Free file extraction software helps you extract one or more files from a compressed file. These programs are usually small, easy to install, and support many common compression formats, allowing you to open RAR, ZIP, 7Z, and many other file types.

Below are my favorite picks for these types of programs. I've used all of them at least once, and I continue to use the first few for all of my unzipping needs.

7-Zip is probably one of the most famous archive and extract software programs, supporting a wide range of popular file formats.

Dozens of archive file types can be opened with 7-Zip, and you can create a new archive in a few popular formats. You can also create self-extracting files in the EXE format that can be launched and extracted without using decompression software. This is great if you're sending an archive to someone, but you're not sure if they have the right software to extract files.