# The Unarchiver

> Free Mac app that opens RAR, 7z, Zip and many older archives

The Unarchiver is a free macOS app from MacPaw for extracting archive files. It opens common formats such as Zip, RAR, 7z, Tar, Gzip and Bzip2, along with disc images, some Windows installers and many older formats such as StuffIt and DiskDoubler. It also tries to detect the filename encoding inside an archive so that non-Latin names come out correctly. The app only extracts; the site describes no way to create archives.

- **Category:** Desktop Utilities
- **Made by:** MacPaw Way Ltd.
- **Website:** https://theunarchiver.com
- **Runs on:** macOS
- **Facts last checked:** Oct 6, 2026

## Pricing

The Unarchiver is free to use.

- **Pricing model:** Free
- **Free plan:** 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:** None listed.

| Plan | Price | What you get |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The Unarchiver | $0 | The complete app for macOS 10.13 or later, with every supported format included and no in-app purchases. |

Read from https://theunarchiver.com/ on Oct 6, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with The Unarchiver before buying.

## Key features

- **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.

## Good for

- 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

## Worth knowing

- 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.

**Tags:** File compression, Works offline

## Alternatives

- [Keka](https://toolgpa.com/tools/keka): File archiver for macOS and iOS with drag-and-drop compression. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/keka-vs-the-unarchiver)
- [7-Zip](https://toolgpa.com/tools/7-zip): Free, open-source file archiver with the 7z format. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/7-zip-vs-the-unarchiver)
- [WinRAR](https://toolgpa.com/tools/winrar): Windows archive manager for RAR and ZIP files. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/the-unarchiver-vs-winrar)

## Sources

The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 6, 2026:

- https://theunarchiver.com/
- https://theunarchiver.com/command-line
- https://theunarchiver.com/mac-archive-utility-pack
- https://apps.apple.com/us/app/the-unarchiver/id425424353?mt=12
- https://macpaw.com/legal/the-unarchiver-terms-of-use

Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/the-unarchiver
Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).