Best Archive Tools for Mac in 2026: Unarchiver, Keka, and 7 More Compared
macOS Archive Utility only handles ZIP. These are the best archive tools for Mac that support RAR, 7Z, TAR, and every other format you'll encounter.
The Best Archive Tools for Mac in 2026
macOS comes with Archive Utility built in, and it does exactly one thing: create and extract ZIP files. The moment you encounter a RAR archive, a 7Z file, or a multi-part archive, the built-in tool fails silently. You need one of the best archive tools for Mac to handle the full range of compressed formats you'll encounter in 2026.
This guide reviews seven of the best options — from completely free, open-source tools to feature-rich paid applications — covering format support, compression algorithms, UI quality, encryption options, and pricing. We also cover Compresto as a complementary tool for media compression (images, videos, and PDFs), which archive tools don't handle well.
What to Look for in a Mac Archive Tool
Before diving into specific tools, here's what actually matters:
Format support: Can it open RAR, 7Z, TAR, GZ, BZ2, XZ, ISO, and other formats beyond ZIP?
Compression quality: For creating archives, better compression algorithms (like LZMA2 in 7Z format) mean smaller files at the cost of more CPU time.
Encryption: AES-256 encryption for sensitive archives is a must for professional use.
Batch operations: Can it compress or extract multiple archives at once?
macOS integration: Finder integration, Quick Look support, and Automator/Shortcuts compatibility.
Pricing model: One-time purchase vs. subscription vs. free.
1. The Unarchiver — Best Free Option for Most Users
Price: Free | Format support: 50+ formats | App Store: Yes
The Unarchiver is the most popular third-party archive tool on Mac, and it earns that distinction. It's completely free, open-source, and supports over 50 archive formats including RAR, 7Z, ZIP, TAR, GZ, BZ2, XZ, ISO, CAB, and many others you'll rarely see but will be glad are covered when you need them.
The app is deliberately simple: install it, set it as the default app for archive files, and it extracts automatically with a double-click. There's no compression (creation) functionality — The Unarchiver is extraction-only. For most users who only need to open archives sent by others, this is perfectly sufficient.
What makes it stand out: Password-protected archive support works reliably across RAR and ZIP formats. Encoding detection for non-UTF-8 filenames is excellent — a practical issue with archives created on Windows or Linux systems. It handles multi-part RAR archives (.r00, .r01, etc.) seamlessly.
Limitations: No archive creation. No encryption. No batch compression. No Finder extension (extraction via double-click only).
Best for: Users who primarily need to extract archives sent by others, with no need to create compressed files.
2. Keka — Best All-Around Archive Tool for Mac
Price: Free on website, $4.99 on App Store | Format support: 30+ input, 9 output | App Store: Yes
Keka has earned a devoted following among Mac power users for good reason. It supports both extraction and creation, works with 7Z, ZIP, TAR, GZ, BZ2, and other formats for creation, and handles RAR, ZIP, 7Z, TAR, GZ, BZ2, ISO, XZ, and many more for extraction.
The UI is polished and distinctly Mac-native: a small floating window serves as a drop target. Drag files onto it to compress, or drop archives to extract. Finder integration allows right-click compression directly from the Finder sidebar.
Standout features:
- 7Z format support with LZMA2 compression (significantly better than ZIP's deflate algorithm)
- AES-256 encryption for 7Z and ZIP archives
- Archive splitting (create multi-volume archives for large files)
- macOS Quick Look support for peeking inside archives
- Apple Silicon native (fast on M-series Macs)
Limitations: The App Store version is paid ($4.99) while the website version is free but asks for donations. Some power features (like Automator integration) work better in the direct download version. RAR creation is not supported — only extraction.
Best for: Mac users who need both archive creation and extraction, want solid 7Z support, and care about native macOS integration.
3. 7-Zip (via Keka or p7zip) — Best Compression Ratio
Price: Free, open-source | Format support: All major formats | CLI: Yes
7-Zip is legendary in the compression world for a reason: its 7Z format with LZMA2 compression consistently produces smaller archives than ZIP, RAR, or most other formats — often 30-70% smaller than equivalent ZIP files depending on the content.
On Mac, 7-Zip doesn't have a native GUI application (unlike Windows). You have two main options: use Keka (which is powered by p7zip under the hood) for a GUI experience, or use the 7zz command-line tool available via Homebrew (brew install 7-zip).
For users comfortable with the terminal, the CLI provides full access to all 7-Zip features including fine-grained compression level control, encryption, and multi-threading options. Our guide on 7Z vs ZIP compares the formats in detail if you're deciding which format to use for archiving.
Best for: Power users who want maximum compression ratios and are comfortable with CLI, or users who access 7-Zip through a GUI wrapper like Keka.
4. WinRAR for Mac — Familiar but Limited
Price: Free trial, then ~$29 one-time | Format support: 20+ formats
WinRAR is the classic archive tool that many users encountered on Windows, and a Mac version exists. It supports RAR, ZIP, TAR, GZ, and several other formats, with full RAR5 creation support (something most alternatives lack for creating RAR archives specifically).
The Mac version feels decidedly un-Mac-like — it's a direct port of the Windows interface rather than a native macOS application. The UI is dated and doesn't integrate well with Finder or macOS conventions.
RAR format support is WinRAR's main justification: if you specifically need to create RAR archives (for compatibility with Windows colleagues, for example), WinRAR is the only widely available option. For most Mac users, the better compression of 7Z and the better macOS integration of Keka make WinRAR hard to recommend.
Best for: Users who specifically need to create RAR archives for cross-platform compatibility, or who are deeply familiar with WinRAR from Windows.
5. WinZip for Mac — Feature-Rich But Subscription-Heavy
Price: From $29.95/year (subscription) | Format support: 20+ formats | App Store: Yes
WinZip is one of the oldest names in archive software and the Mac version is genuinely capable: it handles ZIP, ZIPX, RAR, 7Z, TAR, GZ, BZ2, and more, with AES-128 and AES-256 encryption, Dropbox/Google Drive/OneDrive integration, and a reasonably polished Mac UI.
However, the subscription pricing model ($29.95/year or higher) is hard to justify when Keka offers comparable functionality for a one-time $4.99. WinZip's cloud integration features are the main differentiator — if you regularly archive files directly to and from cloud storage, that integration saves steps. For pure local compression, the value proposition is weak.
Best for: Enterprise users who need cloud storage integration and want a familiar brand name, or environments where IT manages software subscriptions.
6. PeaZip — Best for Power Users Who Want Everything Free
Price: Free, open-source | Format support: 200+ formats | Platform: Mac, Windows, Linux
PeaZip is remarkable in its breadth. It claims support for over 200 archive formats — far more than any competing tool — and is completely free and open-source. Features include AES-256 encryption, archive repair, multi-volume splitting, secure delete, file integrity verification, and a built-in archive manager with a full file browser.
The catch: the UI reflects its cross-platform, open-source nature. It's functional but not Mac-native — there's no Finder integration, no Quick Look support, and the interface feels more like a Linux desktop application than a macOS one. For users who prioritize capability over aesthetics, this is fine. Our comparison of NanaZip vs PeaZip goes deeper on how PeaZip compares to Windows alternatives.
Best for: Power users who need access to obscure archive formats and want maximum features at no cost, without minding a non-native UI.
7. BetterZip 5 — Best for Inspecting Before Extracting
Price: $24.95 one-time | Format support: 25+ formats | App Store: Yes
BetterZip fills a specific niche: archive inspection. Before you extract anything, you can browse the full contents of an archive, select individual files or folders to extract, preview files with Quick Look, and even edit or update the archive without fully decompressing it first.
This sounds niche, but it's genuinely useful for large archives where you only need specific files, or for verifying archive contents before extraction. BetterZip supports ZIP, 7Z, RAR, TAR, GZ, BZ2, XZ, and most common formats, with AES-256 encryption and Apple Silicon native performance.
The $24.95 one-time price is higher than Keka's App Store price but lower than WinZip's subscription. For users who frequently work with large archives and need selective extraction, it pays for itself quickly.
Best for: Professionals who regularly work with large archives and need to inspect and selectively extract content without full decompression.
8. macOS Archive Utility — Good Enough for ZIP Only
Price: Free (built-in) | Format support: ZIP, GZIP, TAR, CPIO, XAR, CPGZ | Built-in: Yes
If you only ever deal with ZIP files, macOS's built-in Archive Utility works perfectly. It's instant to use (just double-click any ZIP), creates ZIP archives via right-click in Finder, and has zero setup. For compressing files on Mac for email or basic sharing, it's adequate. See our full guide on compress files on Mac for more about the built-in options.
The limitation is obvious: encounter anything beyond ZIP and you'll see an error dialog. Install one of the tools above alongside Archive Utility — they can coexist without conflict.
Archive Tools vs. Media Compression: Know the Difference
Archive tools (ZIP, 7Z, RAR, etc.) are designed for lossless compression of arbitrary files. They reduce file sizes by finding and eliminating redundant patterns in data, and they reconstruct the exact original file when decompressing. They work on documents, code, and binary files.
They are not optimized for media files — video, images, and PDFs. A ZIP file containing video will often be the same size as or larger than the original, because video files are already compressed with codecs like H.264 or H.265.
For media compression, you need a dedicated tool. Compresto is built specifically for Mac users who need to reduce the size of images, videos, and PDFs:
- Images: Re-compresses JPEG, PNG, WebP, HEIC with intelligent quality optimization — typically 50-80% size reduction
- Videos: Re-encodes using HEVC (H.265) via Apple's hardware media engine — typically 40-60% size reduction, the same quality at half the size. Learn more about how HEVC compares to H.264
- PDFs: Reduces PDF file size without affecting readability
- Batch processing: Compress entire folders automatically with folder monitoring
For a complete Mac compression workflow, use an archive tool (Keka or The Unarchiver) for ZIP/RAR/7Z files, and Compresto for your media library. If you need to make MP4 files smaller, Compresto's HEVC encoding is the most efficient approach on Mac.
Quick Comparison Table
| Tool | Price | Creates Archives | Extracts | Formats | Encryption | macOS Native |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Unarchiver | Free | No | Yes | 50+ | No | Yes |
| Keka | Free/$4.99 | Yes | Yes | 30+ in, 9 out | AES-256 | Yes |
| 7-Zip (CLI) | Free | Yes | Yes | All major | AES-256 | CLI only |
| WinRAR | $29 | Yes (RAR) | Yes | 20+ | AES-256 | No |
| WinZip | $29.95/yr | Yes | Yes | 20+ | AES-256 | Partial |
| PeaZip | Free | Yes | Yes | 200+ | AES-256 | No |
| BetterZip 5 | $24.95 | Yes | Yes | 25+ | AES-256 | Yes |
| Archive Utility | Free | ZIP only | ZIP only | 6 | No | Yes |
Our Recommendation
For most Mac users, the answer is two tools:
- The Unarchiver (free) — for extracting any archive someone sends you
- Keka (free/$4.99) — for creating 7Z and ZIP archives with encryption when needed
This combination covers virtually every archive scenario at minimal cost. Add Compresto for media compression to complete your Mac storage management toolkit.
If you specifically need RAR creation, add WinRAR. If you need to inspect large archives before extracting, BetterZip is worth the $24.95.
FAQ: Archive Tools for Mac
Q: What is the best free archive tool for Mac?
The Unarchiver is the best free option if you only need to extract archives. Keka (free from the developer's website, $4.99 on the App Store) is the best free option if you also need to create archives. Both are excellent, and many Mac users install both.
Q: Can Mac open 7Z files without extra software?
No. macOS cannot open 7Z files natively. You need a third-party tool like Keka, The Unarchiver, or PeaZip. After installing any of these, 7Z files will open with a double-click just like ZIP files.
Q: Is there a WinRAR equivalent for Mac?
The closest equivalent is WinRAR for Mac itself, which has a native (though un-Mac-like) macOS version. Keka handles RAR extraction and is much better integrated with macOS. If you need to create RAR archives specifically, WinRAR for Mac is the only mainstream option.
Q: Which archive format gives the best compression on Mac?
7Z format using LZMA2 compression consistently gives the best compression ratio of any widely supported format — typically 30-70% better than equivalent ZIP files. The tradeoff is slower compression and less universal compatibility (not all tools can open 7Z files without third-party software). For maximum compatibility with minimum setup, ZIP remains the practical standard.
Q: Do archive tools compress video files?
Archive tools apply lossless compression to video files, but since video is already heavily compressed by its codec (H.264, HEVC, etc.), you'll see little to no reduction. To actually shrink video files, you need a media re-encoder like Compresto or HandBrake, which re-compress the video using a more efficient codec.