Which Archive Formats Does The Unarchiver Support?

Updated

The Unarchiver opens Zip, Zipx, RAR, 7z, Tar, Gzip, Bzip2, LZMA/XZ, CAB, and MSI archives, plus most common disc images (ISO, BIN, MDF, NRG, CDI), many self-extracting EXE and NSIS installers, and older formats such as StuffIt and DiskDoubler. Support is not uniform across every format: some are marked "Full," while others are "Extensive," "Partial," or "Almost full," and those labels matter when your archive uses encryption or unusual compression. The app requires macOS 10.13 or later (current version 4.3.9, released 18 Mar 2025) and is free, with no in-app purchases for additional features.

Format support at a glance

Format Level What that means in practice
Zip Full Standard zip, AES encryption, Zip64 large files, Mac OS extensions, unusual compression methods; also extracts Zip-based .EXE self-extractors
Zipx Full New compression modes introduced by WinZip
RAR Full Including encryption and multiple volumes; also extracts RAR-based .EXE self-extractors
7z Full All common compression methods, plus Unix extensions
Tar, Gzip, Bzip2 Full Standard extraction
LZMA, XZ Full Both old "LZMA-alone" (.lzma) and new .xz
CAB Full Standard extraction
MSI Full Also used by many other Microsoft formats, so internal data from DOC and PPT files can be extracted
NSIS Extensive Many versions supported, starting from 1.10
EXE Some Many self-extracting .exe formats; unsupported ones can be reported on the bug tracker
ISO, BIN, MDF, NRG, CDI Extensive Most common disc images, both normal and raw
Split files Basic Joins .001, .002 files that use no extra wrapper format
StuffIt No encryption Unpacks all files the developer could locate, but encrypted archives are not supported
StuffIt X Partial Many files work; some obscure features and JPEG compression are unsupported
DiskDoubler Almost full Only some old compression methods are missing

How to check your file before extracting

  1. Identify the extension. Match it against the table above. A .zip, .rar, .7z, .tar.gz, .xz, .cab, or .msi file falls in a fully supported group.
  2. Note whether it is encrypted. Zip and RAR encryption are supported; StuffIt encryption is not. If a StuffIt archive prompts for a password, The Unarchiver is not the tool for it.
  3. Check for multiple parts. RAR multi-volume archives are supported. Bare split files named .001, .002 are handled at a basic level, but only when no wrapper format is involved.
  4. Try opening it. If the format is listed as Partial or Some and extraction fails, the archive likely uses an unsupported feature rather than a setup problem.

Where support stops

  • StuffIt X is the biggest gap: JPEG compression inside the archive and some obscure features are not supported.
  • DiskDoubler lacks a few old compression methods.
  • EXE self-extractors are covered only for "many kinds"; an unrecognized one should be reported through the project's bug tracker rather than assumed broken.
  • Disc images are "extensive" rather than full, so an unusual raw image may not unpack.

Practical notes

The Unarchiver also reads archives named with non-Latin characters, so foreign-language filenames are not a barrier. Installation takes a few clicks and the app can be set as the default handler for archive files, which means double-clicking a supported archive extracts it without opening the app first. If your format appears in the Full rows, you can rely on it; if it sits in Partial or Some, test one archive before depending on it for a batch.