Keka vs The Unarchiver

Keka

• Mac users who want to create 7Z or ZIP archives by drag and drop
• Sending password-protected or split archives
• Older Macs: legacy builds go back to Mac OS X 10.4

The Unarchiver

• Mac users who need to open RAR, 7z and other archive formats
• Opening old archives in formats such as StuffIt or DiskDoubler
• Archives whose file names use non-Latin characters

Keka

• There is no Windows, Linux or Android version: Keka is for macOS and, as a separate purchase, iOS and iPadOS.
• The website download is free, but the Mac App Store copy costs $6.49 and the iOS app $3.99 (US prices).
• RAR archives can be extracted, but RAR is not on the list of formats Keka creates.
• Setting Keka as the default extraction app needs a separate helper download.

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.

Keka

Drag-and-drop compression

Files and folders dropped on the Dock icon or the Keka window are compressed, so the app does not need to be opened first.

Wide format support

Creates 7Z, ZIP, TAR, GZIP, BZIP2, XZ, LZIP, DMG, ISO, BROTLI, ZSTD, LRZIP, AAR and WIM archives, and extracts those plus RAR, ZIPX, LZMA, EXE, CAB, MSI and more.

Password protection

Sets a password on an archive, using AES-256 encryption for 7z files and the legacy Zip 2.0 encryption for Zip files.

Split archives

Splits an archive into pieces when it is too large for email or a server. The pieces expand back into the original file.

Keka for iOS

A separate iPhone and iPad app compresses, extracts and browses archives, previews their contents and can be reached from other apps through Share Actions.

Legacy versions

Older builds stay on the website for Macs that cannot run the current release, going back to a version for Mac OS X 10.4.

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.

Keka

• Website download$0

  The full macOS app from keka.io for Mac OS X 10.10 or newer. Tips through PayPal or GitHub Sponsors are optional.

• Keka for iOS$3.99

  one-time purchase (US App Store)

  The iPhone and iPad app, which creates 7Z, ZIP, TAR, ZSTD, GZIP and BZIP2 archives and extracts many more. Requires iOS 15.5 or later.

• Mac App Store$6.49

  one-time purchase (US Mac App Store)

  The same macOS app as the website version, updated through the App Store. Its in-app purchases are tips that add no features.

The Unarchiver

• The Unarchiver$0

  The complete app for macOS 10.13 or later, with every supported format included and no in-app purchases.