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.
Multi-part sets (part1.rar, .r00) and damaged archives
These are the two RAR problems that actually stop people, and both are handled without you having to work anything out.
A set split into parts. Open any part —
movie.part03.rar, or the old-style movie.r01 — and Ziplark
finds the first part itself and extracts the whole set. Files that span parts are
reassembled; you do not need to join anything first.
A part is missing. Ziplark names the file it needs next —
movie.part04.rar — instead of failing with "unexpected end of archive",
and offers to extract everything the parts you do have contain.
The download is corrupt. Choose "Extract what's readable": every intact file comes out, and Ziplark lists which files failed and which are incomplete, so you know exactly what to download again. Verify first if you want the damage report without extracting.
Also handled: self-extracting .exe archives, archives whose
file names are encrypted (not just their contents), and solid archives. Permissions,
timestamps and symlinks survive extraction, so an extracted app or source tree still works.
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, and you can open any part of the set — part03.rar or the
older .r01 — not just the first one. Ziplark finds the first part itself
and reassembles files that span parts.
What is a .r00 file and how do I open it?
It is the second part of an older RAR set whose first part is the plain
.rar file next to it. Open either one; Ziplark works out the rest.
(The parts continue .r01, .r02, and so on.)
Can it extract a damaged or incomplete RAR?
Yes. "Extract what's readable" writes every intact file and lists the ones that failed or came out incomplete. If a part of the set is missing, Ziplark tells you which file it needs.
Related: Free WinRAR alternative · 7-Zip for Mac · Ziplark home