choose: wide exchange, manage archives or keep them secure. For a receiver without any additional software, accessibility is more important than a small compression profit. When using password, also check the visibility of names. Extracting a trial archive to another folder gives more certainty about the selected settings than just a successful creation notification.