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The Unarchiver

The Unarchiver is a free macOS app for opening archive files and extracting their contents.

Place
#18 of 36
Score
6.0
The Unarchiver's website

What The Unarchiver is

The Unarchiver is a free macOS app for opening archive files and extracting their contents. It handles ZIP, RAR, 7z, TAR, Gzip, Bzip2, and ISO files, along with many older and unusual formats. ZIP support includes AES encryption, while RAR support includes encryption and multiple volumes. It can also handle archive names containing non-Latin characters. The graphical app requires macOS 10.13 or later; the current listed version is 4.3.9, dated 18 March 2025. The maker says setup and choosing it as the default for archive files takes a few clicks. Its unar and lsar command-line tools are available for macOS, Windows, and Linux, but there is no graphical app for other operating systems. The Windows command-line version is described as slightly outdated. Format coverage is not complete: StuffIt X support is partial, and Ace 2.0 and later are unsupported. MacPaw’s privacy policy says it does not collect or transfer files unpacked with the app, while also describing collection of location, log, usage, device, and contact information.

Good

  • Free, with no in-app purchases for additional features
  • Supports ZIP, RAR, 7z, TAR, Gzip, Bzip2, and ISO
  • Handles non-Latin archive names
  • RAR support includes encryption and multiple volumes

Watch out

  • Graphical app requires macOS 10.13 or later
  • No graphical app for Windows or Linux
  • Windows command-line version is slightly outdated
  • StuffIt X support is partial; Ace 2.0 and later unsupported

Who it suits

The Unarchiver suits Mac users who need to open common and less common archive formats, including encrypted ZIP or RAR files. Users on Windows or Linux can use its command-line tools, but not a graphical app.

Verdict

The Unarchiver covers many archive formats on macOS and is free to use. Check its format limitations and platform split if you need a graphical app outside macOS.

Plans and prices

From The Unarchiver's own pricing page, checked 9 Oct 2026.

All about pricing
PlanPriceWhat it gives you
The Unarchiver for MacFreemacOS 10.13 or later · no in-app purchases for additional features · Free and always will be

The facts

Each one read from The Unarchiver's own pages, with the date it was checked.

What it does

Archive formats
It supports formats including ZIP, RAR, 7z, TAR, Gzip, Bzip2, ISO, and many older and unusual formats.checked 9 Oct 2026
Character support
It can handle archive names containing non-Latin characters.checked 9 Oct 2026
Encrypted archives
Its ZIP support includes AES encryption, and its RAR support includes encryption and multiple volumes.checked 9 Oct 2026
Privacy
The privacy policy says MacPaw does not collect or transfer files unpacked with The Unarchiver, while it does describe collecting location, log, usage, device, and contact information.checked 9 Oct 2026
Purpose
The Unarchiver is a macOS app for opening archives and extracting their contents.checked 9 Oct 2026
Setup
The maker says it takes a few clicks to install and set the app as the default for archive files.checked 9 Oct 2026
Support for imperfect format coverage
For some formats, the maker documents partial or limited support, including partial StuffIt X support and no support for Ace 2.0 and later.checked 9 Oct 2026
System requirement
The current listed app version is 4.3.9, dated 18 March 2025, and requires macOS 10.13 or later.checked 9 Oct 2026

The company

Headquarters
Kyiv, Ukrainechecked 28 Sep 2026

Where it runs

Linux command-line tools
Ubuntu 12.04 packages unar and lsar under the package name unar; the maker also describes compiling the tools from source on Linux.checked 9 Oct 2026
Platform availability
The maker describes The Unarchiver as a macOS app; its unar and lsar command-line tools can run on macOS, Windows, and Linux, with no GUI app for other operating systems.checked 9 Oct 2026
Related iOS app
The maker describes its separate Archives app as letting users view archive contents and unzip files on iPhone or iPad.checked 9 Oct 2026
Windows command-line limit
The maker says the Windows command-line version is slightly outdated and an update will follow.checked 9 Oct 2026

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