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Utilities · head to head

PeaZip vs WizTree

PeaZip logo

PeaZip

Utilities

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
WizTree logo

WizTree

Utilities

Windows disk space analyser that reads the NTFS master file table, scanning a drive in seconds

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • 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.; WizTree it is free for personal use only, so deploying it across company machines without licences is a compliance problem rather than a saving.
  • They diverge on capability: PeaZip covers Wide format support, WizTree covers Master file table scanning.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which PeaZip and WizTree actually diverge.

Attributes where PeaZip and WizTree differ
AttributePeaZipWizTree
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feequote
PlatformsWindows, Linux, BSDWindows

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 PeaZip

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

Only in WizTree

  • Master file table scanning
  • File list view
  • Treemap
  • Hard link handling
  • Portable version
  • File deletion and export

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 WizTree
  • Sending encrypted archives outside the organisation with a keyfile as well as a passwordnot WizTree
  • Deploying one archiver across Windows and Linux desktops with the same interface and behaviournot WizTree
  • Running from a USB stick on machines where software cannot be installednot WizTree

WizTree

  • Clearing a full system drive quickly when someone is waiting and a multi-minute scan is unacceptablenot PeaZip
  • Finding large files across a whole volume without knowing which folder to look innot PeaZip
  • Repeated checks on a machine where disk space fills unpredictablynot PeaZip
  • Support work where the scan must finish while you are still on the callnot 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.

WizTree

  • It is free for personal use only, so deploying it across company machines without licences is a compliance problem rather than a saving.
  • The speed advantage exists only on local NTFS volumes; network shares, exFAT, FAT32 and ReFS fall back to ordinary directory scanning and lose the advantage entirely.
  • Reading the master file table requires administrator rights, so it cannot be used by standard users on managed machines without an elevation policy.
  • It is Windows only, with no macOS or Linux build, so a mixed estate needs a second tool anyway.
  • It analyses one machine at a time with no scheduling or central reporting, so it is a diagnostic tool rather than a way to manage storage across an organisation.

Pricing, plan by plan

PeaZip

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

WizTree

Free
  • WizTree FreeFree
    • Full scanning and treemap features
    • Personal, non-commercial use only
    • No feature limitations for home users
  • WizTree Professional and Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Licence required for any business use
    • Per-user and site licensing tiers
    • Commercial deployment rights

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.
PeaZip review

Choose WizTree if

  • You need master file table scanning.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want file list view.
WizTree review

Questions people ask

Is PeaZip or WizTree better?
Neither clearly leads. PeaZip starts at Free and WizTree at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, PeaZip or WizTree?
PeaZip starts at Free and WizTree at Free.
Does PeaZip or WizTree run on more platforms?
PeaZip runs on Windows, Linux, BSD. WizTree runs on Windows.
Can I use PeaZip for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 WizTree is typically brought in for.
What can PeaZip do that WizTree cannot?
PeaZip covers Wide format support, Strong encryption, Secure delete, Checksums and hashes. WizTree covers Master file table scanning, File list view, Treemap, Hard link handling.

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.

WizTree: Why is it so much faster than other analysers?

It reads the NTFS master file table, the index the filesystem already maintains, instead of walking directories. It is one read of a structure rather than thousands of folder operations.

PeaZip: Does it work on macOS?

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

WizTree: Can I use the free version at work?

No. The free build is licensed for personal use only, and business use requires a paid licence. WinDirStat and TreeSize Free are the no-cost options that allow commercial use.

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.

WizTree: Is it fast on network drives?

No. Master file table access needs local NTFS. Over a network share it scans conventionally and is no faster than the alternatives.

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.

WizTree: Does it need administrator rights?

Yes, for master file table access. Without elevation it either cannot scan or falls back to the slow method.

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