# ZIP Viewer

Free online ZIP viewer. Open .zip and .zipx archives in your browser to list and inspect contents — no upload, no extraction.

> Canonical page: https://elysiatools.com/en/viewers/zip

- **Category:** Archives

- **Supported formats:** .zip, .zipx

## Overview

This ZIP viewer reads archive contents directly in your browser. ZIP is the most widely used compressed archive format, everywhere from email attachments to software downloads. Pick a sample or choose your own .zip / .zipx file to browse its file tree instantly, with no upload and no extraction software.

## When to use

- You received a .zip file and want to see what is inside without extracting it.
- You need a private preview of an archive's contents before downloading extraction tools.
- You want to check a downloaded archive on a machine without unzip software installed.

## How it works

- Select a built-in sample archive or choose your own .zip / .zipx file.
- The viewer reads the archive's file table in your browser — nothing is uploaded.
- Browse the file list and inspect entry names, sizes and structure.

## Use cases

- Checking software downloads and email attachments.
- Verifying archive contents before extraction.
- Quickly inspecting ZIP files on locked-down machines.

## Samples

- **Sample Archive**: A small ZIP archive with text and JSON files for in-browser preview

## Frequently asked questions

### Does it extract or download the files?

It reads the archive's file table so you can see the entry list, names and sizes. The file itself stays on your device — nothing is uploaded.

### Can it open password-protected ZIP files?

Encrypted archives require a password to list their contents. The viewer focuses on reading standard, unencrypted ZIP and ZIPX archives.

### What is the difference between .zip and .zipx?

.zipx is an extended ZIP format introduced by WinZip that may use newer compression methods (PPMd, LZMA, WavPack). Standard .zip uses Deflate and works everywhere.

## Related content

- [7Z Viewer](https://elysiatools.com/en/viewers/7z): Open and preview 7Z archives (.7z) directly in your browser — list contents without uploading or extracting.
- [RAR Viewer](https://elysiatools.com/en/viewers/rar): Open and preview RAR archives (.rar, .cbr) directly in your browser — list contents without uploading or extracting.
- [TAR Viewer](https://elysiatools.com/en/viewers/tar): Open and preview TAR archives (.tar, .tgz) directly in your browser — list contents without uploading or extracting.
- [GZ Viewer](https://elysiatools.com/en/viewers/gz): Open and preview GZip archives (.gz, .gzip) directly in your browser — list contents without uploading or extracting.
- [BZ2 Viewer](https://elysiatools.com/en/viewers/bz2): Open and preview BZip2 archives (.bz2, .bzip2, .tbz, .tbz2) directly in your browser — list contents without uploading or extracting.
- [XZ Viewer](https://elysiatools.com/en/viewers/xz): Open and preview XZ archives (.xz, .txz) directly in your browser — list contents without uploading or extracting.