Download RAR Extractor for Mac

In the edit

RAR Extractor is a Mac app for extracting and creating compressed archives. It sits comfortably alongside the other tools you already keep around for moving files, backing up work or sending a batch of edited photos to a client. The app handles the usual formats — RAR, ZIP, 7Z — and can also create password-protected archives with AES-256 encryption. Before you extract anything, you can peek inside the archive with a file list and preview, which saves time when you are not sure what is in there. A dual-window display helps if you are moving files between archives, and dragging an archive to the Dock icon works the same way you would expect from any well-behaved Mac utility. The current version runs on both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs, so it fits whether you are on an older machine or a newer M-series one.

Built for photographers and anyone who receives files from others

If you work with files that arrive from other people, you are the person this app is built for. Photographers like me get a steady stream of client briefs, reference images and project assets, and they come wrapped in every archive format imaginable. RAR Extractor handles the lot without asking questions. Designers, video editors and anyone in a collaborative line of work will find the same relief — you just open the file and the app works out what it is.

People who manage large archives benefit too. If you are pulling assets from a 7Z or a GZIP archive regularly, the ability to browse inside before extracting means you do not clutter your drive with files you only need once. And if you handle password-protected archives, the AES-256 encryption support for creating ZIP and 7Z files means you can send sensitive work to clients without relying on third-party services. It is not a tool you think about until you need it, and then you are glad it is there.

Users who prefer a clean workflow also get a lot from it. The app can be set as the default archive opener, so double-clicking any compressed file sends it straight to RAR Extractor. That is one less decision to make when you are moving fast. The batch unpacking feature is another quiet time-saver — drag several archives at once and let the app handle them one after another.

Opens 7Z, ACE, ISO, RPM, and MSI files the native Archive Utility cannot

The built-in Archive Utility on macOS does the basics well enough for ZIP files, but it stops there. RAR Extractor opens a much wider range of formats, including 7Z, ACE, ISO, RPM and MSI files, which the native tool simply ignores. If you work across Windows and Linux environments, you will hit those formats often. The preview and file list features also set it apart — the default utility extracts everything or nothing, with no in-between.

Keka is another popular choice on the Mac. It is a solid app with a clean interface and supports many of the same formats. RAR Extractor matches that range and adds the dual-window display, which is useful if you are copying files between two archives or moving specific items from one compressed folder to another. The ability to extract a single file or folder from inside an archive is also something Keka offers, but RAR Extractor presents the archive contents as a clear file list first, so you know exactly what you are selecting.

The Unarchiver is a free option that many Mac users start with. It handles RAR and ZIP files well, but it does not create archives at all, and it lacks the password-protection features that RAR Extractor includes. If you ever need to send a secure ZIP or 7Z file, The Unarchiver will not help you on the creation side. RAR Extractor fills that gap without needing a second app.

Preview winmail.dat attachments that most apps cannot open

A few features in RAR Extractor are easy to overlook but worth knowing about. The winmail.dat preview is one of them — Microsoft Outlook sometimes attaches files in that format, and most apps cannot open it. RAR Extractor shows you the contents directly, so you are not stuck guessing what a client sent.

The drag-to-desktop extraction is another quiet time-saver. You can grab an archive file and drop it onto your desktop, and the app extracts the contents right there. No need to open the app first or choose a destination folder. It just works.

Dragging archives to the Dock icon works the same way. If the app is in your Dock, you can drop a compressed file onto it and extraction starts immediately. That is the kind of shortcut you build into muscle memory after a few uses.

Batch unpacking is not flashy, but it saves time when you receive a folder full of RAR files from a collaborator. Select them all, drag them in, and the app works through the list. You can walk away and come back to a tidy set of extracted folders.

Double-click a password-protected 7Z file and see its contents instantly

It is a Tuesday morning and I have just downloaded a client brief that arrived as a password-protected 7Z file. I double-click it — RAR Extractor is set as the default app, so it opens immediately. The file list appears, showing a folder of reference images and a PDF brief. I do not want the whole archive on my drive yet, so I select the PDF and extract only that file to my desktop. I read through it, then go back to the archive and extract the images folder to my project directory.

Later that week, I need to send a batch of edited wedding photos to the same client. I gather the selects into a folder, then open RAR Extractor to create a new ZIP archive. I set a password with AES-256 encryption and drag the folder in. The archive builds quickly, and I upload it to the client's portal. No extra steps, no messing with permissions.

On another day, a colleague sends me a folder of assets packed into several RAR files. I drag all of them onto the RAR Extractor Dock icon at once. The app unpacks them one by one while I keep working on edits in Lightroom. When I check back, every file is extracted and ready to use.

The app also handles the occasional winmail.dat attachment that comes from a client using Outlook. I open it in RAR Extractor and the contents are visible straight away — usually a PDF or a few images that would otherwise be stuck in an unreadable file. It is one of those features you do not think about until you need it, and then it feels essential.

Mac it needs

• macOS 11.5 or later
• Apple Silicon or Intel 64-bit Mac