Corel completes destruction of WinZip

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Sometime in the past few years, I stopped using WinZip. That’s after ten years of enthusiastic use of what used to be an essential utility. It helped that basic support for the non-proprietary and widely used Zip format was built into Windows Me and then Windows XP.

But WinZip also lost me because somewhere along the way they turned from a scrappy little underdog that sold a necessary product at a reasonable price into a faceless corporation that tried to maximize its revenue stream by squeezing its longtime customers. First they bundled Google’s toolbar. Then, after years of offering free upgrades to paying customers like me, the company started charging for upgrades last year. In fact, the new, $29.95 license (the pro version is a mind-boggling $50) doesn’t include any upgrade rights unless I pay an extra $6.95 for upgrade assurance. (I think that’s close to what I paid for my original WinZip license 10 years ago.) As a longtime customer, I get a paltry five bucks off the single-user license price. Gee, thanks, WinZip.

It’s no wonder that WinZip’s revenues have been plummeting in the past three years.

And now the transformation is complete:

Corel Corporation Acquires WinZip Computing

Corel Corporation (NASDAQ: CREL; TSX: CRE) today announced that it has completed the acquisition of WinZip Computing, makers of the world’s leading aftermarket compression utility.

So long, WinZip.

Update:

A commenter at PC World’s Techlog says:

[A]fter 15 years in this industry, I have to say that I don’t know of ANYONE who has EVER actually paid for WinZip.

I paid for my copy of WinZip back in the day. I know others who did as well. But individual users are the exception. The real revenue stream for a product like WinZip these days is from corporations, which dare not have dodgy unlicensed evaluation software on their users machines. So because they know that some of their users will try to sneak WinZip in, they buy site licenses that cover the cost for every seat in the organization. It’s cheap insurance against lawsuits.

I would bet those licenses are a buck or two per seat, rather than the $29 or $49 that WinZip wants. Those prices may have made sense in 1993, when a computer cost $5000 and a copy of WordPerfect was $299, but they don’t make a lot of sense today, when free and cheap alternatives are widely available.

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Published by Ed Bott

Tech journalist. Author of 25+ books. ZDNET Contributing Editor since 2006. Contact info: https://edbott.com/contact-me/

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46 thoughts on “Corel completes destruction of WinZip”

  1. What do you use now as a replacement? Do you rely on the built-in Windows zipping capability, or have you switched to another program (such as WinRAR or 7zip)?

  2. I use the Windows built-in zip tools (Compressed Folders) 99% of the time. When I need more, I use WinRAR.

  3. I haven’t used WinZip in ages either, but not because of the ‘faceless global corporation’ angle, but rather because I found WinRAR to be better at the job. Anyway, why were you paying for WinZip? The free version does the job equally well.

  4. There is no ‘free’ version. Starting with version 10, they require you to register after the 30 day trial period, or it stops working, as I recall.

  5. David,

    There was never a “free” version. Like most shareware programs, the original WinZip was free to use for an evaluation period (in this case 21 days), after which you are expected to pay for it or stop using it. To the author’s credit, WinZip didn’t time out, so a lot of people continued using it without ever paying for it. That helped build up its reputation and was smart marketing.

    IIRC, I paid $10 for WinZip at least 10 years ago, maybe more. I believe in paying software authors for programs that I use regularly, which is why I purchased the license. It helped that the cost was reasonable and the upgrades were free.

  6. RIP Winzip

    I’ve been a licensed user of winzip for probably as long as Ed. I used PKZIP before that in DOS. The trouble for trying to get revenue out of current users is that the application is so perfectly tuned for what I need. I don’t need upgrades, there’re no new formats I need opened, etc. Corel will probably try the Quicken strategy of naming a version after a year and trying convince people that they need the latest, even if there are no new features.

  8. Corel does seem to have that effect on things. I was pleased with Paint Shop Pro until they took it over and turned it into an odd-looking freak show. I stopped using WinZip when the most recent version came out; PowerArchiver seems like a better product.

  11. I’ve been using ZipGenius (www.zipgenuis.it) to handle about 75% of the zip file work. The other 25% of the time I use the standard Compressed Folders utility.

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  13. Don’t blame WinZip or the VC’s or Corel. Blame all the freeloaders (millions of them?) who used the ‘free’ version and never paid for the product. WinZip had to do something. Unfortunately, decent paying customers and ultimately the company ended up paying the ultimate price.

    It’s too easy to criticize “corporations” when a lot of the time it’s individuals who need to take responsibility for their actions.

  14. Pingback: Hmmm, WinRAR supports file extraction from ISO CD images! » The PC Doctor

  15. So, for 10 years you used the application that you paid $7 got free upgrades all that time. Now, you are asked to pay for an upgrade an you balk. There squeezing you? Really? The only reason you are a “long time customer” is cause you were happy to d/l and install and use all those “free” updates.

    Are you a developer? Lets assume you were and you had a client that paid you to write an application. Now, once they paid for it you are expected to give free upgrades for ever?

    What about as a Network admin. You are hired to set up a companies network. So, you set it up and get paid for doing that. Now, you must return every year and maintain and update that as needed without being paid. Is that right?

    I don’t know how you expect a software publisher to stay in business by giving out infinate upgrades for a one time purchase? Give me a break!

  16. Bob, WinZip is the one that CHOSE to offer me free lifetime upgrades and then CHOSE to change that policy.

    I pay for software all the time, although by my back-of-the-envelope calculations roughly 98% of the people who download WinZip never do. If they had offered a reasonable upgrade deral, I might have taken them up on it, but offering a registered user of the previous edition a $5 discount off the single-license price is bullshit.

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  18. Bob,

    I understand the point, however I believe there are a couple of important points…

    1) Winzip was effectively a finished product many years ago, it doesnt NEED upgrading. It provides a simple function, which it does well, and doesnt require additional function/form.

    2)In a market, if you are providing the same product as your competitors, except yours costs money then I believe yes you probably are in trouble. (except if your selling water lol)

  20. I even paid for PKZip.

    “Much like Linus Torvalds, father of the Linux operating system, the name Phil Katz isn’t familiar to most home computer users of today. Mention his name to anyone who’s been involved with the hobby since the very beginning, however, and you’ll likely get a nod of recognition and a grin. Phil’s story is fascinating but cut short by tragedy.

    On April 14, 2000, Phil Katz was found dead in a Milwaukee motel room. An empty bottle of peppermint schnapps was still clutched in his hand, and five more empties were scattered about the room. It was a miserable, lonely end for a man who had created a product now in use by millions of people; a product that revolutionized computer data storage and made file transfers less complicated and more efficient. He was only 37 years old when he died.”

    Phil Katz

  21. Thanks for the reminder, Doug. Such a sad, sad story. Phil was clearly a troubled soul. And there but for the grace of …

  22. From Fred Langa:

    Take a good look at Zip Central: it is and has always been free, has every bell and whistle on it that a zip file would want.

     Also allows Right Click archiving, drag and drop, Damaged archives can be repaired, files can be password protected,and     the file compression levels are variable.  Take a good look at Zip Central:  it is and has always been free, has every bell and whistle on it that a zip file would want.

 Also allows Right Click archiving, drag and drop, Damaged archives can be repaired, files can be password protected,and the file compression levels are variable.

 http://zipcentral.iscool.net/

  23. I bought my WinZip license in the days of Compuserve, there used to be a shareware registration forum (GO SWREG) where you could pay through them. No way I can complain since I must have gotten almost 15 years out of my 10 bucks.

    BTW, if you need the last “normal” WinZip, you can get it at oldversion.com. WinZip 9 SR-1 one of the 10 most popular downloads there, which tells you something about where WinZip 10.0 is headed!

  25. There are many “underdogs” in the same category. I have used BitZipper for years, and like the fact that I can communicate directly with the author. I think it’s a one-man operation, which really impresses me. He also offers free upgrades for life – and he has assured me that it is guaranteed. The site is http://www.bitzipper.com

    Regards,
    Paul

  26. I’ve used winzip for a long long time, ever since I was a child..and now a teen.. there’s really no use in using winzip anymore since as you said, the inbuilt ‘winzip’ for xp works better and there’s also winrar. I have winzip on my pda ^_^

  28. Back in the day, before windows I contacted the programer of what is now Winrar to find out how to purchase a license.
    I had to call to Russia to find out. That was the day before the web, and using bulliten boards did require a bit more work to get shareware.
    I have always used Rar and Winrar to do what WinZip does, but then back in that day Rar was the “underdog” to Zip.

  29. 7zip does much more, does it better, has a better interface (in terms of usability) than WinZip and it’s free (open source). Why would anybody pay for an inferior product?

  30. WinZip’s decision to add the NFTS stream that IE adds to a file when you download it to every file it unzips was the final straw for me.

    Not only does this slow down the extraction process considerably, but it adds unnecessary fluff to all the files that WinZip touches.

  31. 7-Zip huh….well i’v been using it for months now and stumbled on an issue of decompression incompatibility with a file compressed thru Winzip 9.0 (paid for when it was still 3.0 or so). There is no single all covering decompressor, so back installed ol trusted Winzip.

  33. Ed, you’re a smart guy but sometimes you say the stupidest dumbass things. Winzip isn’t going extinct, at least not on my computer. Likely I (and others) will go on using it just fine for years and years. Just because one company gets bought up by another, doesn’t mean its existing products are dead. You write a good column but you need to think a bit more before you post.

    Gord

  34. Gord, I’m usually good for about one stupid dumbass startement a week. You’re probably right about this one. 😉

    Like I said, I stopped using WinZip a while back, mostly because XP’s built-in zip functions did what I needed for everyday use. It’s true that the existing products aren’t dead, but WinZip 9.0 (the licensed version I have here) doesn’t support RAR files or do some other tasks that its competitors handle with ease.

    These days when I need a high-end compression utility, I use WinRAR (I don’t need it all that often). Given Corel’s record, I can’t imagine that WinZip will ever catch up or lure me back.

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  36. I have used WinZip for YEARS — and PAID for it. I too am insulted by the recent attempted money-grab. WHAT new features [that I need]?

    I have ALSO used Corel products for years — refusing to deal with the evil M’soft. But, even though I use Word Perfect and Quattro EVERY day, Corel could not manage itself in the restroom! Now, they own WinZip? They’ll probably dork that up as well!

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  38. I have never used WinZip I find it all together annoying; from the reminder that its a trial and having to click through things to do a simple thing. Im sticking with WinRAR.

  39. The thing that killed WinZip for me was the realisation that it cannot ZIP files unless the filenames are ASCII.

    We have been running on Unicode file systems for, how many years now? 6+?

    For me, the ability to ZIP files in another language (eg: Japanese) was alone worth the licensing fee for a copy of WinRAR.

  40. WinZip has long been dead. There are too many downloaded apps coming in the obnoxious RAR format, ACE or even worse in the 7-Zip format. Since Windows XP has native ZIP support all Windows software publishers should only use either an installer or the native ZIP format. Now with that being said you still need an archive solution for the other formats. WinZip is not free and only works with Zip files, XP already does this but XP’s implementation is combersome and does not have the shortcuts or features of the third party apps. The obnoxious WinRAR is not free either. Why people cannot comprehend this is a poor format choice is beyond me. Compression gains are minimal to the best ZIP ratio and you force users to download another useless shareware app. WinACE is no better. 7-Zip is only popular because it is “opensource” = who cares. The interface is poor and it does not support the ACE format. Even worse is when people use the stupid 7-zip format making uncompressing require the installation of the 7-zip application! Thus I found the best solution, already mentioned above:

    IZArc – “A 100% Free archive utility that supports many archive formats like: 7-ZIP, A, ACE, ARC, ARJ, B64, BH, BIN, BZ2, BZA, C2D, CAB, CDI, CPIO, DEB, ENC, GCA, GZ, GZA, HA, IMG, ISO, JAR, LHA, LIB, LZH, MDF, MBF, MIM, NRG, PAK, PDI, PK3, RAR, RPM, TAR, TAZ, TBZ, TGZ, TZ, UUE, WAR, XXE, YZ1, Z, ZIP, ZOO. With a modern easy-to-use interface, IZArc provides support for most compressed and encoded files, as well as access to many powerful features and tools. It allows you to drag and drop files from and to Windows Explorer, create and extract archives directly in Windows Explorer, create multiple archives spanning disks, creating self-extracting archives, repair damaged zip archives, converting from one archive type to another, view and write comments and many more.”

    If you have not tried it yet, please do. It works just like WinZip except it is completely free and supports all the common archive formats: ZIP, RAR, ACE, 7-zip and CD ISOs.

    http://www.izarc.org/

  41. I recently took a good look at WinZip and found it an excellent solution for off-site storage.

    Specifically:

    We all know if puts a bunch of files into one file. It can now select files based on the update/archive flag. Thus, you only backup files that need to be backed up.

    It encrypts the resulting file and password protects it.

    It can then upload the already encrypted file to an FTP site for off-site storage.

    You get to chose the name for the off-site file and its easy to include the current date or timestamp in the file name.

    You also get to chose what happens when you upload a file to an FTP server which already has a file with the same name. That is, it can not do the upload, replace the old file or keep both the old and new files (not 100% sure of the last option).

    If all you care about is off-site storage, WinZip will delete the file after it has been uploaded off-site.

    If you want a local backup equal to the off-site backup, WinZip can store all the backups in a single folder. This makes it easy to backup the local backup of the offsite backup.

    All this can be programmed into what they call a “job”. Make a desktop icon for the “job” and off-site backups involve nothing more than double clicking.

    And, of course, if you need off-site backups of a small folder, it can select all the files in the folder regardless of the update/archive flag.

    All in all, pretty good.

  42. WinZip does one thing that no one else does well … it EASILY, SIMPLY, and securely holds all my PIN’s and PASSWORDS with 256 bit AES encryption … I just double-click my MS Word file inside my ZIP archive, enter my strong password, and edit or use my file. If I change it, WinZip notices, and asks if I want to update the archive with the changed file. It doesn’t require me to re-enter the password again (since I already entered it when I opened the file). And it cleans any copies out of the Temporary extract folder to keep my info secure.

    Your favorite does all that you say? Does it clean up the copies of your private file from the temp folder? Does it handle the AE-2 256bit AES? Does it NOT require you to re-enter the password when you save/close/re-archive your file (re-entry of long and strong passwords is a pain in the neck – PKzip forces you to re-enter it)?

    It seems that ONLY PowerArchiver NOW does all this, and I am almost ready to purchase if they can tell me how to make VPSCAN.EXE (Symantec CE antivirus) do antivirus scans. I can get WinZip and PKzip to do it, but not PowerArchiver so far (don’t know the correct parameter that sends the temporary extraction folder path to VPSCAN).

  43. Found this discussion by searching on Winzip license change.

    For me the biggest change is this one:
    V9: Each Licensed Copy of WinZip may either be used by a single person who uses the software personally on one or more computers, or …

    V10: If you have purchased a single-user license you have the right to install and use a single copy of WinZip on one computer or workstation.

    If, like me, you have a desktop at home, a notebook for on the road, and a desktop at work, this would be a three-fold price increase!

  44. I purchased a 3-user license of WinZip several years ago because I felt they deserved the income for a product that I had used so often. When I upgraded to v10 and then saw all the changes to the licensing, I uninstalled v10 and went back to v9. I didn’t realize that it was Corel who bought them, but it was obvious that someone did. I’ve been wondering the same thing about Traveling Software (LapLink). I know they were purchased and the new owner is merchandising the old stuff, but are they developing anything new or just rehashing the old stuff.

  45. I only used to use WinZip “in the early days”.
    Now I am almost annoyed when I come across a computer at
    work where WinZip is installed.. Why ?
    Because I use the excellent file manager:Total Commander.
    (No I am NOT paid to write this..) Besides being a good
    replacement for windows explorer it also has a
    built-in ZIP-compatible packer, supports long filenames!
    Internal unpackers for ZIP, ARJ, LZH, TAR, GZ,CAB, RAR and ACE formats. And can be configured to handle all formats which I have needed so far..

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