Alternatives
Best The Unarchiver alternatives in 2026
The Unarchiver is free macOS app that extracts RAR, ZIP, 7z and dozens of other formats. These 9 alternatives come from the same rankings, ordered by editorial score. Connected products carry a small, disclosed lift.
Ranked alternatives
- 1
7-Zip
Is open source; also runs on Windows. The default free archiver on Windows, with a high compression ratio in the 7z format and AES-256 encryption. It creates 7z, ZIP and GZIP but not RAR, so RAR files need WinRAR or PeaZip.
Best for Free, open-source archiving on Windows
WindowsFree and open sourceOpen source
- 2
PeaZip
Is open source; also runs on Windows, Linux. The strongest free cross-platform option, with portable builds for Windows, Linux and macOS and support for more than 200 formats. RAR creation needs WinRAR, and fake packages circulate, so download from the official site.
Best for Free archiving across Windows, Linux and macOS
WindowsLinuxmacOSFree and open sourceOpen source
- 3
Keka
The best free choice for Mac users who create and extract archives, with AES-256 encryption for 7z files. It is Mac only, and a Mac App Store version sits alongside the free website download.
Best for Mac users who create and extract archives
macOSFree
- 4
NanaZip
Is open source; also runs on Windows. Free, MIT-licensed 7-Zip derivative for Windows 10 and 11 that puts the 7-Zip formats into a modern Windows interface. It is Windows only, and Windows 10 on ARM needs the x64 emulation option.
Best for Windows users who want 7-Zip in a modern interface
WindowsFree and open sourceOpen source
- 5
WinRAR
Also runs on Windows. The established commercial choice for creating RAR archives on Windows, with Unicode file name support and interfaces in more than 40 languages. It is a paid license, so people who only extract files can use 7-Zip for free.
Best for Windows users who create RAR archives and pay
WindowsPaid
- 6
Ark
Is open source; also runs on Linux. KDE's archive manager for Linux, which previews archive contents without extracting them. It supports gzip, bzip2, zip, rar and 7z, and it suits KDE Plasma users best.
Best for Linux users on the KDE Plasma desktop
LinuxFree and open sourceOpen source
- 7
Xarchiver
Is open source; also runs on Linux. A GPL-2.0 archiver front end for Linux and FreeBSD that works outside KDE and GNOME. Its repository says it supports all common archive formats, and it covers Linux and FreeBSD only.
Best for Linux users outside KDE and GNOME
LinuxFree and open sourceOpen source
- 8
Engrampa
Is open source; also runs on Linux. The archive manager for the MATE desktop under GPL-2.0. It covers Linux with the MATE desktop only, and its repository page does not list the archive formats it handles.
Best for MATE desktop users who need an archive manager
LinuxFree and open sourceOpen source
- 9
Bandizip
Also runs on Windows. A free Windows archiver for ZIP, RAR, 7Z, ALZ and EGG files. Advanced features need a paid edition, and the site does not describe it as open source.
Best for Windows users who need ALZ or EGG support for free
WindowsFree plan, paid upgrades
Narrow the alternatives
Open-source alternatives to The Unarchiver
The Unarchiver alternatives for Linux
The Unarchiver alternatives for Windows
Compare The Unarchiver head to head
- The Unarchiverversus
7-Zip - The UnarchiverversusPeaZip
- The Unarchiverversus
Keka - The Unarchiverversus
NanaZip - The Unarchiverversus
WinRAR - The Unarchiverversus
Ark
Or build your own comparison table with The Unarchiver and up to three other products.
About The Unarchiver alternatives
Before you switch
Learning Center
1:16Lock-in and exit costs: check how you leave before you commitLearn what lock-in is, run an export test on real data, compare open formats and local versus hosted storage, and plan an exit with your EU data rights in mind.
1:20How to run a software trial that tells you somethingRun a software trial that answers your question. Set criteria first, use real files, test import, export and sharing, then decide before the end date.