What is The Unarchiver?
The Unarchiver opens archive formats that macOS's built-in tooling will not, including RAR and RAR5, 7z, and a long tail of older and unusual formats such as StuffIt, DiskDoubler, LZH and Amiga disk images. It is free — the developer states it is "free and always will be", with no in-app purchases — and it extracts rather than creates archives. It requires macOS 10.13 or later and is developed by MacPaw Way Ltd. If you only ever handle Zip files, macOS already does that; The Unarchiver earns its place on the formats the system cannot read.
Verified product facts
- Type
- file archiverEditorially reviewed
- Platform
- macOS
- Apple Silicon
- YesDeveloper-stated
- Pricing
- FreeDeveloper-stated
- Developer
- MacPaw Way LtdDeveloper-stated
- Relationship to Nuanyue
- Third-party product — not published by NuanyueEditorially reviewed
- Current version
- 4.3.9Developer-stated
- Official website
- theunarchiver.com/
Last updated . Facts marked developer-stated come from the developer and are not independently confirmed; editorially reviewed marks a Nuanyue judgement.
Key features
What The Unarchiver does at a glance.
Extracts RAR (including v5), 7z, Zip/Zipx, Tar, Gzip, Bzip2 and LZMA/XZ
Opens older formats
Such as StuffIt, DiskDoubler, LZH, ARJ and ARC
Unpacks ISO, BIN, MDF, NRG and CDI disc images
Extracts some Windows .exe self-extracting archives and MSI packages
Handles archives named
With non-Latin characters
Can be set as the default application
For all archive types
What you can use The Unarchiver for
- Opening a RAR or 7z archive that macOS's built-in tools reject
- Extracting older formats such as StuffIt, DiskDoubler or LZH
- Unpacking ISO, BIN or MDF disc images
- Setting a single default app so archives open without unknown-format alerts
Who is The Unarchiver for?
- Mac users who regularly receive archives in formats macOS cannot read
- People who want a free extractor with no in-app purchases
Who is The Unarchiver not for?
- Anyone who needs to create archives — The Unarchiver extracts but does not create them
- Users who need open-source software — the extraction engine is closed source
Limitations
- It extracts but does not create archives
- It is not open source
- Some formats are only partially supported: StuffIt X has no JPEG compression support, Ace works only for pre-2.0 files, and ARJ has no multi-part support
Strengths and trade-offs
What The Unarchiver does well, and what to weigh before choosing it. Points marked developer-stated come from the developer’s own material and have not been independently confirmed.
Strengths
- Free, with the developer stating it is 'free and always will be' and that there are no in-app purchases.
- Supports a wide range of formats beyond macOS's built-in tools, including RAR and RAR5, 7z, and older formats such as StuffIt and DiskDoubler.
- Reads archives whose names use non-Latin characters.Developer-stated
Trade-offs
- It extracts archives but does not create them; the developer presents it only as an opener and extractor, so making archives needs a separate tool.Editorially reviewed
- It is not open source, so the extraction engine cannot be inspected or built independently.Editorially reviewed
First-use experience
What the app asks of you when you set it up. Only established facts appear here; anything we could not confirm is left out rather than guessed at.
- Installation
- Install free from the Mac App Store, or download the .dmg from theunarchiver.com and drag the app to Applications.
- First launch Developer-stated
- It is an extractor rather than a document app: you point archive files at it, and the developer's instructions are to use Finder's Get Info, set The Unarchiver under Open With, then click Change All.
- System integration Developer-stated
- Can be set as the default application for archive types through Finder's Change All, after which archives open in it automatically.
- Apple Silicon Developer-stated
- Supported
What it does
The Unarchiver extracts archive files that macOS’s built-in tooling cannot read. Its format list runs from the common — Zip and Zipx, RAR and RAR5, 7z, Tar, Gzip, Bzip2, LZMA and XZ — to older and unusual ones such as StuffIt, DiskDoubler, Compact Pro, LZH, ARJ, ARC and Amiga disk images. It also unpacks ISO, BIN, MDF, NRG and CDI disc images, some Windows .exe self-extracting archives and MSI packages.
It is free. The developer states it is “free and always will be” and that there are no in-app purchases.
Supported formats
The developer publishes a per-format table that grades support rather than just listing names. Zip, Zipx, RAR, 7z, Tar, Gzip, Bzip2 and LZMA/XZ are marked Full, with notes on AES encryption, Zip64 and multi-volume archives. Older formats carry caveats — StuffIt X is Partial with no JPEG compression support, Ace works only for pre-2.0 files, and ARJ has no multi-part support. That table is the honest place to check whether a specific archive is covered before relying on it.
Free, and extract-only
The developer’s wording is unambiguous: “The Unarchiver for Mac is free. No in-apps for additional features.” There is no paid tier and no upgrade.
The other half of that is scope: it opens and extracts archives. It is not presented as a tool for creating them, so building a .zip or .7z needs a different application.
Using it as the default extractor
The developer’s own instructions are a Finder routine: select an archive, choose File → Get Info, set The Unarchiver under Open With, then click Change All. After that, archive files open in it automatically. This is what replaces the “Unknown format” alerts the built-in tools produce.
Apple Silicon
Supported. The App Store changelog for version 4.3.1 states “Apple M1 support is here!”
Release history
Dated releases recorded for The Unarchiver, newest first, each with the source it was read from.
4.3.9
Current release; the changelog lists minor bug and crash fixes.
Source: Official website
4.3.1Developer-stated
Added Apple M1 support, per the App Store changelog.
Source: Mac App Store
Questions about The Unarchiver
Is The Unarchiver free?
Yes. The developer states 'The Unarchiver for Mac is free. No in-apps for additional features,' and it is listed as free on the Mac App Store.
Which macOS version does it require?
macOS 10.13 or later. The developer points users on earlier versions to MacPaw's archive of old releases.
Can The Unarchiver open RAR files?
Yes. RAR support is described as full, including encryption and multi-volume archives, and covers both RAR4 and RAR5. It can also extract .exe self-extracting archives that use RAR.
Does The Unarchiver run on Apple Silicon?
Yes. The App Store changelog for version 4.3.1 states 'Apple M1 support is here!'Developer-stated
What is the latest version?
4.3.9, dated 18 March 2025 on the developer's site.
Alternatives to The Unarchiver
Apps that could replace this one — the same job, a different trade-off.
Keka
Free macOS archiver for compressing and extracting many formats.
Both are Mac archive tools with broad format support; Keka also creates archives, is free from its own site and is not published as open source, while The Unarchiver only extracts and is closed source.
Competitors
Direct competitors: overlapping features aimed at the same users.
BetterZip
Mac archiver that opens, creates and edits archives in place.
BetterZip is a commercial archiver that opens, creates and edits archives, where The Unarchiver is a free extractor.
Works well with
Not a replacement — apps commonly used alongside this one.
HandBrake
Video transcoder for converting media to modern formats.
Both are free Mac utilities for handling files you did not create — HandBrake converts video, The Unarchiver extracts archives.
VLC
Free open-source player for most media formats.
Both open formats other tools reject without extra software — VLC for media files, The Unarchiver for archive formats.
Links
Sources
Facts on this page are checked against the sources below. Last updated .
