Zip with a password on Mac

Finder can’t put a password on a zip. Terminal can, with zip -e, but it uses the old ZipCrypto method, which is weak. For real protection you want AES-256.

Terminal: zip -e (weak)

In Terminal, go to the folder and run:

zip -e Archive.zip report.pdf
zip -er Archive.zip "Tax 2026"

It asks for the password twice. -r adds a whole folder. This is free and built in, but ZipCrypto is weak: fine to keep a casual look away, not for tax papers or client files.

AES-256 with Whizra

Select the files or folder and type zip with password 1234 (or zip the tax 2026 folder with password 1234 without selecting anything). You get one .zip using AES-256 (WinZip AE-2). Double-click it in Finder and Archive Utility asks for the password. 7-Zip, WinRAR, Keka and The Unarchiver open it too.

The password can be in the sentence or in a hidden field; History shows it as dots.
Zips over 4 GB are refused for now.
The originals are never changed. Undo moves the zip to the Trash.

Questions

Can Finder make a zip with a password?

No. Finder’s Compress makes a zip without a password.

Is zip -e secure?

Not very: it uses ZipCrypto, an old and weak method. Use AES-256 for anything private.

Will someone on Windows be able to open it?

7-Zip and WinRAR open Whizra’s AES-256 zips.

Checked: 3 Nov 2026.

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