# Create ZIP — Create ZIP files on Mac

Bundle files and folders into a ZIP that opens anywhere. Part of OneMacTools, 151 private tools in one native Mac app (macOS 26 or later); category: Files. Runs on your Mac; nothing is uploaded.

Zip files and folders into one archive, or one ZIP per item, without the hidden Mac files that clutter archives on Windows.

Page: https://www.onemactools.com/tools/create-zip · Download: https://www.onemactools.com/download · Pricing: https://www.onemactools.com/pricing

## How to use it
1. **Drop files and folders.** Drag in what you want to zip. Or select them in Finder, right-click and choose Quick Actions › OMT: Create ZIP.
2. **Name the archive.** Type a name in Archive name, or leave it empty to use “Archive”.
3. **One ZIP or several.** Leave One ZIP per item off to put everything in one ZIP, or turn it on to get a separate ZIP for each file or folder.
4. **Click Zip.** The ZIP is made without the hidden Mac extras that show up as a __MACOSX folder on Windows.
5. **Share it.** It's saved in a new dated folder in Downloads › OneMacTools. Use Show in Finder to attach it to an email or upload it. The original files stay where they were.

## Options
- **Archive name:** The name of the ZIP, “Archive” if left empty. When you zip several items into one ZIP, they're placed in a folder with this name inside it. When you zip a single item, the ZIP takes this name. Ignored when One ZIP per item is on with several items.
- **One ZIP per item:** Off by default. Turn it on to make a separate ZIP for each file or folder you drop, each named after the item. Handy for sending files to different people.

## Tips
- Photos and videos are already compressed, so zipping them barely makes them smaller. ZIP mostly helps by bundling many files into one.
- For private files, a ZIP isn't protected. Use Encrypt Files to lock them in a password-protected disk image instead.
- Give the archive a clear name, such as “Project X – final files”. When it's unzipped, everything appears in a folder with that name.
- Before sending something important, make a checksum with File Checksum so the person receiving it can check it arrived intact.

## Questions
**How do I make a ZIP file on a Mac?**
Drop the files onto Create ZIP and click Zip, or select them in Finder, right-click and choose Quick Actions › OMT: Create ZIP.

**Why does my ZIP have a __MACOSX folder on Windows?**
Archives made by some Mac tools include hidden Mac information that Windows shows as a __MACOSX folder. Create ZIP leaves that information out.

**How do I zip several files into separate ZIPs?**
Turn on One ZIP per item. Each file or folder you drop gets its own ZIP named after it.

**Can I password-protect a ZIP?**
Not with Create ZIP. To lock files with a password, use Encrypt Files, which makes an AES-256 encrypted disk image that opens on any Mac.

**Why isn't my ZIP much smaller?**
Photos, videos, music and PDFs are usually compressed already, so there's little left to squeeze. Text, documents and code shrink much more.

**Will the ZIP open on Windows?**
Yes. It's a standard ZIP that Windows, Linux and phones open without extra software.