The Unarchiver alternatives for Mac
By Himanshu Ranjan · Updated 8 November 2026
The Unarchiver is free and opens more formats than any alternative here, so most people should keep it. Look elsewhere when you need to make archives: Keka is the best free choice for creating 7z and ZIP, and FileDial adds password ZIPs, split parts and integrity checks from a Finder dial. Finder alone makes and opens plain ZIP files.
Why people look for a The Unarchiver alternative
- It only opens archives. Its site describes opening and extracting, not creating, so making a ZIP, 7z or password-protected archive needs something else.
- No splitting or locking: you cannot split a large file into parts for a transfer service or add a password from it.
- Checks before you open: some people want to list contents or test an archive before extracting it.
About The Unarchiver: A free archive extractor for Mac from MacPaw that opens ZIP, RAR, 7z, TAR, disc images and dozens of older and unusual formats. Platforms: Mac, macOS 10.13 or later (older versions available); MacPaw also offers Archives for iPhone and iPad and a command-line tool.. Price: Free, no in-app purchases. Mac App Store or direct download.. Where files are processed: A desktop app that extracts archives on your Mac.
Every The Unarchiver tool, and its FileDial equivalent
| The Unarchiver | FileDial (offline) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Extract archives (ZIP, RAR, 7z and more) | Extract › Extract here | Into a folder named after the archive; the note does not list formats |
| Encrypted archives | Extract › Extract with password… | Into a folder named after the archive |
| Basic split files (.001, .002) | Archive › Join split parts | Finds the other parts next to this one and writes the whole file |
| Disc images | Extract › Extract disk image | Mounts it read-only, copies the contents into a folder, unmounts |
What FileDial does not replace:
- Format breadth: The Unarchiver lists RAR (including multi-volume), ZIPX, CAB, MSI, NSIS, BIN, MDF and NRG images, and legacy formats such as StuffIt, Compact Pro, ARJ, ACE and LZH. FileDial's Extract › Extract here note does not list which formats it opens, so we cannot confirm RAR, StuffIt, ACE, LZH, CAB, MSI or other legacy formats. Keep The Unarchiver for those.
- Price and reach: The Unarchiver is free, runs back to macOS 10.13, and MacPaw has an iPhone and iPad companion. FileDial is paid and needs macOS 14 on Apple silicon.
Details about The Unarchiver come from its own website, checked 2026-11-09. FileDial tool names match the app exactly.
The best The Unarchiver alternatives for Mac
1. Keka
Keka creates 7Z, ZIP, TAR, GZIP, BZIP2, XZ, LZIP, DMG, ISO, Brotli, Zstandard, LRZIP, AAR and WIM and extracts about 32 formats including RAR. It encrypts 7z with AES-256 and can split archives. It runs on Mac OS X 10.10 or newer.
- Free, with a long list of formats to create
- Drop files on the Dock icon to compress
- ZIP passwords use legacy Zip 2.0 encryption, per its site
- Archives only
2. FileDial
Archive › Make ZIP, Archive › Make 7Z, Archive › ZIP with password… and Archive › Split into 2 GB ZIP parts (WeTransfer) cover the jobs The Unarchiver does not. Extract › List contents writes a text listing without extracting, and Developer › Test archive integrity writes a report named OK or FAILED.
- Creates, splits and password-protects archives
- List and test before you extract
- Needs macOS 14 or later on an Apple silicon Mac
- Extract formats are not listed, so keep a dedicated extractor for odd files
3. BetterZip 6
BetterZip previews archives through a free Quick Look extension, edits files inside archives, saves presets and encrypts with AES-256. It creates ZIP, 7-Zip, DMG, ISO, Zstandard, Brotli and more, and needs macOS 13.5 or later.
- Edit and preview inside archives
- Built-in password manager
- The most expensive option here
- Creating RAR needs an external command-line tool
4. Finder (Archive Utility, built in)
Apple's guide: Control-click a file or folder and choose Compress to make a .zip, or double-click a .zip to expand it into the same folder. Several items go into Archive.zip.
- Nothing to install
- ZIP opens everywhere
- ZIP only from the Compress command
- No passwords, splitting or format choice
Keep The Unarchiver for odd formats
The Unarchiver's format list is the reason people install it: ZIP and ZIPX, RAR including encrypted and multi-volume sets, 7z, TAR, GZIP, BZIP2, XZ, CAB, MSI, self-extracting EXE files, ISO and BIN images, plus a long tail of old Mac and Amiga formats. It is free, with no in-app purchases. There is no reason to remove it, and every alternative on this page lists fewer formats.
What it does not do is make archives. Its site describes opening and extracting, so the alternatives below are about the other half of the job.
Making archives: Keka, BetterZip or FileDial
Keka is the obvious free partner. It creates 7Z, ZIP, TAR, GZIP, BZIP2, XZ, DMG, ISO, Zstandard and more, splits archives and encrypts 7z with AES-256. BetterZip 6 adds browsing and editing inside archives for $35.
FileDial does archive jobs from the same dial you use for PDFs and photos. Archive › ZIP each file separately makes one ZIP per file, Archive › Deliverable package… makes a ZIP with a README.txt and a SHA-256 manifest inside, and Archive › Make disk image (DMG) or Archive › Make ISO cover images. Archive › ZIP with password… offers Standard (ZipCrypto), which opens in Finder, or Stronger (AES-256), which needs 7-Zip or The Unarchiver to open, so The Unarchiver stays useful on the receiving end.
- Select the files or folder in Finder.
- Hold the right Option key and move to Archive.
- Choose Archive › Make ZIP, or Archive › ZIP with password… to lock it.
- For a large transfer, choose Archive › Split into 2 GB ZIP parts (WeTransfer) instead.
- The archive appears beside the originals, which are not changed.
Checking an archive before you open it
Archives from email and downloads deserve a look first. FileDial's Extract › List contents writes a text listing and extracts nothing, Developer › Test archive integrity writes a report named OK or FAILED, and Developer › Check signature and notarization reports on archives. Developer › Verify checksum… compares a file against a published MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256 or SHA-512.
The built-in option
Finder already handles ZIP. Apple's guide says to Control-click a file or folder and choose Compress, and to double-click a .zip to expand it into the same folder. For anything other than plain ZIP, you need an app, which is where The Unarchiver earns its place.
Questions
Can The Unarchiver create ZIP files?
Its site describes it as a tool for opening and extracting archives and does not mention creating them. To make a ZIP, use Finder's Compress command, or an app such as Keka, BetterZip or FileDial for 7z, password-protected or split archives.
Does FileDial open RAR files?
FileDial's Extract › Extract here is listed for archives, but its note does not list formats, so we cannot promise RAR support. Try it and read the result card; if a RAR does not open, use The Unarchiver, which lists RAR including encrypted and multi-volume sets, or Keka, which lists RAR among the formats it extracts.
Is The Unarchiver still free?
Yes. Its site says The Unarchiver for Mac is free, with no in-app purchases for additional features. It is on the Mac App Store and available as a direct download, and needs macOS 10.13 or later. The latest version listed when we checked was 4.3.9.
What is the best free alternative to The Unarchiver?
Keka. It is free to download from its site, extracts about 32 formats including RAR, and, unlike The Unarchiver, creates archives in 7Z, ZIP, TAR, DMG, ISO and other formats. Buying it on the Mac App Store for $6.49 supports development and gets the same version.
Do any of these upload my archive?
No. The Unarchiver, Keka, BetterZip, Finder and FileDial all work on your Mac. FileDial never uploads files and works with Wi-Fi off. Online extractors do need an upload, and the FBI Denver Field Office warned in March 2025 that free online converters are being used to spread malware.