Extract a ZIP file

Open any .zip and pull out its contents without installing software. Squish extracts the archive on your device, keeping everything private.

How to extract a ZIP file

  1. Drop a .zip file into the tool.
  2. Run to read the archive.
  3. Preview the files inside.
  4. Download the files you need.

Opening a ZIP without installing anything

Most operating systems can open a ZIP, but there are plenty of situations where that is awkward: a locked-down work computer, a Chromebook, a tablet, a phone with a clumsy file manager, or simply wanting to peek inside an archive before deciding whether to extract it. The tool above reads the archive in your browser, lists what is inside with sizes, and lets you download individual files or everything at once.

Preview before you extract

Listing the contents first is useful for more than convenience. An archive received by email or downloaded from an unfamiliar site may contain files you do not want. You can see the file names and sizes, pull out only the document you need, and leave the rest. Because the archive is opened in your browser's memory and nothing is executed, listing is safe. Ordinary caution still applies to what you download: do not run executables from sources you do not trust.

What is supported

  • Standard .zip archives created by Windows, macOS, Linux, and every common ZIP tool.
  • Both stored (uncompressed) and DEFLATE-compressed entries.
  • Nested folders, which are shown with their paths.
  • Archives with thousands of small files.
  • UTF-8 file names, so accented and non-Latin names display correctly.

Password-protected archives cannot be opened, because their contents are encrypted. Other formats such as .rar, .7z and .tar.gz use different structures; for .gz files the gunzip tool handles single-file gzip archives.

Common cases

SituationWhat to do
A supplier sent 30 product images zippedDrop the ZIP, download all as a folder, or pick the ones you need
A font download with licences and several weightsPreview, download only the .ttf or .otf files you want
An export from a web service (data takeout)Browse the folder structure to find the file you are after
A ZIP attachment on a phoneOpen it here and save the one document you need

Large archives

Extraction happens in memory, so archives up to a few hundred megabytes are comfortable on a desktop or laptop. On a phone, very large archives may fail; extract one file at a time rather than all at once. Nothing is uploaded, so archives of private documents and photos are handled entirely on your device.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need software to unzip?

No. Squish extracts the archive right in your browser, so there is nothing to install.

Is the archive uploaded?

No. Extraction happens locally, so the contents never leave your device.

Can I download just one file from the zip?

Yes. Preview the contents and download individual files or all of them.

Your files never leave your device

Every tool on Squishly Tools is 100% free and runs entirely inside your browser. Your images and documents are processed on your own computer and are never uploaded to a server. There are no accounts, no watermarks and no catch.