What's the difference between rar files and zip files?

1) Parameter differences: - "Recovery Record Many archive formats contain redundant data embedded in the files in order to detect data storage or transmission errors, and the software used to read the archive files contain logic to detect and correct errors." RAR has it, ZIP does not mention it. - "Unicode filenames" RAR has it, but ZIP does not have it. Source and further information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_archive_formats 2) "In computing, RAR is an archive file format that supports data compression, error recovery, and file spanning." "RAR compression operations are typically slower than compressing the same data with early compression algorithms like ZIP and gzip, but with a moderately better rate of compression." "WinRAR is the only graphical tool for Microsoft Windows which can read and write modern RAR files. Its command line equivalent, RAR, is available for Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, MS-DOS, OS/2 and FreeBSD. Additionally, the unrar tool from the same ...  more