Is The Unarchiver Free on macOS?

Updated

Yes. According to The Unarchiver's official site, the Mac app is free and "always will be," with no in-app purchases for additional features. The site lists the current version as 4.3.9 (18 Mar 2025), requiring macOS 10.13 or later; earlier versions are available via a separate link. Before installing, confirm your macOS version meets that minimum, since the download is aimed at 10.13 and later.

What "free" covers on the official page

The site's claims are straightforward and worth taking at face value for planning purposes:

  • No cost for the app itself. The page states The Unarchiver for Mac is free.
  • No paid add-ons. It explicitly says there are no in-app purchases for additional features.
  • No feature gating described. The format support list is presented as part of the app, not as a paid tier.

The page contains no pricing links or payment platforms, which is consistent with a free product. That said, absence of pricing signals is not the same as a formal license statement — if cost is a deciding factor for you, verify on the official site at download time.

What you get for free

The value proposition is format breadth. The site describes it as a RAR extractor that also handles zip and "dozens of other formats," and claims it is more capable than the native macOS utility.

Format Support level per site
Zip / Zipx Full, including AES encryption and Zip64
RAR Full, including encryption and multiple volumes
7z Full, all common compression methods
Tar, Gzip, Bzip2 Full
LZMA, XZ Full (both .lzma and .xz)
CAB, MSI Full
ISO, BIN, MDF, NRG, CDI Extensive
StuffIt Full (no encryption)
StuffIt X Partial
DiskDoubler Almost full

Two practical notes from that list: it can extract .EXE self-extracting files that use Zip or RAR, and MSI support means you can pull internal data from some Microsoft formats such as DOC and PPT. Non-Latin archive names are also handled, per the site.

Limits to check before you commit

  • macOS only. This is a Mac application; the site does not present a Windows or Linux build of The Unarchiver itself.
  • Version floor. macOS 10.13 or later for version 4.3.9. Older systems need the earlier-versions link.
  • Partial formats. StuffIt X and DiskDoubler are not fully supported — some obscure features and old compression methods are missing. If your archives are unusual, test one before relying on it.
  • Unsupported .exe files. The site invites bug reports for self-extracting .exe variants it can't open, so coverage there isn't guaranteed.

How to decide

If you need a no-cost Mac tool that opens RAR, Zip, 7z and disc images, The Unarchiver fits the stated terms: free, no add-on purchases, and a quick install that can set it as the default handler for archive files. If your work depends on StuffIt X or rare self-extracting executables, check a sample file first, since those areas are explicitly partial. And if you need confirmation of licensing terms beyond the site's "free" wording, check the official download page rather than third-party listings.