How to Install and Use The Unarchiver on macOS

Updated

The Unarchiver is a free Mac app for opening RAR, Zip, 7z, and dozens of other archive formats. To use it, download version 4.3.9 (or later) from theunarchiver.com, confirm your Mac runs macOS 10.13 or later, install it with a few clicks, and optionally set it as the default app for archive files. After that, opening an archive extracts its contents without extra steps.

Before you install

Check these two conditions first:

  • macOS version: The current download requires macOS 10.13 or later. The site links to earlier versions for older systems, so check that page if you are below 10.13.
  • Cost: The Unarchiver for Mac is free, and the site states there are no in-app purchases for additional features.

Install The Unarchiver

  1. Go to theunarchiver.com and download the latest version (4.3.9, dated 18 Mar 2025, at the time of writing).
  2. Open the downloaded file and install the app. The site describes installation as taking a few clicks.
  3. During setup, choose whether to set The Unarchiver as the default app for archive files. This is optional but convenient: double-clicking a .rar, .zip, or .7z file will then open it in The Unarchiver instead of another utility.

Expected result: The app appears in your Applications folder and, if you opted in, is registered as the handler for archive files.

Extract an archive

  1. Double-click an archive file, or right-click it and choose to open it with The Unarchiver.
  2. The app reads the archive and extracts its contents. For multi-volume RAR files, keep all volumes in the same folder so they can be read together.

Expected result: The extracted files appear in the location you choose, with original file names intact—including names written in non-Latin characters, which the site lists as a supported feature.

What it can open

The site lists full support for several common formats and partial or extensive support for others:

Format Support level Notes from the site
Zip Full AES encryption, Zip64 large files, Mac OS extensions, unusual compression methods; can extract Zip-based .exe self-extracting files
Zipx Full New WinZip compression modes
RAR Full Encryption and multiple volumes; can extract RAR-based .exe self-extracting files
7z Full Common compression methods and Unix extensions
Tar, Gzip, Bzip2 Full —
LZMA, XZ Full Both .lzma and .xz
CAB, MSI Full MSI support also lets you pull internal data from DOC and PPT files
NSIS Extensive Versions from 1.10 onward
EXE Some Many self-extracting formats; unsupported ones can be reported on the bug tracker
ISO, BIN, MDF, NRG, CDI Extensive Most common disc images, normal and raw
Split files Basic Joins .001, .002 files that use no extra wrapper format
StuffIt No encryption —
StuffIt X Partial Some obscure features and JPEG compression unsupported
DiskDoubler Almost full A few old compression methods missing

If an archive fails to open, the format may fall outside these support levels—check the table before assuming the file is damaged.

Support and the command line tool

The site's navigation includes a Support section and a separate Command Line Tool, alongside its other apps (Archives and Xee 3). Use Support if an archive does not extract as expected, and look at the Command Line Tool if you want to unpack files from scripts or Terminal rather than the graphical app.