Ziplark › Open RAR on Mac
Free & open source · Apple Silicon & Intel · notarized
How to open RAR files
on Mac — free
macOS won't open .rar files on its own — the built-in Archive Utility only does ZIP and tar. Ziplark is a free, open-source app that extracts RAR and RAR5 (including password-protected ones) with a drag and drop.
or brew install --cask zhitongblog/tap/ziplark
Open a RAR in three steps
Install Ziplark. Download the macOS build
(universal, notarized) or run brew install --cask zhitongblog/tap/ziplark.
Open the RAR. Double-click the .rar file, or drag it
onto the Ziplark window to preview everything inside.
Extract. Pick a destination and click extract. If it's protected, enter the password first — RAR5 and encrypted archives are supported.
Free RAR openers for Mac, compared
| Ziplark | The Unarchiver | Keka | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free (MIT) | Free | Free / paid on App Store |
| Extract RAR / RAR5 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Create ZIP / 7z (AES-256) | ✓ | extract only | ✓ |
| Open source | ✓ | — | — |
Command-line + --json | ✓ | — | — |
| AI / MCP integration | ✓ | — | — |
| Also on Windows & Linux | ✓ | — | — |
The Unarchiver only extracts. Ziplark extracts and creates archives, ships a CLI + MCP server, and is fully open source.
Opening RAR on Mac — FAQ
Can macOS open RAR files without extra software?
No. The built-in Archive Utility handles ZIP and tar but not RAR. You need an app like
Ziplark to open .rar and .rar5 files.
Is Ziplark free to open RAR on Mac?
Yes — free and open source under MIT, no trial and no ads.
Does it run on Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3)?
Yes. The macOS build is universal and notarized, so it runs natively on Apple Silicon and Intel.
Can it open multi-part RAR archives (.part1.rar)?
Yes — point Ziplark at the first part and it reassembles the set to extract.
Related: Free WinRAR alternative · 7-Zip for Mac · Ziplark home