Compare software

Zstandard vs pigz: catalog facts
Zstandard	pigz
Free Free and open source, dual licensed BSD or GPLv2.	Free Free and open source with no paid tier.
Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line	Linux, Command line
Compression close to zlib's ratio at several times the speed, and much faster decompression The format is standardised in RFC 8878 with multiple independent implementations	Uses all CPU cores when compressing Output is standard gzip format
A command-line tool with no graphical interface of its own Maximum ratio is below xz or 7z at their slowest settings, which is the trade it makes on…	Decompression gains little from multiple cores Distributed as source code; you may need to compile it
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: BSD-3-Clause	License: Zlib
No account needed	No account needed
Works offline	Works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 21, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.