How do I password protect a ZIP file on Windows?

Windows Explorer can make a ZIP (Send to - Compressed folder) but cannot add a password. Drop your files on this page, pick ZipCrypto if the person you send it to only has Windows Explorer, or AES-256 if they have 7-Zip or WinRAR, set a password and download. With 7-Zip installed you can also right-click - 7-Zip - Add to archive and fill in Encryption.

How do I password protect a ZIP file on a Mac?

Finder's Compress command has no password option. Use this page in Safari or Chrome, or open Terminal and run zip -er archive.zip folder, which asks for a password and uses ZipCrypto. To open AES-256 ZIPs and 7Z files on a Mac, use The Unarchiver or Keka.

Can I add a password to a ZIP I already have?

Yes. Open the Add a password to an existing ZIP tab and drop the ZIP, 7Z, RAR, TAR or GZ file. Everything inside is re-packed with your password, keeping the original file names, folders and dates. Your original archive is not changed. If it is already locked, you are asked for its current password first - that is also how you change a password.

Password Protect ZIP - Add a Password to ZIP Files Online Free

Password Protect ZIP Files

Lock files and folders in a password-protected ZIP - AES-256, Windows-friendly ZipCrypto, or a 7Z that hides even the file names. Already have a ZIP, 7Z or RAR? Add a password to it in the second tab. Need a strong secret first? Try the Password Generator, and open locked archives later with the Archive Extractor. Nothing is uploaded.

Drop files or folders here or browse Folders keep their structure - documents, photos, anything

AES-256 encryption Folders kept Nothing is uploaded

Files to lock

Presets

Encryption

Password

No password yet

Length 20 Symbols

Save the password somewhere safe - a password manager is perfect. Lose it and nobody, us included, can open the archive.

Skip junk files.DS_Store, Thumbs.db and __MACOSX are left out ON

README.txtAdded inside when there are more than 2 files Auto

Files to lock0

Total size0 B

ResultAES-256 ZIP

Type a password to continue.

How to password protect a ZIP file

Add your files. Drop files or whole folders, or switch to the second tab and drop an existing ZIP, 7Z or RAR to lock it.

Pick the encryption. AES-256 ZIP is the strongest ZIP. Pick ZipCrypto if people will open it with Windows Explorer, or 7Z to hide the file names too.

Set a password. Type it twice or press Generate for a strong random one. The meter shows how long it would take to crack.

Lock and download. Press Lock and download. Use Test it to re-open the archive with your password before you send it.

Sending a big archive by email? Cut it into attachment-sized pieces with the File Splitter - the receiver joins them again with the File Joiner.

AES-256, ZipCrypto or 7Z?

All three ask for the password before anything can be unpacked.

The difference is how hard they are to break and who can open them without extra software.

Encryption	Strength	Opens with	Names hidden
AES-256 ZIP	Very strong	7-Zip, WinRAR, The Unarchiver, Keka, our Archive Extractor	No
ZipCrypto ZIP	Weak - breakable	Everything, including Windows Explorer	No
7Z AES-256	Very strong	7-Zip, WinRAR, Keka, The Unarchiver, our 7Z File Viewer	Yes

Good rule of thumb: AES-256 for anything that matters, ZipCrypto only to keep casual eyes out. Want to turn an existing ZIP into a 7Z without a password? Use ZIP to 7Z.

What makes a strong archive password?

Length beats cleverness.

Four or five random words, or 16+ random characters, are out of reach of any cracking rig. Swapping a for @ in a dictionary word barely slows attackers down - they try those tricks first.

The meter above estimates time for an offline attack on the encryption you picked: 7Z is slowed down on purpose (hundreds of thousands of hashing rounds per guess), AES ZIP less so, and ZipCrypto can be broken without the password at all. The Password Generator makes memorable passphrases too.

Frequently Asked Questions

Windows Explorer can make a ZIP (Send to - Compressed folder) but cannot add a password. Drop your files here, set a password and download.

Pick ZipCrypto if the receiver only has Windows Explorer, or AES-256 if they have 7-Zip or WinRAR. With 7-Zip installed you can also right-click - 7-Zip - Add to archive and fill in Encryption.

Finder's Compress command has no password option. Use this page in Safari or Chrome, or open Terminal and run zip -er archive.zip folder - it asks for a password and uses ZipCrypto.

To open AES-256 ZIPs and 7Z files on a Mac, use The Unarchiver or Keka.

AES-256 is real encryption: with a good password it cannot be cracked in practice. Windows Explorer cannot open it, so the receiver needs 7-Zip, WinRAR, The Unarchiver or a similar app.

ZipCrypto opens anywhere, Windows Explorer included, but it is a 1990s cipher that free tools can break in hours or less. Use it only to keep casual eyes out.

Yes. Open the Add a password to an existing ZIP tab and drop the ZIP, 7Z, RAR, TAR or GZ file. Everything inside is re-packed with your password, keeping the original names, folders and dates.

Your original archive is not changed. If it is already locked you are asked for its current password first - that is also how you change a password.

Yes, if you know it. Unpack the archive with the Archive Extractor and your password, then pack the files again with the Archive Creator without one.

A forgotten password cannot be removed or recovered - not by us, not by anyone. That is exactly what makes the encryption worth having.

Nothing is uploaded. The archive is built by 7-Zip compiled to WebAssembly, running inside your browser tab, so your files and your password never leave your device.

You can even disconnect from the internet once the page has loaded.

No. A ZIP encrypts the contents of each file, but anyone can still see the file names, sizes and dates without the password.

If the names themselves are private, choose 7Z with hidden names - then nothing is visible until the password is entered.

The built-in file apps on iPhone and Android do not always handle passwords, especially AES.

Open the file in our Archive Extractor in the phone browser - it unlocks AES-256 and ZipCrypto ZIPs and 7Z files - or install an app such as ZArchiver (Android) or iZip (iPhone).