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Utilities · head to head

Everything vs PeaZip

Everything logo

Everything

Utilities

Instant filename search for Windows

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
PeaZip logo

PeaZip

Utilities

Open-source archive manager for Windows and Linux supporting more than two hundred formats

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Everything searches filenames only, not file contents, which is the deliberate trade for its speed; PeaZip there is no supported macOS build, so any organisation with Mac users has to standardise on something else or maintain two tools.
  • They diverge on capability: Everything covers Instant results, PeaZip covers Wide format support.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Everything and PeaZip actually diverge.

Attributes where Everything and PeaZip differ
AttributeEverythingPeaZip
Pricing modelFree; donations acceptedOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsWindowsWindows, Linux, BSD

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Utilities).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Everything

  • Instant results
  • MFT-based indexing
  • Tiny footprint
  • Regex and filters

Only in PeaZip

  • Wide format support
  • Strong encryption
  • Secure delete
  • Checksums and hashes
  • Split and join
  • Portable builds

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Everything

  • Finding a file by name instantly instead of waiting on Windows Searchnot PeaZip
  • Locating duplicates and stray files across large drivesnot PeaZip
  • Navigating a machine with hundreds of thousands of filesnot PeaZip

PeaZip

  • Opening old or unusual archive formats that current tools refusenot Everything
  • Sending encrypted archives outside the organisation with a keyfile as well as a passwordnot Everything
  • Deploying one archiver across Windows and Linux desktops with the same interface and behaviournot Everything
  • Running from a USB stick on machines where software cannot be installednot Everything

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Everything

  • Searches filenames only, not file contents, which is the deliberate trade for its speed
  • Windows and NTFS only: no macOS or Linux build, and non-NTFS volumes fall back to slower indexing
  • Requires administrator rights to read the Master File Table

PeaZip

  • There is no supported macOS build, so any organisation with Mac users has to standardise on something else or maintain two tools.
  • It is effectively a single-maintainer project, and for software deployed to every desktop in a company that concentration of risk deserves an explicit decision.
  • The interface exposes a great many options at once and looks dated next to the system archiver, which generates support questions from non-technical users.
  • Bundled backend binaries sometimes trigger antivirus heuristics on managed Windows fleets, so deployment usually needs an allowlist entry prepared in advance.
  • Its own PEA and ARC formats are not readable by other tools, so using them for anything you send externally creates a dependency for the recipient.

Pricing, plan by plan

Everything

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Core functionality
    • Personal use

PeaZip

Free
  • PeaZipFree
    • LGPLv3 licensed
    • Commercial use permitted
    • All formats and encryption features included

Which should you pick?

Choose Everything if

  • You need instant results.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want mft-based indexing.
Everything review

Choose PeaZip if

  • You need wide format support.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Linux, BSD.
  • You also want strong encryption.
PeaZip review

Questions people ask

Is Everything or PeaZip better?
Neither clearly leads. Everything starts at Free and PeaZip at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Everything or PeaZip?
Everything starts at Free and PeaZip at Free.
Does Everything or PeaZip run on more platforms?
Everything runs on Windows. PeaZip runs on Windows, Linux, BSD.
Can I use Everything for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Everything best used for?
Everything is most often used for finding a file by name instantly instead of waiting on windows search, locating duplicates and stray files across large drives, navigating a machine with hundreds of thousands of files. Of those, finding a file by name instantly instead of waiting on windows search and locating duplicates and stray files across large drives are not what PeaZip is typically brought in for.
What can Everything do that PeaZip cannot?
Everything covers Instant results, MFT-based indexing, Tiny footprint, Regex and filters. PeaZip covers Wide format support, Strong encryption, Secure delete, Checksums and hashes.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Everything: Is Everything free?

Yes, free to use with donations accepted.

PeaZip: Is PeaZip free for business use?

Yes. It is LGPLv3 licensed with no personal-use restriction and no paid edition.

Everything: Why is it so much faster than Windows Search?

It reads the NTFS Master File Table directly instead of crawling the filesystem, so indexing a whole volume takes seconds.

PeaZip: Does it work on macOS?

No supported build is offered. Mac users need a different archiver.

Everything: Can it search inside files?

Only in a limited way. It is built for filename search, and full content search is not what it is for.

PeaZip: How does it differ from 7-Zip?

It uses similar backends but adds far wider format support, a password manager, keyfile two-factor encryption, secure deletion and a graphical front end that also runs on Linux.

PeaZip: Should I use the PEA format?

Only for your own storage. Nothing else reads it, so anything sent to another party should be 7z or ZIP with AES-256.

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