BetterZip vs The Unarchiver (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, The Unarchiver grades higher than BetterZip: 2.8 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 6, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
BetterZip grades higher on platforms. The Unarchiver grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
BetterZip
Mac archive tool for creating, browsing and extracting files
Free trial · from $35 one-time
The Unarchiver
Free Mac app that opens RAR, 7z, Zip and many older archives
Free
Which one is for you
Pick BetterZip if
- Fits if you open and edit archives on a Mac every day
- Works for people who want Finder integration and encryption
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you use Windows or Linux, as it is Mac only
- Skip it if you are on an older Mac, as it needs macOS 13.5 or later
- Watch out: creating RAR archives needs a separate command-line utility
- Pricey if you upgrade, at $15 to $25 from older versions, and commercial use needs one licence per Mac
Pick The Unarchiver if
- Fits if you're on a Mac and keep being sent RAR or 7z files
- Works for old archives in formats such as StuffIt or DiskDoubler, or with non-Latin file names
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you need to make archives too, as it only extracts them
- Not for you if you want an app with a window on Windows or Linux, where it's command-line tools only
- Too light for Ace 2.0 and later or multi-part ARJ archives, and StuffIt X is only partly supported
- Watch out: version 4.3.9 added product usage analytics and a survey invitation, the App Store notes say
- Skip it if your Mac is older than macOS 10.13, the minimum for the app
How we grade them
| 2.6GPABetterZipGood | 2.8GPAThe UnarchiverGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A$35 once, under a year of the utilities middle subscription at $3.33 a month, with a 30-day trial. | AFree from the vendor's site or the Mac App Store, downloaded and run like any other app. The site says there are no in-app purchases for additional features, so nothing gets sold to you later. |
| Free plan and trial | C30-day full-featured trial of a download, and no card or account on record, but no free plan. | AThe complete app, free, with every format it supports included. There's no paid tier at all, so nothing is being held back for one. |
| Features | CArchive editing, wide format support and AES-256 encryption, but creating RAR archives depends on a separate utility. | CIt opens many formats, from Zip and RAR and 7z to StuffIt and DiskDoubler, encrypted and multi-volume ones included. But it only unpacks: the site describes no way to make an archive. StuffIt X is partial, Ace 2.0 and later isn't supported, and multi-part ARJ doesn't work. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record, but it is a program you install and start using with nothing to set up. | BNo store rating on record, but there's nothing to set up. Install it, set it as the default for archives in Finder's Get Info window, and from then on they just open. |
| Platforms and integrations | CMac only, needing macOS 13.5 or later, with no Windows or Linux version. | DThe app is Mac only, macOS 10.13 or later, with no integrations listed. Windows and Linux get the unar and lsar command-line tools and no app with a window. |
| Best for | opening and editing archives on a Mac | opening RAR, 7z and odd old archives on a Mac |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: BetterZip and The Unarchiver. How we grade
Where they differ
- BetterZip can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- BetterZip also covers file management.
In commonmacOSFile compression
At a glance
| BetterZip | The Unarchiver | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free |
| Starts at | $35 one-time | Free |
| Free plan | None | The whole app is free from the vendor's site or the Mac App Store. The site says there are no in-app purchases for additional features. |
| Free trial | 30-day full-featured trial. | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Made by | MacItBetter | MacPaw Way Ltd. |
| Price read from | macitbetter.com | theunarchiver.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 |
Worth knowing
BetterZip
- Requires macOS 13.5 or later and has no Windows or Linux version.
- Creating RAR archives depends on a separate command-line utility.
- Upgrades from older major versions cost $15 to $25; commercial use needs one license per Mac.
The Unarchiver
- It only extracts: the site lists the formats it can open and describes no way to create archives.
- The app is for macOS 10.13 or later. Windows and Linux get only the unar and lsar command-line tools, with no graphical app.
- Some formats are partly supported: StuffIt X is partial, Ace 2.0 and later is unsupported, and multi-part ARJ archives do not work.
- Version 4.3.9 added product usage analytics and a survey invitation, according to the App Store release notes.
Key features
BetterZip
- Edit inside archives
- Add, delete, rename and edit files in place; changes made in an external app are saved back to the archive.
- Wide format support
- Creates ZIP, DMG, TAR, 7-Zip, XAR and ISO archives, and RAR through an external command-line tool. Opens over 30 formats.
- AES-256 encryption
- Encrypts archives and keeps archive passwords in a built-in encrypted password manager.
- Presets and filters
- Presets store format, destination and rules; filters skip files such as .DS_Store by name, path, size or age.
- Finder integration
- Adds a Finder menu, toolbar button and Share extension, and a Spotlight importer indexes file names inside archives.
- Automation
- Presets can run from Shortcuts, workflows or the command line, with optional shell or AppleScript steps.
The Unarchiver
- Common archive formats
- Lists full support for Zip, Zipx, RAR, 7z, Tar, Gzip, Bzip2, LZMA and XZ, plus CAB, MSI, NSIS installers and common disc images such as ISO and BIN.
- Encrypted and multi-volume archives
- Opens RAR archives with encryption and multiple volumes and Zip archives with AES encryption, and can join split files named .001, .002.
- Older and unusual formats
- Unpacks formats such as StuffIt, DiskDoubler, LZH, ARJ and ARC, and Linux packages such as RPM and Deb. Support for some, including StuffIt X and Ace, is partial.
- Filename encoding detection
- Tries to detect and handle the filename encoding used inside an archive, so files named in non-Latin characters are not garbled.
- Default app for archives
- Can be set as the default app for archive files through Finder's Get Info window, after which archives open with it automatically.
- unar and lsar command-line tools
- The same unarchiving code is offered as two command-line tools, unar and lsar, which run on macOS, Windows and Linux.
Plans
BetterZip
BetterZip 6$35
one-time purchase
Personal use covers up to five household Macs; commercial use needs one license per Mac.
The Unarchiver
The Unarchiver$0
The complete app for macOS 10.13 or later, with every supported format included and no in-app purchases.
Ways to pay less
BetterZip
- Other savings
Also sold through Setapp
The buy page says BetterZip is also available on Setapp, a subscription with a selection of Mac apps.
The Unarchiver
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, BetterZip or The Unarchiver?
As of Nov 12, 2026, BetterZip starts at $35 one-time, and The Unarchiver is free.
Which has a free plan, BetterZip or The Unarchiver?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only The Unarchiver has a free plan. BetterZip does not, though it has a free trial.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.