As such, it’s still important to know how to handle RAR files. The 7-Zip format is one popular option, but it’s far from the standard. In addition, the software supports 128-bit and 256-bit AES encryption. It allows users to seamlessly extract all popular formats such as RAR, CAB, 7Z, and ZIP. WinRAR WinRAR is one of the most popular unarchiving software.

That said, we’ve come a long way since the days of ZIP and RAR, and we now have better ways to compress, encrypt, and transfer files. Download: Winzip for Windows Mac Android iOS (Free) 2. The RAR format was created to address some flaws in the ZIP format and comes with several benefits: smaller file sizes, the ability to split a RAR into multiple chunks, and error recovery. RAR stands for Roshal ARchive, named after Eugene Roshal, the Russian software engineer who created the format. That way, you only have to put one file up for download (or attach one file to an email), and receivers only need to download one file, instead of many separate ones. Both are 'archive' file formats meant for compressing many individual files into one single file.

If you already know this, or if you just don’t care, feel free to skip down to the next section for the actual instructions.Ī RAR file is similar to a ZIP file.

Extract rar files mac