Bandizip

The Unarchiver

The Unarchiver is a free macOS application that extracts a wide range of archive formats beyond what Apple's built-in Archive Utility supports, including RAR, 7z, Tar, Gzip, Bzip2, CAB, and many legacy formats like StuffIt, ARJ, and LZH. It can be set as the default handler for these formats so double-clicking any supported archive just works. The app also handles archives with foreign-language filenames, encrypted and multi-volume archives, and can extract files from self-extracting Windows EXE installers. A companion iOS app called Archives brings similar extraction capability to iPhone and iPad.

7‑Zip

7‑Zip is a free, open‑source file compression utility that supports a wide range of archive formats. It offers a high compression ratio for its native 7z format and can handle ZIP, RAR, TAR, GZIP, and many others. The program integrates with Windows Explorer for easy right‑click operations and provides a powerful command‑line interface for scripting and automation. It runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS, making it a versatile tool for developers and power users alike.

WinRAR

WinRAR is a desktop compression utility that creates and extracts RAR and ZIP archives with high speed and strong encryption. It also supports a wide range of other formats such as CAB, GZIP, TAR, ISO and more. The program offers a user‑friendly interface, command‑line options, and integration with Windows Explorer, making it suitable for both casual users and IT professionals who need robust file archiving and backup capabilities.

Keka

Keka is a native macOS file archiving utility built around drag-and-drop simplicity. Users drop files or folders onto the Keka window or dock icon to compress them into 7z, ZIP, TAR, DMG, ISO, and other formats, with optional AES-256 password encryption for sensitive data. It can also split large archives into smaller chunks for easier transfer or storage on removable media. On the extraction side, Keka handles more than 30 archive formats including RAR, WIM, and APK, so Mac users are not limited to whatever format a file happened to arrive in. The app is distributed free directly from the developer's website, with an optional paid copy available on the Mac App Store as a way to support development, and its core engine is open source on GitHub.

WinZip

WinZip is a comprehensive file management and compression tool designed to help users efficiently shrink large files for easier sharing and storage. It supports a wide variety of compressed formats and provides robust encryption capabilities to protect sensitive data during transit. Beyond basic zipping and unzipping, the software integrates cloud storage services, PDF management tools, and automated backup features. It streamlines daily digital workflows by allowing users to manage, convert, and protect their files directly from a centralized interface.

PeaZip

PeaZip is a free and open-source file archiving utility that can open and extract over 200 archive formats, including ZIP, RAR, 7Z, TAR, and GZ, and create archives in its own formats plus common ones like ZIP and 7Z. It ships as a portable, no-install option as well as a standard installer across Windows, Linux, macOS, and BSD. Beyond basic compression, PeaZip includes AES-256 encryption with optional two-factor authentication for password-protected archives, secure file deletion, checksum/hash verification, and archive splitting and joining for large files. Its GUI wraps several open-source compression backends (7-Zip, FreeArc, PAQ, and others) behind a single consistent interface, and it is licensed under LGPLv3.