MacRAR

A free, open-source, WinRAR-style archive manager for macOS: RAR, ZIP, 7Z and TAR.
Under the hood it runs RARLAB's rar / unrar tools and macOS's bsdtar, with a native SwiftUI interface and Finder integration on top.

A free WinRAR alternative for the Mac, and an alternative to Keka, BetterZip and The Unarchiver.

🇬🇧 English · 🇹🇷 Türkçe

Website · All releases · Installation steps · The interface is in English and Turkish

[!warning] First time you open the installer, macOS blocks it. This is expected. MacRAR is free and not notarized by Apple, so when you double-click the downloaded MacRAR-<version>.pkg for the first time, macOS says it could not verify the package and does not open it. You only need to allow it once:

1. In the warning, click Done. Do not click Move to Trash.
2. Open System Settings ▸ Privacy & Security and scroll down to Security.
3. Next to "MacRAR-<version>.pkg" was blocked to protect your Mac, click Open Anyway and confirm with your password or Touch ID. The installer opens.

Prefer Terminal? Run xattr -d com.apple.quarantine ~/Downloads/MacRAR-*.pkg, then double-click the package.

 

_{Left: click Done. Right: System Settings ▸ Privacy & Security ▸ Open Anyway. (Screenshots from a Turkish macOS.)}

MacRAR is not affiliated with RARLAB or WinRAR. The installer only carries RARLAB's free unrar tool (unmodified, with its license); rar is not bundled; the Setup Assistant downloads it straight from rarlab.com when you ask it to.

Releases and release notes: GitLab ▸ Releases.

Screenshots

Main window

The file browser with the sample archives; the action bar has Add, Extract, Test, View, Delete, Info, Repair, Merge and Compare.

⭐ Finder right-click menu

Work with archives straight from Finder, without opening MacRAR. Right-click any file, folder or archive and the MacRAR items are right there in Finder's own menu, with the MacRAR icon:

• Archives: Open · Extract Files… · Extract Here · Extract to “archive name/”
• Files and folders: Add to Archive… · Compress to “name.rar” / “name.zip” · Compress to Timestamped RAR / ZIP

The work runs in the background with a small progress panel, and the items follow the language chosen in MacRAR (here English, while Finder itself is Turkish).

Compare archives

Two versions of a report: files that are only in one archive and files with different content (CRC) are listed.

Password prompt

Asked for encrypted archives, with the saved passwords menu and the option to save the password.

Password manager

Passwords are stored in the macOS Keychain.

Settings ▸ General

Hidden files, interface language and the password manager.

Settings ▸ Finder

Timestamp format for quick compression and the right-click menu switch.

Settings ▸ File Types

The default app for RAR, 7Z, ZIP and TAR.GZ.

Setup Assistant

Shows the status of the RAR tools, the Finder menu and the default app, with one-click fixes.

Features

• Look inside without extracting: browse the folder tree, sort, search inside the archive (case and diacritic insensitive), size / packed size / CRC32 / date columns.
• Extract: the whole archive or selected files/folders; overwrite / skip / rename automatically; extract without paths; subfolder named after the archive. Extract by dragging from the archive to Finder (extraction happens on drop).
• Compress: RAR5, RAR4, ZIP (AES-256 password), 7Z, TAR.GZ/BZ2/XZ. For RAR: method (0–5), dictionary size, solid archive, password + file name encryption, recovery record, splitting into volumes, locking, comment, test, delete after archiving. Optional timestamp in the name (format of your choice). The Archive window has General / Password / Advanced tabs (show password, pick a saved password). ZIP/7Z/TAR do not need rar.
• Real progress: byte-based progress bar that never goes backwards when compressing and extracting (it moves even for one large file).
• Edit archives: for RAR, add, delete, rename, comment, recovery record, lock, repair. For ZIP, add (into subfolders too; files with the same name are replaced), delete and rename; no rar needed, and password-protected (AES-256) ZIPs use the open archive's password. The ZIP is rewritten to a temporary file and moved into place atomically (the original archive is not damaged if something fails); for a large ZIP this takes time because the archive is rewritten. 7Z/TAR are read-only.
• Test: for RAR, ZIP, 7Z and TAR; in folder view several archives can be selected and tested at once, with one summary.
• Merge archives: select 2 or more archives and collect their contents in one new archive (for files with the same path the later archive wins; you are warned first).
• Compare archives: compares the contents of two archives without extracting them (only in one of them, CRC/size differences). For ZIP the CRC is read from the central directory.
• Estimated archive size in the Add window (approximated by sampling the sources).
• Password manager: store the passwords you use for archives in the macOS Keychain and pick them from a list later; each entry can have a hint/note.
• Finder integration: MacRAR items with an icon in the main right-click menu, depending on the selection (compress to RAR and ZIP, open, extract); operations run without opening the main window, with a small progress panel; MacRAR icon on .rar / .7z files.
• Setup Assistant and Settings (General / Finder / File Types / Tools); install rar from RARLAB with one click; Help ▸ Uninstall MacRAR…
• About window (MacRAR menu ▸ About MacRAR): version/build, developer, short usage notes and shortcuts, tool versions and Finder extension status.
• Preview (Quick Look / Space), open with a double-click, drag and drop (open an archive / archive files), context menus.
• A two-mode window like WinRAR: a file manager when no archive is open, the archive's contents once you enter one. Leave with Enclosing Folder / Backspace.
• Mac apps inside archives: if a ZIP, RAR or 7Z holds an .app, MacRAR recognizes it; choose Extract or Install in Applications in the bar at the top, and double-clicking its row offers the same choices instead of entering it as a folder. An existing copy goes to the Trash, the quarantine flag is kept, and an app with a broken signature is not installed.
• Updates itself: MacRAR checks GitLab for a new version, asks you, downloads and verifies it, swaps it in and reopens; the Finder menu, saved passwords, settings and the rar tool stay in place. Turn the automatic check off in Settings ▸ General; check by hand with MacRAR ▸ Check for Updates… or the button in the About window.
• English and Turkish interface: MacRAR follows the system language; change it in Settings ▸ General ▸ Language or right in the Setup Assistant on first launch (🌐 System language / 🇹🇷 Türkçe / 🇬🇧 English). In the Setup Assistant the language changes instantly; a change made in Settings takes effect when MacRAR is reopened. The Finder right-click menu uses the chosen language too.

Requirements

• macOS 15 or later
• Opening RAR: RARLAB's free unrar tool comes with the app (RARLAB license section 3.a: the UnRAR components may be distributed separately; the files and license texts are taken unmodified from the official package by scripts/fetch_unrar.sh, verified by SHA-256). If unrar/rar is installed on your system, that one is used.
• Creating/editing RAR: needs RARLAB's rar tool. The RARLAB license forbids distributing the trial version inside other software without written permission, so MacRAR does not bundle it. The “Download and install rar from RARLAB” button in the Setup Assistant (“Download and install RAR” in the warning bar of the main window) downloads the official package from https://www.rarlab.com, verifies it by running rar/unrar and installs it without an administrator password in ~/Library/Application Support/MacRAR/tools/rar. To install it manually, download the package from rarlab.com/download.htm and copy the rar file into /usr/local/bin. The rar trial is free for up to 40 days, after which a RARLAB license is needed. Note: the Homebrew rar cask was disabled on 1 September 2026 because it failed Gatekeeper checks; brew install --cask rar no longer works.
• Optional (unar): if there is no unrar/rar at all and unar + lsar are installed, MacRAR uses them to open, list, test and extract RAR archives (read-only). Limits: extracting without the folder structure is not supported, a conflicting top folder is renamed (src → src-1), and the password is briefly visible on the unar/bsdtar command line (with rar/unrar, RAR passwords go through stdin). Creating ZIP/7Z/TAR works without them. You can change tool paths in the Settings ▸ Tools tab.
• To build: the Xcode command-line tools (Swift 5.10+) and an internet connection: scripts/build_app.sh downloads the free unrar from RARLAB (SHA-256 verified) into build/cache and puts it in the app.

Installation

With the installer (recommended)

Open the downloaded MacRAR-<version>.pkg file and follow the steps (you will be asked for an administrator password). The installer:

1. installs MacRAR in the Applications folder,
2. turns on the Finder right-click menu extension and restarts Finder,
3. opens MacRAR; on first launch the Setup Assistant shows the remaining steps (RAR tools, default app) with one-click fixes.

After installation nothing is left to do by hand. The package is not notarized by Apple, so macOS blocks it the first time you open it: click Done in the warning, then System Settings ▸ Privacy & Security ▸ Open Anyway (see the warning with screenshots at the top of this page). Installer log: /tmp/MacRAR-kurulum.log. To uninstall: Help ▸ Uninstall MacRAR… inside MacRAR (removes the app, the Finder extension and the installer receipt; offers options for settings, downloaded tools and saved passwords), or bash uninstall.sh in Terminal. If you only move the app to the Trash, the settings, ~/Library/Application Support/MacRAR and the passwords in the Keychain stay behind.

The installer gives the app to the user who installs it, so that it can update itself. 1.1.3 and older cannot update themselves; install 1.2.0 once with the package. An update does not start while compressing or extracting. If you cannot write to the app (for example, another user installed it), MacRAR offers the download page instead.

The Setup Assistant opens automatically on MacRAR's first launch; open it later with Help ▸ Setup Assistant…. It shows the status of the RAR tools (rar/unrar), the Finder menu and the default app, and offers buttons to fix what is missing (“Download and install rar from RARLAB” for rar).

To build the installer yourself:

scripts/build_pkg.sh     # build/MacRAR-<version>.pkg + .sha256 + KURULUM.txt + INSTALL.txt + uninstall.sh + LICENSE.txt
PKG_SIGN_IDENTITY="Developer ID Installer: …" scripts/build_pkg.sh   # (optional) signed package

From source (development)

git clone https://gitlab.com/freeware2/macrar.git && cd macrar
UNIVERSAL=1 INSTALL=1 scripts/build_app.sh   # installs /Applications/MacRAR.app (UNIVERSAL: arm64 + x86_64)
pluginkit -e use -i local.macrar.app.FinderSync && killall Finder   # turns on the Finder right-click menu

Without INSTALL=1 the script only produces build/MacRAR.app. Run killall Finder after every reinstall (Finder keeps the old extension connection; otherwise the right-click menu disappears).

You can also turn the extension on in the interface: System Settings ▸ General ▸ Login Items & Extensions ▸ Extensions ▸ Finder ▸ MacRAR.

Signing and Keychain access

With the default ad-hoc signature the code hash changes with every build, so after each update macOS asks again for Keychain access for the password manager. To avoid this, build with a real signing identity (see its name with security find-identity -p codesigning):

SIGN_IDENTITY="Apple Development: Your Name (TEAMID)" UNIVERSAL=1 INSTALL=1 scripts/build_app.sh

Because the identity stays the same, "Always Allow" given once keeps working in later updates. A locally built app is not quarantined, so Gatekeeper usually does not warn; if it does, use System Settings ▸ Privacy & Security ▸ Open Anyway (macOS 15 no longer offers right-click ▸ Open).

Using it in Finder

The main right-click menu (Finder Sync extension)

Once the extension is on, MacRAR items (with its icon) appear directly in the right-click menu and change with the selection:

• Archive file selected: MacRAR · Open, Extract Files…, Extract Here, Extract to “archive name/”
• File/folder selected: Add to Archive… (with all options such as a password), Compress to “name.rar”, Compress to Timestamped RAR and, with macOS's built-in bsdtar, Compress to “name.zip”, Compress to Timestamped ZIP (ZIP does not need rar). If rar is not installed, the RAR compression items are hidden; the app writes the rar status (and the chosen interface language) to ~/Library/Application Support/MacRAR/finder.state, and the sandboxed Finder extension reads it when it builds the menu. Once rar is installed the menu updates on the next right-click.

Quick extraction does not overwrite existing files: in RAR a conflicting file is renamed automatically (file(1).txt), in ZIP/7Z/TAR it is skipped. If several archives are selected, each is extracted into its own folder.

Window behavior: compress/extract operations started from Finder do not open the main window; for operations longer than half a second a small progress panel with the MacRAR band is shown (closing it with X cancels the operation). The Add to Archive… and Extract Files… windows also open without the main window, in a movable separate window (with the MacRAR band on top). The main window only opens for a password prompt, an error or MacRAR · Open. There are no separate MacRAR items under Services/Quick Actions; everything is in Finder's main right-click menu. If a Finder operation started MacRAR, MacRAR quits by itself when the work is done; if it was already open and you are using it, it stays open. MacRAR · Open keeps the window open.

Timestamped names

In Settings ▸ Finder choose a preset format (20261009112345, 2026-10-09_11-23-45, …) or a custom pattern (yyyy-MM-dd_HH-mm-ss) and a separator (-, _, space, none); the settings show a live example name. The same is available in the app's Commands menu (⌥⌘Z / ⇧⌥⌘Z) and as "Add a timestamp to the name" in the Add window.

File associations and icon

MacRAR declares the .rar and .7z types with its own icon; Finder shows these files with the MacRAR icon. Default app: the Settings ▸ File Types tab shows the current default app for RAR, 7Z, ZIP and TAR.GZ; Click "Make MacRAR the default" and confirm macOS's prompt; double-clicking these files then opens them in MacRAR. The buttons are only enabled while MacRAR is installed in the Applications folder. (Another way: right-click an archive ▸ Get Info ▸ Open with ▸ MacRAR ▸ Change All.) If the icon is stuck in the cache, run killall Finder (and killall Dock if needed).

Settings

Tab	Contents
General	Show hidden files, Language (System language / Türkçe / English), Password Manager
Finder	Timestamp format/separator for quick compression, “show in Finder when done” and the right-click menu on/off switch (Finder must restart for the change; a button is offered)
File Types	Default app for RAR, 7Z, ZIP, TAR.GZ
Tools	Paths of rar / unrar / bsdtar and installing rar

Password manager

When opening an encrypted archive (or in the Password tab of the Archive window) you can pick a password you used before from the Saved passwords menu, and add a new one with “Save this password in the password manager”. Each entry can have an optional hint/note (not the password itself); the hint appears next to the name in the saved-password menus. The password is saved only after it actually opens the archive (a wrong password is never saved; the same password is not added twice; the result is shown in a notice). Manage them with Commands ▸ Password Manager… (⇧⌘P) or Settings ▸ General: add / edit / delete / show / copy (a copied password is cleared from the clipboard after 30 s).

Passwords are stored as a single item in the macOS Keychain; the app only touches the Keychain when a password is needed.

Architecture

Part	Role
Sources/MacRARCore	UI-independent core: ProcessRunner (subprocesses, cancellation, stdin), RarListParser / TarListParser / UnarListParser (listing output), ProgressParser / ProgressTracker (progress), TransferMonitor (byte-based progress from open file offsets), ArchiveService (all operations), ZipEditing (ZIP add/delete/rename, central directory reader), ArchiveComparison (comparison and merge conflicts), SizeEstimator (estimated archive size), RARInstaller (download and install rar from RARLAB), ToolPaths / ToolGuidance (finding tools and guidance), AppRemoval (in-app uninstall), UpdateInfo / Updater (updating itself from GitLab), ArchivedApps / AppInstaller (recognizing and installing apps inside archives), PasswordVault (Keychain), ArchiveNaming (names and timestamps), FinderIntegration / FinderToken / FinderState (menu contents, extension↔app commands, secret key, rar status and language).
Sources/MacRAR	The SwiftUI app: AppModel (state + operation flow), MainView, FileTableView, AddSheet / OtherSheets (Add/Extract), CompareSheet (archive comparison), ProgressPanel / SheetPanel (progress panel and movable dialog window for operations started from Finder), SettingsView, AppLanguage (language choice), SetupAssistant, AppRemovalView, UpdateController (update flow and window), ArchivedAppFlow (bar and install flow for apps inside archives), ArchiveDrag.
FinderExtension	The Finder Sync extension (MacRARFinder.appex); compiled by build_app.sh and embedded in the app. Shared sources: FinderIntegration, FinderToken, FinderState.
Resources	Interface translations: tr.lproj and en.lproj (Localizable.strings, Localizable.stringsdict for plurals, InfoPlist.strings); FinderExtension/ holds the extension's own name. The keys are the Turkish strings in the source code.
scripts	build_app.sh (packaging, signing, installing), make_release.sh (release files, checks and publishing), fetch_unrar.sh (takes unrar from the official package, verified), build_pkg.sh (installer: scripts, pages in both languages and distribution file under pkg/), check_strings.sh (missing translation check), uninstall.sh, Info.plist files, icon generator.

Because the extension is sandboxed, it does not touch files; it passes the selected paths to the app through a macrar:// link. Links are rejected unless they contain a secret key unique to that installation: the key is generated randomly on first launch for each installation (user account) and kept in ~/Library/Application Support/MacRAR/finder.token, readable only by its owner (0600). No version has a shared or fixed key; a web page cannot read the file, so it cannot trigger the app through this scheme. The extension runs with an entitlement that can see only this folder, read-only (it cannot write). The key is kept across updates; if you delete the file, the app generates a new one on the next launch.

Lessons learned about the tools:

• The CLI always runs with LC_ALL=en_US.UTF-8; otherwise non-ASCII (e.g. Turkish) file names are garbled in a GUI app.
• RAR passwords are written to stdin, not to the command line (-p without a value), so they do not show up in ps output. Exceptions: bsdtar --passphrase for ZIP and unar -p. Foundation Process converts non-ASCII arguments to NFD (ş → s + cedilla), which breaks passwords; such passwords are therefore passed byte for byte through /bin/sh + printf.
• rar opens its temporary __rar_….rartemp file in the working directory while changing an archive. An app opened from Finder/Dock has / (read-only) as its working directory, so editing operations run in the archive's own folder.
• bsdtar prints a file name only after the file is done; progress is computed byte by byte by reading the tool's open file offset with libproc (paths are resolved with realpath; Foundation drops the /var → /private/var prefix, so it is not used). rar may restart the percentage on incompressible data; the bar is therefore kept from going backwards.
• Archives are recognized by their content signature (Rar!), not by their extension.
• Files extracted from a downloaded (quarantined) archive inherit the com.apple.quarantine attribute; Gatekeeper checks are not bypassed.
• The macOS version of rar cannot create ZIPs; bsdtar is used for ZIP/7Z/TAR. 7Z/TAR cannot be edited.
• ZIP editing (ZipEditing.swift): there is no in-place ZIP editing tool, so the archive is rewritten with bsdtar to a temporary file and moved into place with replaceItemAt. Without a password, the old entries are streamed with bsdtar -c … @old.zip: deleted entries are dropped with -X (exact, escaped patterns) and renames are done with -s. New files are staged as symbolic links under macrar-new/, followed with -H and mapped to the target folder with -s; this way -X only drops same-named records among the OLD entries (the new one replaces the old). In bsdtar 3.5.3 & is a literal character in the -s replacement and \ breaks (so names containing \ are rejected); the S flag is used to leave link targets alone.
• Password-protected (AES-256) ZIP: bsdtar cannot read @archive and write encrypted output in the same call with --passphrase (a library error), so the archive is unpacked to a temporary folder, the change is applied and it is repacked with the same password. In an AES ZIP the file names are not encrypted, so the archive lists without a password; the password is therefore asked for before editing if needed (otherwise bsdtar keeps printing "Enter passphrase" forever).
• ZIP details (CRC32, packed size, method, encrypted): unzip -v garbles the decomposed (NFD) Unicode names macOS creates, so the central directory is read directly (zip64 included). In AES-2 (AE-2) entries the CRC field is 0 and is treated as unknown.
• Compare and merge: comparison only looks at the entry lists (CRC/size) and does not extract to disk. Merging unpacks the archives one by one into a temporary folder and opens the normal Add window for a new archive (the last archive wins); the temporary folder is deleted when adding finishes.

Development

swift build          # build
swift run MacRAR     # run (without a bundle; Finder integration needs scripts/build_app.sh)
swift test           # tests use the real rar/bsdtar; tests are skipped when a tool is missing

Environment variables: MACRAR_TEST_RAR_DIR=<folder> (use rar/unrar from that folder, e.g. to test with the official release), MACRAR_TEST_UNAR_DIR=<folder> (unar/lsar), MACRAR_TEST_ONLY_UNAR=1 (only unar for RAR), MACRAR_TEST_LIVE=1 (a real download test from rarlab.com, needs the network), MACRAR_TEST_BIG=1 (a 1.5 GB extraction progress test).

Translations

The Turkish strings in the source code (Text("…"), Button("…"), String(localized: "…")) are also the translation keys; their English versions are in Resources/en.lproj. After adding a new string, check for missing translations:

scripts/check_strings.sh   # lists missing strings in both languages; exits with 0 when nothing is missing

Known limitations

• When dragging files out to extract them, the first try fails if a password is needed; the password is asked for and remembered, so drag again.
• 7Z and TAR archives are read-only: files cannot be added, deleted or renamed in them (RAR and ZIP can be edited).
• Files with * or ? in their name may be treated as wildcards by RAR commands (a limitation of rar).
• On a cold start the main window stays hidden for about 1 second so the app can tell why it was opened (a Finder command or the user).
• Password prompts coming from Finder appear in the main window for now (the Add/Extract windows are separate).
• On incompressible data (zip, video, random) rar makes a second fast pass; the bar may briefly speed up.
• The app has an ad-hoc signature, so the update check shows that the package is intact, not who published it; trust rests on the GitLab account and HTTPS. After each update macOS may ask again for Keychain access for the password manager.
• The Compress to “name.rar” label in the Finder menu can be misleading for folders with a dot in their name, because the extension cannot look at the file system (the operation itself works correctly).

FAQ

Is MacRAR free?

Yes. MacRAR is free and open source under the GPL-3.0 license, and opening and extracting RAR files is free too: RARLAB's free unrar comes with the app. Only creating or editing RAR archives needs RARLAB's rar tool, which is free to try for 40 days and then needs a RARLAB license. Creating ZIP, 7Z and TAR archives never needs it.

How do I open a RAR file on a Mac?

Install MacRAR and double-click the .rar file to look inside, or right-click it in the Finder and extract it without opening the main window. Password-protected archives ask for the password.

Can I create RAR files on a Mac?

Yes. MacRAR's Setup Assistant downloads RARLAB's rar from rarlab.com with one click; then you can create RAR5 or RAR4 archives with a password, file name encryption, a recovery record or split volumes.

Can I compress and extract from the Finder right-click menu?

Yes. Right-click files in the Finder to compress them to RAR or ZIP, or right-click an archive to extract or open it. The work runs with a small progress panel, without opening MacRAR's main window.

Which Macs does it run on?

Apple Silicon and Intel Macs with macOS 15 Sequoia or later.

Does MacRAR connect to the internet?

Only when needed: GitLab is asked for the latest version at most once a day (you can turn this off, and nothing about your Mac is sent), updates are downloaded from gitlab.com, and rarlab.com is used if you choose to install rar.

Why does macOS block it the first time?

MacRAR is not notarized by Apple, which needs a paid developer account. Allow it once in System Settings ▸ Privacy & Security ▸ Open Anyway; see Installation.

_{WinRAR, Keka, BetterZip and The Unarchiver are named only for comparison; MacRAR is not affiliated with them or with RARLAB.}

License

Copyright © 2026 Rafet SAPANCI

MacRAR is free software: you can use, change and redistribute it under the GNU General Public License version 3 (GPL-3.0-only). If you distribute changed versions, you must offer their source code under the same license. The program comes with no warranty; see LICENSE for details.

The unrar that comes with the app is a separate RARLAB program and is not covered by the GPL: it is distributed under RARLAB's own license (unmodified, together with its license.txt and acknow.txt under MacRAR.app/Contents/Resources/unrar/). rar does not come with MacRAR; it is a paid RARLAB product. MacRAR is not affiliated with RARLAB or WinRAR.