Compress Files for Mac

Quick overview

Compress Files is a small utility for packaging and sending files. It combines simple archiving with the ability to email compressed items, and it's designed to make sharing with PC or Linux users straightforward.

Core capabilities

• Email files directly from the app
• Create archives (for example, zip or tar)
• Compress individual files or folders

Using the app

The interface is straightforward: drag the file or folder into the window, then pick one of the top tabs to perform the action you want. The three main operations — emailing, archiving, and compressing — are all reachable from the top row of controls.

Recommended settings for cross-platform sharing

When sending archives to Windows or Linux recipients, use the checkboxes at the bottom of the window to reduce unnecessary Mac-specific items. Helpful options include:

• Enable a compatibility mode for other operating systems
• Strip Mac-only metadata from the archive
• Exclude Finder desktop files (such as .DS_Store)

Checking the metadata and Finder-related options will make the archive both smaller and tidier for non‑Mac users.

Formats supported and performance

Compress Files supports common archive types such as Zip, Tar and 7Zip, and it can also create Mac DMG images. Compression speed is generally fast but depends mainly on the size and type of the data being processed.

Limitations and final impression

A few shortcomings are worth noting: the app does not decompress archives, so you cannot use it to extract files, and the preferences screen could offer more explanatory detail. The progress indicator during compression is also not as informative as it could be. Overall, though, Compress Files is a handy, easy-to-use option for sharing content with computers that are not running macOS.