WinZip 18 has a number of features that go beyond just zipping (compressing) and unzipping files. The zip engine in WinZip 18 is said to compress files smaller and faster.  The Pro version includes a Backup function and the Jobs Wizard to automate repetitive processes.

Pros:
1) WinZip states it supports 25+ compressed file formats including Zip, ZipX, RAR, 7Z, ISO, IMG, BZ2, BZ, TBZ, TBZ2, TAR, Z, GZ, TGZ, LZH, CAB, UUencode, BitHex, and MIME.
2) WinZip now has iOS and Android apps for your tablets and smartphones.
3) You can connect to several cloud drives: Box, CloudMe, DropBox, GoogleDrive, SkyDrive, and SugarSync
4) WinZip can convert DOC, DOCX, Excel XLS, XLSX, PPT, and PPTX files to PDF (Adobe's Public Document Format).
5) You can share files on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter.
6) The proprietary ZipX format saved JPG photos in a considerably smaller file.  A test of 100 photos of 450 MB was reduced only 1% (4 MB) in a traditional zip format, but were reduced 20% (90 MB) in a ZipX file.  (This was without the photo reduction feature that reduces picture dimensions.)
7)  WinZip states that there is an option to resize pictures to reduce file sizes (but this is apparently only found in the zip and email function).

Cons:
1) The License states that WinZip can be installed on up to 3 computers.  However after I installed it to my desktop computer, I installed it to my laptop.  When I entered the registration code I received an error that the activation code had already been used and it wanted me to buy another license.
2) While WinZip states that it supports 25+ compressed file formats, the Knowledgebase states it will only create Zip, Zipx, Lha/Lzh, and UUencoded files.
3) It can be really hard to find options in WinZip.  I spent nearly 10 minutes trying to find out how to save files into the ZipX format rather than the Zip format.  I wasn't able to find how to save an Lha file, even in the Knowledgebase.
4) WinZip claims that you can email an attachment of up to 2 GB in size.  However if you want to send attachments that large, you'll have to pay $10 a month for ZipSend Pro.  (Or you can use WinZip to upload the file to the cloud and send a link from the cloud.)
5) The WinZip Help states, "WinZip can convert high-resolution images to more convenient sharing sizes instantly when adding them to your Zip file. Simply click Resize Photos in the Create or Edit tab and decide what size you want..."  When I click on Resize Photos, it doesn't do anything. And then when I add photos to the zip file, they are not reduced in size.
6) WinZip defaulted to the "ribbon" menus.  WinZip claims that its smart ribbon only shows you the tools you need but it sometimes hides the tools that you're looking for.  For example if you open a zip file and want to copy it to the cloud, that option is not shown on the default smart ribbon tab.
7) Some features are apparently available only from the right click menu within Windows Explorer and not from the smart ribbon menu.
8) Be advised that if you use the Move command to add a file to WinZip, the original file is moved to the WinZip file and then Winzip deletes the original file to the Recycle Bin.  So this could be a security issue if you believe that the file only exists in the WinZip file.
9) I created an encrypted zip file.  When I double clicked on the zip file to open it, WinZip opens the zip file and displays all of the files within the zip file and displays a password entry box.  I don't like it that WinZip displays the contents of the encrypted zip file prior to a password being entered. WinZip will also display some of the file properties without a password.  That might be helpful to someone trying to crack the encrypted zip file.
10) A couple hours after I installed WinZip 18 I found that I was unable to drag and drop files in Windows Explorer.  I had not uninstalled any other software in several days and this was the first time ever that I could not drag and drop in Windows 7 Pro.  So I attributed the problem to the new install of WinZip 18. After rebooting it seemed everything was back to normal, for now.
11) My copy of WinZip 17 had started giving me this error messages for unencrypted WinZip files that I had created:  "Open WinZip File: You don't have permission to open this file. Contact the file owner or an administrator to obtain permission."  Well I am the owner and the administrator.  I haven't seen this problem in WinZip 18 yet, but then I've only used it a few weeks.

There are a number of freeware zip programs available (like 7-Zip), so you would have to decide if the paid features in WinZip 18 are worth it.
WinZip 18 has a number of features that go beyond just zipping (compressing) and unzipping files. The zip engine in WinZip 18 is said to compress files smaller and faster. The Pro version includes a Backup function and the Jobs Wizard to automate repetitive processes. Pros:
1) WinZip states it supports 25+ compressed file formats including Zip, ZipX, RAR, 7Z, ISO, IMG, BZ2, BZ, TBZ, TBZ2, TAR, Z, GZ, TGZ, LZH, CAB, UUencode, BitHex, and MIME. 2) WinZip now has iOS and Android apps for your tablets and smartphones. 3) You can connect to several cloud drives: Box, CloudMe, DropBox, GoogleDrive, SkyDrive, and SugarSync
4) WinZip can convert DOC, DOCX, Excel XLS, XLSX, PPT, and PPTX files to PDF (Adobe's Public Document Format). 5) You can share files on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter. 6) The proprietary ZipX format saved JPG photos in a considerably smaller file. A test of 100 photos of 450 MB was reduced only 1% (4 MB) in a traditional zip format, but were reduced 20% (90 MB) in a ZipX file. (This was without the photo reduction feature that reduces picture dimensions. )
7)  WinZip states that there is an option to resize pictures to reduce file sizes (but this is apparently only found in the zip and email function). Cons:
1) The License states that WinZip can be installed on up to 3 computers. However after I installed it to my desktop computer, I installed it to my laptop. When I entered the registration code I received an error that the activation code had already been used and it wanted me to buy another license. 2) While WinZip states that it supports 25+ compressed file formats, the Knowledgebase states it will only create Zip, Zipx, Lha/Lzh, and UUencoded files. 3) It can be really hard to find options in WinZip. I spent nearly 10 minutes trying to find out how to save files into the ZipX format rather than the Zip format. I wasn't able to find how to save an Lha file, even in the Knowledgebase. 4) WinZip claims that you can email an attachment of up to 2 GB in size. However if you want to send attachments that large, you'll have to pay $10 a month for ZipSend Pro. (Or you can use WinZip to upload the file to the cloud and send a link from the cloud. )
5) The WinZip Help states, "WinZip can convert high-resolution images to more convenient sharing sizes instantly when adding them to your Zip file. Simply click Resize Photos in the Create or Edit tab and decide what size you want... "  When I click on Resize Photos, it doesn't do anything. And then when I add photos to the zip file, they are not reduced in size. 6) WinZip defaulted to the "ribbon" menus. WinZip claims that its smart ribbon only shows you the tools you need but it sometimes hides the tools that you're looking for. For example if you open a zip file and want to copy it to the cloud, that option is not shown on the default smart ribbon tab. 7) Some features are apparently available only from the right click menu within Windows Explorer and not from the smart ribbon menu. 8) Be advised that if you use the Move command to add a file to WinZip, the original file is moved to the WinZip file and then Winzip deletes the original file to the Recycle Bin. So this could be a security issue if you believe that the file only exists in the WinZip file. 9) I created an encrypted zip file. When I double clicked on the zip file to open it, WinZip opens the zip file and displays all of the files within the zip file and displays a password entry box. I don't like it that WinZip displays the contents of the encrypted zip file prior to a password being entered. WinZip will also display some of the file properties without a password. That might be helpful to someone trying to crack the encrypted zip file. 10) A couple hours after I installed WinZip 18 I found that I was unable to drag and drop files in Windows Explorer. I had not uninstalled any other software in several days and this was the first time ever that I could not drag and drop in Windows 7 Pro. So I attributed the problem to the new install of WinZip 18. After rebooting it seemed everything was back to normal, for now. 11) My copy of WinZip 17 had started giving me this error messages for unencrypted WinZip files that I had created:  "Open WinZip File: You don't have permission to open this file. Contact the file owner or an administrator to obtain permission. "  Well I am the owner and the administrator. I haven't seen this problem in WinZip 18 yet, but then I've only used it a few weeks. There are a number of freeware zip programs available (like 7-Zip), so you would have to decide if the paid features in WinZip 18 are worth it.