How to open a .zst file
Quick, free ways to open Zstandard on any system.
A .zst file is a Zstandard Compressed File. If double-clicking does nothing, your computer simply does not have an app that reads Zstandard yet. Here is how to fix that on each operating system, using free software wherever possible.
Open a .zst file step by step
- Confirm the file really is a .zst. Drop it into the WhatFileType file identifier, which reads its signature without uploading anything.
- On Windows, open it with 7-Zip (recent) or PeaZip.
- On Mac, use Keka or zstd (Homebrew).
- On Linux, try zstd or tar.
- Still stuck? Convert the .zst to xz, which opens more widely.
Best apps to open .zst files
Windows
- 7-Zip (recent)
- PeaZip
- zstd
macOS
- Keka
- zstd (Homebrew)
Linux
- zstd
- tar
- Ark
!
Before you open it: Safe to extract with a trusted tool. Scan unpacked contents before running anything.
Frequently asked questions
Why can't I open my .zst file?
Almost always because no installed app understands Zstandard. Install one of the apps above, or convert the file to a format your existing software already reads.
How do I open a .zst file?
Use the zstd command (zstd -d file.zst), a recent 7-Zip or PeaZip on Windows, or Keka on Mac. A .tar.zst unpacks with tar --zstd -xf.
Is Zstandard better than gzip or xz?
It decompresses much faster than xz at similar sizes, and beats gzip on both. That speed is why Linux packaging and filesystems switched to it.