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Utilities · head to head

PeaZip vs Sedaru

PeaZip logo

PeaZip

Utilities

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Sedaru logo

Sedaru

Utilities

Water utility asset management and field operations built on top of Esri ArcGIS

From
On request
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only PeaZip has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: PeaZip there is no supported macOS build, so any organisation with Mac users has to standardise on something else or maintain two tools.; Sedaru the Esri dependency is absolute: an ArcGIS licence is a separate and substantial cost outside the Sedaru contract, and utilities without ArcGIS must buy into that platform before Sedaru is even usable.
  • They diverge on capability: PeaZip covers Wide format support, Sedaru covers Esri-native asset model.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which PeaZip and Sedaru actually diverge.

Attributes where PeaZip and Sedaru differ
AttributePeaZipSedaru
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feequote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindows, Linux, BSDWeb, iOS, Android, Cloud

Identical on both: 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 PeaZip

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

Only in Sedaru

  • Esri-native asset model
  • Field crew mobile
  • Hydraulic model integration
  • SCADA alarm context
  • Capital planning
  • Customer service linkage

What people use each for

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

PeaZip

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

Sedaru

  • A water utility whose crews already work from ArcGIS maps and that wants work orders on the same map rather than in a separate CMMSnot PeaZip
  • A wastewater authority prioritising collection system renewal by risk and condition rather than by age alonenot PeaZip
  • Giving field crews offline access to network asset data and work history in areas with no mobile coveragenot PeaZip
  • A utility trying to connect SCADA alarms to the physical assets and recent work that explain them, instead of reading alarms in isolationnot PeaZip

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Sedaru

  • The Esri dependency is absolute: an ArcGIS licence is a separate and substantial cost outside the Sedaru contract, and utilities without ArcGIS must buy into that platform before Sedaru is even usable.
  • Sedaru inherits GIS data quality, so a utility with an incomplete or stale geodatabase discovers the gaps in front of field crews rather than fixing them, and the data remediation project is not in the Sedaru quote.
  • The North American water focus means limited relevance and limited implementation support outside that market, particularly for utilities operating under European or Australian regulatory reporting requirements.
  • Nothing is published on price and the product is sold within a large corporate portfolio, so a small utility has little basis for judging whether the quoted subscription is competitive.
  • It is a water and wastewater product; a municipality wanting one asset system across water, roads, parks and facilities will need a broader public works platform alongside it.

Pricing, plan by plan

PeaZip

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

Sedaru

On request
  • Sedaru$undefined/year
    • Subscription sized on utility scale and module selection
    • Esri ArcGIS licence required and purchased separately from Esri
    • Implementation and GIS data preparation quoted as services

Which should you pick?

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.

Choose Sedaru if

  • You need esri-native asset model.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Cloud.
  • You also want field crew mobile.

Questions people ask

Is PeaZip or Sedaru better?
Neither clearly leads. PeaZip starts at Free and Sedaru at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, PeaZip or Sedaru?
PeaZip has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for PeaZip and On request for Sedaru.
Does PeaZip or Sedaru run on more platforms?
PeaZip runs on Windows, Linux, BSD. Sedaru runs on Web, iOS, Android, Cloud.
Can I use PeaZip for free?
Yes. PeaZip has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Sedaru starts at On request.
What is PeaZip best used for?
PeaZip is most often used for opening old or unusual archive formats that current tools refuse, sending encrypted archives outside the organisation with a keyfile as well as a password, deploying one archiver across windows and linux desktops with the same interface and behaviour, running from a usb stick on machines where software cannot be installed. Of those, opening old or unusual archive formats that current tools refuse and sending encrypted archives outside the organisation with a keyfile as well as a password are not what Sedaru is typically brought in for.
What can PeaZip do that Sedaru cannot?
PeaZip covers Wide format support, Strong encryption, Secure delete, Checksums and hashes. Sedaru covers Esri-native asset model, Field crew mobile, Hydraulic model integration, SCADA alarm context.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

PeaZip: Is PeaZip free for business use?

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

Sedaru: Do I need Esri ArcGIS to use Sedaru?

Yes. Sedaru is built on the ArcGIS geodatabase and the Esri licence is a separate purchase from Esri, not part of the Sedaru subscription.

PeaZip: Does it work on macOS?

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

Sedaru: Who owns Sedaru?

Aquatic Informatics, which is part of Veralto, the water quality group spun out of Danaher in 2023.

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.

Sedaru: Does Sedaru replace a CMMS?

For water network assets, largely yes. For plant equipment and facilities maintenance many utilities still run a separate CMMS.

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.

Sedaru: Is pricing published?

No. Subscriptions are sized on the utility and quoted, with implementation and data preparation charged as services.

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