How do I compress a folder into a ZIP online?

Drag the folder onto the drop zone or click "Choose a folder", choose Normal or Maximum, then click "Create ZIP" and download the archive. Subfolders are kept and nothing is uploaded.

Will the subfolders be preserved when the ZIP is opened?

Yes. Each file is stored with its path relative to the folder you dropped, so extracting the archive recreates the same tree. Only empty folders are left out.

Can I zip several folders at once?

Yes. Drop several folders, or folders and loose files together. They all go into one archive, each under its own path. In that case the archive is named archive.zip .

Why did my folder barely shrink?

It probably holds photos, videos, PDFs or other already-compressed files. Deflate finds little redundancy there, even at Maximum. Text-heavy folders shrink much more.

Is there a size limit?

Yes, 500 MB in total per archive, to stay within the browser's memory. The number of files is not limited.

Can I zip a folder on my phone?

You can select multiple files on a phone. Whether you can pick a whole folder depends on the mobile browser's file picker. On a computer, dragging a folder or using "Choose a folder" is the reliable route.

Zip a Folder Online, Subfolders Included

Zip a Whole Folder in Your Browser. No Server Required

Compress a folder into a ZIP, subfolders and all, or bundle a pile of loose files into one archive you can email or upload as a single attachment. The archive is built on your own machine by Rust compiled to WebAssembly, so the folder's contents are never uploaded. For a quick single-purpose ZIP, the general create ZIP online tool works too, and to open an archive you received, use the ZIP extractor.

How to zip a folder

Drag the folder from your file manager onto the drop zone, or click "Choose a folder" and select it. You can also drop loose files, or mix files and several folders in one selection.
Pick Normal or Maximum compression.
Click "Create ZIP", then "Download ZIP". When all files come from one top folder, the archive takes its name, for example client-handover.zip. Otherwise it is called archive.zip.

What happens to your folder structure

Subfolders kept — every file is stored with its relative path, so project/docs/brief.pdf unzips back into project/docs/.
Empty folders skipped — a folder with no files inside is not recorded in the archive.
macOS clutter removed — .DS_Store files are left out automatically.
Name clashes handled — if two dropped items would land on the same path, the second is renamed, for example a (1).txt, and a note shows how many were renamed.
Fixed timestamps — every entry gets the same internal date, so the same folder at the same level always produces a byte-identical ZIP. That makes the archive's hash stable, which you can publish with the checksum calculator.

Maximum compression: when it helps

ZIP compresses each file with Deflate. Normal uses level 6, Maximum uses level 9, which searches harder for repeated data and takes longer. On a folder of text, CSV, JSON, source code, logs or uncompressed BMP images, the archive can be much smaller than the folder. On a folder of JPG photos, MP4 videos, MP3 files, PDFs or other ZIPs, it stays close to the original size at either level, because those formats are already compressed. That is normal: the benefit there is one file instead of many, not a smaller total. To actually shrink photos, run them through the image compressor first, then zip the folder. Either way, ZIP is lossless and every file comes back byte for byte.

Why ZIP rather than 7z or RAR

ZIP opens natively on Windows, macOS, Linux, ChromeOS, Android and iOS. 7z and RAR can compress harder, but the recipient needs extra software to open them. For a folder you send to a client, a colleague, a school or an administration, ZIP is the format nobody has to ask about.

Limits

A selection can total up to 500 MB, because the whole archive is assembled in the tab's memory. There is no cap on the number of files, no watermark and no sign-up. For a larger folder, split it into several archives. The tool does not add a password or encryption, so share sensitive archives through a channel you trust.

Why zip a folder locally?

The folders people zip are often the most sensitive ones they own: a tax return with its receipts, a rental application with ID and payslips, a medical file, a client handover. Upload-based zip services receive all of it just to package it. Here, zero network requests carry your files, which you can verify in the DevTools Network tab or by disconnecting after the page loads and zipping offline.

Frequently asked questions

How do I compress a folder into a ZIP online?: Drag the folder onto the drop zone or click "Choose a folder", choose Normal or Maximum, then click "Create ZIP" and download the archive. Subfolders are kept and nothing is uploaded.
Will the subfolders be preserved when the ZIP is opened?: Yes. Each file is stored with its path relative to the folder you dropped, so extracting the archive recreates the same tree. Only empty folders are left out.
Can I zip several folders at once?: Yes. Drop several folders, or folders and loose files together. They all go into one archive, each under its own path. In that case the archive is named archive.zip.
Why did my folder barely shrink?: It probably holds photos, videos, PDFs or other already-compressed files. Deflate finds little redundancy there, even at Maximum. Text-heavy folders shrink much more.
Is there a size limit?: Yes, 500 MB in total per archive, to stay within the browser's memory. The number of files is not limited.
Can I zip a folder on my phone?: You can select multiple files on a phone. Whether you can pick a whole folder depends on the mobile browser's file picker. On a computer, dragging a folder or using "Choose a folder" is the reliable route.

Related tools: create ZIP online with the full tool, extract a ZIP online, or browse all file tools.

Zip a Folder or Multiple Files