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Utilities
Archiver 4
“Compress and decompress any archive on Mac, including formats macOS does not handle.”
From Included in Setapp (~€9.99/month)Try Archiver 4
Quick summary
Ideal forDevelopers who receive or send archives in formats not natively supported by macOS
Use caseCompression/decompression: ZIP, RAR, 7Z, TAR, GZ, ISO and more than 30 formats
StrengthSupports RAR and 7Z, which macOS Archive Utility cannot create natively
WeaknessMacbidouille: very occasional use, most projects only use ZIP
Archiver 4 is useful when someone sends you a .rar or a .7z. Essential for those cases, useless the rest of the time.
Pros & cons
Pros
- Supports RAR (reading and creation), 7Z, ISO and more than 30 formats
- Preview of archive contents before extraction (without decompressing)
- Drag-and-drop compression with target format selection
- AES-256 encryption for protected archives
- Included in Setapp at no extra cost
Cons
- Very occasional use for 95% of projects, ZIP is enough and native
- Interface a bit dated compared to modern macOS standards
Pricing
Recommended
Setapp
~€9.99/month (Setapp subscription)/month
- Full Archiver 4 included in Setapp
- Unlimited updates
- 200+ macOS apps included
Setapp subscribers who already use the suite
One-time purchase
€24.99 (one-time)/month
- All Archiver 4 features
- Permanent license
- Major updates included
Users without a Setapp subscription
Comparison with the alternatives
Each alternative has its own page. See all comparisons.
The Unarchiver
Better at:Free, integrated into macOS, decompresses RAR and 7Z with a double-click
Worse at:Decompression only, no creation of RAR or 7Z archives
The Unarchiver for decompression only (free). Archiver 4 if you also need to create archives in these formats.
Keka
Better at:Open source, free on the official site, creation of 7Z, TAR, ZIP
Worse at:Less polished interface, no RAR creation support (license limitation)
Keka is an excellent free alternative. Archiver 4 adds RAR creation support and preview.
Compatibility
Final verdict
Value for money: Good
“The best tool for handling all archive formats on Mac. Essential once in a while, included in Setapp.”
I recommend it toSetapp subscribers who occasionally work with RAR or 7Z archives.
Not suited forUsers who only handle ZIP files, macOS Archive Utility is more than enough.