Don't compress the data.
Compress the generator.
pzip is the lossless, format-aware compression engine at the bottom of the Solace platform. Beats LZMA by 1.4× to 5× on CSV, JSON, source code, logs, and tensor checkpoints. Single C++ binary. Free forever under Apache-2.0.
How much smaller, by format
Real numbers, real corpora. Format-specific codecs that know what they're looking at. When none of them win, pzip falls back to LZMA — never worse.
| Format | Codec | Better than LZMA -9 by |
|---|---|---|
| CSV (numeric) | pzcsv | 1.8 – 4× |
| JSON (structured) | pzjson | 2.7 – 5× |
| JSONL (event logs) | pzjsonl | 1.9 – 3.4× |
| Source code (C/C++/Python) | pzsource | 1.4 – 2.1× |
| Server logs | pzlogs | 2.2 – 3.8× |
| Tensor checkpoints (.safetensors) | pzsafetensors | 1.6 – 2.6× |
| Generic text (novels, RFCs) | LZMA fallback | match (never worse) |
OSS for everyone. Enterprise for those who need it.
The code is genuinely Apache-2.0. Anyone can fork, embed, modify, redistribute. Solace makes money on the commercial envelope around pzip, not on the license itself.
pzip OSS
- Full source on GitHub
- 36 format-specific codecs
- Linux .deb, .tar.gz today; macOS + Windows in v1.1
- Byte-exact round-trip guarantee
- No telemetry, no phone-home, no key
- Community support via GitHub Issues
Solace Compression Enterprise
- Indemnification (patent + IP coverage)
- Custom codecs for your proprietary formats
- Performance-tuned binaries (SIMD fast paths)
- 24/7 SLA-backed support
- Compliance pack (SOC2 / HIPAA / FedRAMP)
- On-prem perpetual licensing for air-gapped use
Where pzip fits in the Solace stack
Solace's data workers (Atlas, Vera, Kai, Scout, Raj…) compress everything that moves through the platform with pzip. Generator-first compression is what makes long-term, high-volume worker storage affordable. You can use pzip standalone forever; or you can rent the whole Solace platform on solaceagi.com.
The 90-day plan, transparent
pzip's own 90-day public-launch plan ships from the same Scale bundles. Here's what runs in the queue from Day 0 onwards:
Week 1 — Convert curiosity to install
- D0: phuc.net + Show HN + r/programming + r/cpp
- D1: First deep-dive blog post (CSV codec internals)
- D3: Twitter thread on the 5 things pzip refuses to do
- D4: Newsletter sign-up CTA live
- Goal: 500 stars, 5 issues, 1 external PR
Weeks 2–4 — Land the technical narrative
- v1.0.1 patch (empty-file fix + missing smoke tests)
- Benchmark report — reproducible corpus, honest ratios
- Submit to Squash Benchmark + TurboBench
- FOSDEM / CppCon CFP submitted
- Goal: 2,000 stars, 50 issues, 5 external PRs
Month 2 — Distribution channels
- Homebrew tap shipped
- Scoop bucket for Windows
- APT repo at apt.pzip.net
- Snap + Flatpak submitted
- Goal: 5,000 stars, install on every platform
Month 3 — Enterprise pipeline
- v1.1 minor — macOS + Windows native binaries
- Solace Compression Enterprise sales page live
- Hyperscaler procurement outreach
- 90-day retro + first case study
- Goal: 8,000 stars, 1 enterprise call, 10 contributors