Which Is the Best Compression Tool for Linux?

The three most common file compression formats you're likely to encounter on Linux are zip, gzip and bzip2. Which one is most efficient depends on what you are planning to compress. We tested all three to find out which compression tool is fastest on Linux.

Overall Findings

When it comes to compressing documents, images, and video files, the three formats are about evenly matched. Gzip offers slightly superior compression for documents and most images, but bzip2 is a little better for compressing BMP files and videos.

The regular zip format usually falls in the middle when it comes to compression capabilities, but it's compatible with almost every operating system, making it the preferred choice for many users. Formats like JPEG and MP3 are already compressed, so such files do not benefit from further compression.

Compressing Windows Documents: Gzip Is Most Efficient

For our first test, we compressed a document in the Microsoft DOCX format using each compression tool. Using the default settings, the results were as follows:

Using the maximum compression settings on the same file delivered similar results:

Running this same test on two other files (one containing text only and one containing text, images, and formatting) delivered the same result: The maximum compression settings didn't make much difference. Gzip comes out on top in all categories, and bzip2 is the least effective.

Compressing Images: Bzip2 for Bitmaps, Gzip for Everything Else

For the next test, we compressed images in the PNG, JPEG, bitmap, and GIF formats:

PNG File

JPEG File

Bitmap File

GIF File

Gzip came out on top again with one exception: the bitmap image. Bzip2 compression produced a slightly smaller file by about 100 KB.

Compressing Audio Files: No Need to Bother

The most common audio format is MP3, which has already been compressed, so the tools did not make much difference in the size of the two files we tested:

MP3 File 1

MP3 File 2

Compressing Video: Bzip2 Is Slightly Better

For this test, two video files were compressed. As with MP3, the MP4 file already contains a level of compression. The FLV file does not have any level of compression as it is a lossless format.

MP4

FLV

Bzip2 did the best job at compressing both formats, but the results were similar for all formats.

Compressing Executables: No Compression Needed

Because executable files are compiled code, it's no surprise that they don't compress well.

File 1

File 2

Although the effects were minimal, gzip comes out on top, and bzip2 comes in last. 

Compressing Folders: Whatever You Do, Don't Use Bzip2

Finally, we compressed a folder full of images, documents, spreadsheets, videos, audio files, executables, and other different file types. We used each format on three different compression settings:

Default Compression

Maximum Compression

Fastest Compression

Based on these tests, it is clear that bzip2 is not as useful as the other two compression tools. It takes longer to compress the folder, and the final size is larger than the other two tools.

Final Verdict

Use either zip or gzip as your Linux file compression tool. The difference between zip and gzip is negligible, and while gzip generally comes out on top, the zip format is more common across different operating systems. While bzip2 can outperform both in rare instances, the benefits are minimal.