bzip3 ☆

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Description:
Better and stronger spiritual successor to BZip2

Type: Formula | Latest Version: 1.5.3@0 | Tracked Since: Dec 17, 2025

Links: Homepage | formulae.brew.sh

Category: System utilities

Tags: compression bzip3 cli data-storage algorithm

Install: brew install bzip3

About:
bzip3 is a modern data compressor that serves as a stronger evolution of the BZip2 algorithm. It utilizes a Burrows-Wheeler transform combined with a more efficient entropy coder (context mixing) to achieve significantly higher compression ratios. The tool aims to provide a balance between compression speed and ratio, making it suitable for various data storage and transfer scenarios.

Key Features:

High compression ratios exceeding BZip2 and Zstandard
Fast decompression speeds suitable for read-heavy workloads
Supports large file sizes and parallel processing
Simple command-line interface compatible with standard archiving tools

Use Cases:

Archiving large datasets where storage space is at a premium
Compressing logs and backups for long-term retention
Network transfer of large binary files

Alternatives:

bzip2 – bzip3 offers significantly better compression ratios and speed at the cost of slightly slower compression times.
zstd – zstd generally offers faster compression/decompression speeds, while bzip3 focuses on achieving maximum compression density.

License: LGPL-3.0-only

Bottles available for: arm64_tahoe, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_ventura, sonoma, ventura, arm64_linux, x86_64_linux

Version History

Detected	Version	Rev	Change	Commit
Dec 16, 2024 4:49pm		0	VERSION_BUMP	471a6604