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Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 106 (from laksa070)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa106.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://mac.eltima.com/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://mac.eltima.com/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html","crawl_time":1775786796,"first_indexed_time":1628476295,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,eltima!mac,\/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html s443","src_root_hash":"18154149512270462906","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"How to Open RAR Files on Mac: Possible Ways | Commander One","meta_descriptions":["Here's how to open RAR files on Mac and an overview of the most popular third-party utilities for making this process easier and faster. The choice is yours."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"File manager for Mac\nArchive utility for Mac\nHow to open RAR files on macOS easily\nWritten by\nOlga Weis\nUpdated on:\nJanuary 22, 2026\nTime to read:\n9 minutes\nArchivers can significantly save space on your hard drive. On average, the compression level can be up to 30-70%. Therefore, in today’s article, we will consider a problem that is urgent for many users – how to open rar files on Mac in both simple and convenient ways.\nAlso, in addition to practical recommendations on which program to use to open RAR files on Mac, namely Commander One, we will give complete information about what the RAR extension is and the reasons to use it.\nTable of Contents:\nHow to open RAR files on Mac\nCommander One\nThe Unarchiver\nKeka\nHow to Open RAR Files on a Mac Online\nWhat is a RAR Mac file extension?\nWhat are the reasons to use RAR vs ZIP files?\nConclusion\nFAQ\n1. How do you open RAR file on Mac?\n2. What application opens RAR files on Mac?\n3. What is the best RAR extractor for Mac?\n4. What's the difference between RAR and ZIP?\nUser scenario:\nI'm having difficulty opening RAR files on my Mac and need assistance finding a reliable method or application to extract and access the contents of these files. My MacBook doesn't seem to have a built-in tool for this, and I'm uncertain about which third-party software or solutions are safe and effective for handling RAR archives on macOS\n— from Apple Discussions\nAlthough, by default there is a built-in utility for opening archives in macOS, which somehow simplifies the initial work, however, unfortunately, you will not be able to create or open .rar file on Mac unless you download more powerful rar files opener software.\nCommander One\nLet’s take a closer look at this .rar file Mac opener. The app provides impressive\nsupport for different archive types\nboth for compression and decompression. With its help you can search through archives without extracting their content, create password protected archives, and use hotkeys to speed up your work with files. Besides that, you can copy\/move files from one archive to another as well as delete files and create folders directly inside an archive.\nTo extract RAR file on Mac via Commander One just follows these simple steps, as the app is very intuitive:\n1.\nDownload\n and run Commander One.\n2. Select the RAR file you want to open.\n3. Right click on the file and select Extract file.\nPros\nsearch function for content in the archive;\nsupport for a large number of archive formats\nadvanced archiving settings;\ncan work with cloud storage and remote servers.\nCons\ninability to pack files into RAR archives.\nSupported OS:\nmacOS\nPrice:\nFree, Pro is $29.99\nUser rating:\n4.7\/5 on Capterra\nHow to open RAR files on Mac\nThe Unarchiver\nA\nhandy RAR extractor\nfor Mac that can be found in the Mac App Store. In addition, this application supports many different archive formats, both the most popular and the rarest ones. The Unarchiver integrates into the shell of the operating system instead of the built-in tool and works with greater functionality and productivity. However, that is all its functionality.\nPros\nsupports many old, little-known formats;\neasy-to-use.\nseamless macOS Integration\nmulti-File Extraction\nCons\ndoes not always work with RAR archives;\nnot always can handle files with a password.\nSupported OS:\nmacOS\nPrice:\nFree\nUser rating:\n4.5\/5 on the Mac App Store\nKeka\nAnother\nunrar Mac program\nthat is often used by macOS users, since it can handle not only RAR but also most of the popular formats, both for compression and decompression. This application can be found in the Mac App Store and installed on your computer with ease. The advantage of this archiver is the ability to split large files into volumes. There is also an option to protect compressed files by setting a password.\nPros\nallows setting up a password on archive;\nallows deleting files in the archive;\nallows making a step-by-step backup of all files in a folder.\nCons\ninability to pack files into RAR archives;\ninability to examine the contents of a RAR file without extracting it first.\nSupported OS:\nmacOS\nPrice:\nFree (donations accepted)\nUser rating:\n4.5\/5 on G2\nIf you work with RAR files infrequently and don’t want to install apps on your Mac, online extractors would be a great way to open rar files quickly. However, keep in mind that this method is suitable for small files, typically under 100 MB, as larger ones may exceed the upload limits of most online services and take longer to process.\nHere’s how to open your files online:\n1. Open your web browser and go to\nUnrar Online\nor another online extraction service.\n2. Click on the “Choose File” button or drag and drop your file to the specified location on the site.\n3. Once the file is uploaded, click on the “Extract” button.\n4. Wait until the extraction process has finished.\n5. Upload your files to your Mac.\nWhat is a RAR Mac file extension?\nRAR stands for Roshal Archive Compressed file and is named after its Russian-born creator Eugene Roshal. Like other archives, RAR contains one or more files or folders. It has become popular for sharing and downloading various types of files because it compresses the contents of a folder to reduce the file size.\nCompressing files speeds up downloads and makes file sharing easier. Some RAR files have passwords or are encrypted to protect the files inside. You can usually compress almost any type of file, including images, documents, videos, and software.The main advantage of this format is to save space, since the information is in a “packed” form. Let’s list the other advantages of the RAR format:\nthe maximum size of the archive, as well as the files in it, is practically unlimited;\nability to create a multivolume archive (consisting of several parts);\npassword protection of the contents of the archive is provided;\nsupport for error correction.\nHowever, RAR is a proprietary archive format and to open rar on Mac you will need a third-party application.\nWhat are the reasons to use RAR vs ZIP files?\nThe main reason people use RAR for Mac and other computers is the\ncompression ratio\n. In general, the RAR format can compress a file much better than when it is done using\nZIP format\n. It means that RAR uses a compression algorithm that is significantly better and more efficient than the DEFLATE compression method used in ZIP. RAR also archives files with smaller sizes compared to ZIP archives, which makes RAR a better alternative than ZIP.\nAnother nice thing about RAR files is that they can be split into multiple parts. What does it mean? Well, you can split a large file into two or more different RAR files. Besides that, RAR can store NTFS file system attributes (such as streams, full acl permissions, change \/ access \/ etc. times) and thus makes it a good full backup tool with decent compression capability. ZIP cannot store any of these other than plain old DOS attributes (read-only, hidden, system).\nIn addition, RAR supports reliable archiving, which improves the compression ratio if there are many small files in the archive. There are also data redundancy and error correction methods that you can use to repair corrupted Mac RAR archives (for example, corrupted due to transmission errors or bad sectors). Still there is a so-called “problem” with opening.rar files on Mac. Namely, you need to use third-party RAR opener Mac tools.\nPopular Articles\nFile management\nHow-to\nHow to open APK files on Mac with Commander One\nFebruary 6, 2025\nFile management\nHow-to\nHow to unzip a file on Mac – the easiest way\nJanuary 17, 2025\nConclusion\nMacOS users sooner or later ask themselves the question of finding and choosing the best archiver for their computer. It is with the help of such programs that various documents in the formats RAR, 7Z, GZIP, etc. are unpacked. So in order to work easily and not create problems for yourself because of the archiver, you need to choose it correctly. In this article we have gathered useful information about rar file format, namely how to open rar archive on Mac computers and what are the most convenient unarchiver solutions. \nUnfortunately, the built-in Archive Utility cannot open .rar on Mac. You need to use specialized .rar file opener Mac tools in order to hable RAR archives.\nThe RAR format is proprietary, so it’s no surprise that Mac systems don’t come with a built-in utility to handle them. However, after installing third-party RAR extractor Mac tools you can seamlessly handle RAR archives on your Mac computer.\nThere are quite a lot of both paid and free Mac RAR extractor tools. They all differ in terms of supported formats and additional features. We can recommend you Commander One, a decent Mac archiver that supports a wide range of archive formats and offers enhanced additional features.\nZIP is the most widely used file format aimed for lossless data compression and has been in use longer than RAR. However, RAR has a better compression rate, better encryption, and a lower data loss rate. The ZIP format has been in use for quite some time, making it a little more popular than RAR, but RAR certainly has an edge over ZIP when it comes to speed and efficiency.","attrs_markdown":"[Skip to content](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#content)\n\n[Electronic Team, Inc.](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/)\n\n[Products](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#dropdownProducts)\n\n[Reviews & How-tos](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#dropdownReviews)\n\n[Company](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#dropdownCompany)\n\n[Blog](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/blog\/ \"Blog\")\n\nen\n\n- [Norsk Nynorsk](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/nn\/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html \"Norsk Nynorsk\")\n- [Deutsch](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/de\/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html \"Deutsch\")\n- [Français](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/fr\/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html \"Français\")\n- 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How to open RAR files on macOS easily\n![avatar](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/olgaweis-1-150x150.png)\n\nWritten by\n\n[Olga Weis](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/author\/olga-weis\/)\n\nUpdated on: January 22, 2026\n\nTime to read: 9 minutes\n\nArchivers can significantly save space on your hard drive. On average, the compression level can be up to 30-70%. Therefore, in today’s article, we will consider a problem that is urgent for many users – how to open rar files on Mac in both simple and convenient ways.\n\nAlso, in addition to practical recommendations on which program to use to open RAR files on Mac, namely Commander One, we will give complete information about what the RAR extension is and the reasons to use it.\n\n[Table of Contents:](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#collapseExample)\n\n- [How to open RAR files on Mac](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#cfp-toc-anchor-0 \"How to open RAR files on Mac\")\n  - [Commander One](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#cfp-toc-anchor-1 \"Commander One\")\n  - [The Unarchiver](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#cfp-toc-anchor-2 \"The Unarchiver\")\n  - [Keka](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#cfp-toc-anchor-3 \"Keka\")\n- [How to Open RAR Files on a Mac Online](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#cfp-toc-anchor-4 \"How to Open RAR Files on a Mac Online\")\n- [What is a RAR Mac file extension?](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#cfp-toc-anchor-5 \"What is a RAR Mac file extension?\")\n- [What are the reasons to use RAR vs ZIP files?](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#cfp-toc-anchor-6 \"What are the reasons to use RAR vs ZIP files?\")\n  - [Conclusion](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#cfp-toc-anchor-7 \"Conclusion\")\n- [FAQ](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#cfp-toc-anchor-8 \"FAQ\")\n  - [1\\. How do you open RAR file on Mac?](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#heading-0408b7f \"1. How do you open RAR file on Mac?\")\n  - [2\\. What application opens RAR files on Mac?](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#heading-cf9e883 \"2. What application opens RAR files on Mac?\")\n  - [3\\. What is the best RAR extractor for Mac?](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#heading-921541d \"3. What is the best RAR extractor for Mac?\")\n  - [4\\. What's the difference between RAR and ZIP?](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#heading-9a8a05c \"4. What's the difference between RAR and ZIP?\")\n\n#### User scenario:\n> I'm having difficulty opening RAR files on my Mac and need assistance finding a reliable method or application to extract and access the contents of these files. My MacBook doesn't seem to have a built-in tool for this, and I'm uncertain about which third-party software or solutions are safe and effective for handling RAR archives on macOS\n\n[— from Apple Discussions](https:\/\/discussions.apple.com\/thread\/255141368?sortBy=rank \"from Apple Discussions\")\n\n## How to open RAR files on Mac\nAlthough, by default there is a built-in utility for opening archives in macOS, which somehow simplifies the initial work, however, unfortunately, you will not be able to create or open .rar file on Mac unless you download more powerful rar files opener software.\n\n### Commander One\nLet’s take a closer look at this .rar file Mac opener. The app provides impressive [support for different archive types](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/archiver-mac.html) both for compression and decompression. With its help you can search through archives without extracting their content, create password protected archives, and use hotkeys to speed up your work with files. Besides that, you can copy\/move files from one archive to another as well as delete files and create folders directly inside an archive.\n\n![Commander One](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/step3-rar@2x.jpg)\n\nTo extract RAR file on Mac via Commander One just follows these simple steps, as the app is very intuitive:\n\n1\\. [Download](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/commander-one-download.html) and run Commander One.\n\n2\\. Select the RAR file you want to open.\n\n3\\. Right click on the file and select Extract file.\n\n#### Pros\n- search function for content in the archive;\n- support for a large number of archive formats\n- advanced archiving settings;\n- can work with cloud storage and remote servers.\n\n#### Cons\n- inability to pack files into RAR archives.\n\n**Supported OS:** macOS  \n**Price:** Free, Pro is \\$29.99  \n**User rating:** 4.7\/5 on Capterra\n\nHow to open RAR files on Mac\n\n![Commander One](https:\/\/www.electronic.us\/images\/upload\/commander\/commander172.png)\n\nCommander One\n\nCommander One is a free dual-pane file manager for Mac created to help you efficiently access and organize your files.\n\n**4\\.4** based on 1103 user reviews\n\nLatest version:3\\.17.1(3990), released 13 Oct, 2025\n\n[Direct download](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/commander-one-download.html \"Direct download\") [![](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/electronic-core\/assets\/images\/mas\/en.svg)](https:\/\/apps.apple.com\/app\/apple-store\/id1035237815?pt=119741298&ct=eltima&mt=8)\n\n### The Unarchiver\nA [handy RAR extractor](https:\/\/theunarchiver.com\/) for Mac that can be found in the Mac App Store. In addition, this application supports many different archive formats, both the most popular and the rarest ones. The Unarchiver integrates into the shell of the operating system instead of the built-in tool and works with greater functionality and productivity. However, that is all its functionality.\n\n![The Unarchiver](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/unarchiver.jpg)\n\n#### Pros\n- supports many old, little-known formats;\n- easy-to-use.\n- seamless macOS Integration\n- multi-File Extraction\n\n#### Cons\n- does not always work with RAR archives;\n- not always can handle files with a password.\n\n**Supported OS:** macOS  \n**Price:** Free  \n**User rating:** 4.5\/5 on the Mac App Store\n\n### Keka\nAnother [unrar Mac program](https:\/\/www.keka.io\/en\/) that is often used by macOS users, since it can handle not only RAR but also most of the popular formats, both for compression and decompression. This application can be found in the Mac App Store and installed on your computer with ease. The advantage of this archiver is the ability to split large files into volumes. There is also an option to protect compressed files by setting a password.\n\n![Keka](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/keka1-1024x530.jpg)\n\n#### Pros\n- allows setting up a password on archive;\n- allows deleting files in the archive;\n- allows making a step-by-step backup of all files in a folder.\n\n#### Cons\n- inability to pack files into RAR archives;\n- inability to examine the contents of a RAR file without extracting it first.\n\n**Supported OS:** macOS  \n**Price:** Free (donations accepted)  \n**User rating:** 4.5\/5 on G2\n\n## How to Open RAR Files on a Mac Online\nIf you work with RAR files infrequently and don’t want to install apps on your Mac, online extractors would be a great way to open rar files quickly. However, keep in mind that this method is suitable for small files, typically under 100 MB, as larger ones may exceed the upload limits of most online services and take longer to process.\n\nHere’s how to open your files online:\n\n1\\. Open your web browser and go to [Unrar Online](https:\/\/unrar.online\/) or another online extraction service.\n\n![Unrar Online](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Unrar-Online.png)\n\n2\\. Click on the “Choose File” button or drag and drop your file to the specified location on the site.\n\n3\\. Once the file is uploaded, click on the “Extract” button.\n\n4\\. Wait until the extraction process has finished.\n\n5\\. Upload your files to your Mac.\n\n## What is a RAR Mac file extension?\nRAR stands for Roshal Archive Compressed file and is named after its Russian-born creator Eugene Roshal. Like other archives, RAR contains one or more files or folders. It has become popular for sharing and downloading various types of files because it compresses the contents of a folder to reduce the file size.\n\nCompressing files speeds up downloads and makes file sharing easier. Some RAR files have passwords or are encrypted to protect the files inside. You can usually compress almost any type of file, including images, documents, videos, and software.The main advantage of this format is to save space, since the information is in a “packed” form. Let’s list the other advantages of the RAR format:\n\n- the maximum size of the archive, as well as the files in it, is practically unlimited;\n- ability to create a multivolume archive (consisting of several parts);\n- password protection of the contents of the archive is provided;\n- support for error correction.\n\nHowever, RAR is a proprietary archive format and to open rar on Mac you will need a third-party application.\n\n## What are the reasons to use RAR vs ZIP files?\nThe main reason people use RAR for Mac and other computers is the [compression ratio](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/compression-files-mac.html). In general, the RAR format can compress a file much better than when it is done using [ZIP format](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/how-to-zip-file-on-mac.html). It means that RAR uses a compression algorithm that is significantly better and more efficient than the DEFLATE compression method used in ZIP. RAR also archives files with smaller sizes compared to ZIP archives, which makes RAR a better alternative than ZIP.\n\nAnother nice thing about RAR files is that they can be split into multiple parts. What does it mean? Well, you can split a large file into two or more different RAR files. Besides that, RAR can store NTFS file system attributes (such as streams, full acl permissions, change \/ access \/ etc. times) and thus makes it a good full backup tool with decent compression capability. ZIP cannot store any of these other than plain old DOS attributes (read-only, hidden, system).\n\nIn addition, RAR supports reliable archiving, which improves the compression ratio if there are many small files in the archive. There are also data redundancy and error correction methods that you can use to repair corrupted Mac RAR archives (for example, corrupted due to transmission errors or bad sectors). Still there is a so-called “problem” with opening.rar files on Mac. Namely, you need to use third-party RAR opener Mac tools.\n\nPopular Articles\n\n[![Commander One](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/commander_one@2x-3.png)](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/how-to-open-apk-files-mac.html \"How to open APK files on Mac with Commander One\")\n\n[File management](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/category\/file-managment\/) [How-to](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/category\/how-to\/)\n\n#### [How to open APK files on Mac with Commander One](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/how-to-open-apk-files-mac.html)\nFebruary 6, 2025\n\n[![Commander One](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/commander_one@2x-3.png)](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/how-to-unzip-files-on-mac.html \"How to unzip a file on Mac – the easiest way\")\n\n[File management](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/category\/file-managment\/) [How-to](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/category\/how-to\/)\n\n#### [How to unzip a file on Mac – the easiest way](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/how-to-unzip-files-on-mac.html)\nJanuary 17, 2025\n\n### Conclusion\nMacOS users sooner or later ask themselves the question of finding and choosing the best archiver for their computer. It is with the help of such programs that various documents in the formats RAR, 7Z, GZIP, etc. are unpacked. So in order to work easily and not create problems for yourself because of the archiver, you need to choose it correctly. In this article we have gathered useful information about rar file format, namely how to open rar archive on Mac computers and what are the most convenient unarchiver solutions.\n\n###### Related Articles\n- [How to open a TAR file on Mac](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/open-tar-file-mac.html \"How to open a TAR file on Mac\")\n- [How to open a JAR file on Mac](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/how-to-open-jar-file-mac.html \"How to open a JAR file on Mac\")\n- [How to open a ZIPX file on Mac](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/open-zipx-file-mac.html \"How to open a ZIPX file on Mac\")\n- [How to open ISO files on Mac](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/open-iso-file-mac.html \"How to open ISO files on Mac\")\n\n## FAQ\n### 1\\. How do you open RAR file on Mac?\nUnfortunately, the built-in Archive Utility cannot open .rar on Mac. You need to use specialized .rar file opener Mac tools in order to hable RAR archives.\n\n### 2\\. What application opens RAR files on Mac?\nThe RAR format is proprietary, so it’s no surprise that Mac systems don’t come with a built-in utility to handle them. However, after installing third-party RAR extractor Mac tools you can seamlessly handle RAR archives on your Mac computer.\n\n### 3\\. What is the best RAR extractor for Mac?\nThere are quite a lot of both paid and free Mac RAR extractor tools. They all differ in terms of supported formats and additional features. We can recommend you Commander One, a decent Mac archiver that supports a wide range of archive formats and offers enhanced additional features.\n\n### 4\\. What's the difference between RAR and ZIP?\nZIP is the most widely used file format aimed for lossless data compression and has been in use longer than RAR. However, RAR has a better compression rate, better encryption, and a lower data loss rate. The ZIP format has been in use for quite some time, making it a little more popular than RAR, but RAR certainly has an edge over ZIP when it comes to speed and efficiency.\n\n![Commander One](https:\/\/www.electronic.us\/images\/upload\/commander\/commander172.png)\n\nCommander One\n\n1103 user reviews\n\n[Direct download](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/commander-one-download.html \"Direct download\") [![](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/electronic-core\/assets\/images\/mas\/en.svg)](https:\/\/apps.apple.com\/app\/apple-store\/id1035237815?pt=119741298&ct=eltima&mt=8)\n\nFeatures\n\n- [File Management](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/file-manager.html \"File Management\")\n- [FTP](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/ftp-manager.html \"FTP\")\n- [Archiver](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/archiver-mac.html \"Archiver\")\n- [ZIP](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/zip-for-mac.html \"ZIP\")\n- [RAR](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html \"RAR\")\n- 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[Legal Information](https:\/\/www.electronic.us\/legal\/ \"Legal Information\").   \n 11890 Sunrise Valley Dr, Ste 111, Reston, VA 20191, USA • +12023358465 • [support@electronic.us](mailto:support@electronic.us)\n\n![Cookie](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/images\/upload\/gdpr\/cookie.png)\n\nElectronic Team uses cookies to personalize your experience on our website. By continuing to use this site, you agree to our cookie policy. Click [here](https:\/\/www.electronic.us\/company\/policies\/#Cookies \"Policy\") to learn more.\n\nOK","attrs_readable_markdown":"- [File manager for Mac](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/file-manager.html \"File manager for Mac\")\n- [Archive utility for Mac](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/archiver-mac.html \"Archive utility for Mac\")\n- How to open RAR files on macOS easily\n\n![avatar](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/olgaweis-1-150x150.png)\n\nWritten by\n\n[Olga Weis](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/author\/olga-weis\/)\n\nUpdated on: January 22, 2026\n\nTime to read: 9 minutes\n\nArchivers can significantly save space on your hard drive. On average, the compression level can be up to 30-70%. Therefore, in today’s article, we will consider a problem that is urgent for many users – how to open rar files on Mac in both simple and convenient ways.\n\nAlso, in addition to practical recommendations on which program to use to open RAR files on Mac, namely Commander One, we will give complete information about what the RAR extension is and the reasons to use it.\n\n[Table of Contents:](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#collapseExample)\n\n- [How to open RAR files on Mac](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#cfp-toc-anchor-0 \"How to open RAR files on Mac\")\n  - [Commander One](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#cfp-toc-anchor-1 \"Commander One\")\n  - [The Unarchiver](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#cfp-toc-anchor-2 \"The Unarchiver\")\n  - [Keka](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#cfp-toc-anchor-3 \"Keka\")\n- [How to Open RAR Files on a Mac Online](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#cfp-toc-anchor-4 \"How to Open RAR Files on a Mac Online\")\n- [What is a RAR Mac file extension?](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#cfp-toc-anchor-5 \"What is a RAR Mac file extension?\")\n- [What are the reasons to use RAR vs ZIP files?](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#cfp-toc-anchor-6 \"What are the reasons to use RAR vs ZIP files?\")\n  - [Conclusion](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#cfp-toc-anchor-7 \"Conclusion\")\n- [FAQ](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#cfp-toc-anchor-8 \"FAQ\")\n  - [1\\. How do you open RAR file on Mac?](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#heading-0408b7f \"1. How do you open RAR file on Mac?\")\n  - [2\\. What application opens RAR files on Mac?](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#heading-cf9e883 \"2. What application opens RAR files on Mac?\")\n  - [3\\. What is the best RAR extractor for Mac?](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#heading-921541d \"3. What is the best RAR extractor for Mac?\")\n  - [4\\. What's the difference between RAR and ZIP?](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#heading-9a8a05c \"4. What's the difference between RAR and ZIP?\")\n\n#### User scenario:\n> I'm having difficulty opening RAR files on my Mac and need assistance finding a reliable method or application to extract and access the contents of these files. My MacBook doesn't seem to have a built-in tool for this, and I'm uncertain about which third-party software or solutions are safe and effective for handling RAR archives on macOS\n\n[— from Apple Discussions](https:\/\/discussions.apple.com\/thread\/255141368?sortBy=rank \"from Apple Discussions\")\n\nAlthough, by default there is a built-in utility for opening archives in macOS, which somehow simplifies the initial work, however, unfortunately, you will not be able to create or open .rar file on Mac unless you download more powerful rar files opener software.\n\n### Commander One\nLet’s take a closer look at this .rar file Mac opener. The app provides impressive [support for different archive types](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/archiver-mac.html) both for compression and decompression. With its help you can search through archives without extracting their content, create password protected archives, and use hotkeys to speed up your work with files. Besides that, you can copy\/move files from one archive to another as well as delete files and create folders directly inside an archive.\n\n![Commander One](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/step3-rar@2x.jpg)\n\nTo extract RAR file on Mac via Commander One just follows these simple steps, as the app is very intuitive:\n\n1\\. [Download](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/commander-one-download.html) and run Commander One.\n\n2\\. Select the RAR file you want to open.\n\n3\\. Right click on the file and select Extract file.\n\n#### Pros\n- search function for content in the archive;\n- support for a large number of archive formats\n- advanced archiving settings;\n- can work with cloud storage and remote servers.\n\n#### Cons\n- inability to pack files into RAR archives.\n\n**Supported OS:** macOS  \n**Price:** Free, Pro is \\$29.99  \n**User rating:** 4.7\/5 on Capterra\n\nHow to open RAR files on Mac\n\n### The Unarchiver\nA [handy RAR extractor](https:\/\/theunarchiver.com\/) for Mac that can be found in the Mac App Store. In addition, this application supports many different archive formats, both the most popular and the rarest ones. The Unarchiver integrates into the shell of the operating system instead of the built-in tool and works with greater functionality and productivity. However, that is all its functionality.\n\n![The Unarchiver](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/unarchiver.jpg)\n\n#### Pros\n- supports many old, little-known formats;\n- easy-to-use.\n- seamless macOS Integration\n- multi-File Extraction\n\n#### Cons\n- does not always work with RAR archives;\n- not always can handle files with a password.\n\n**Supported OS:** macOS  \n**Price:** Free  \n**User rating:** 4.5\/5 on the Mac App Store\n\n### Keka\nAnother [unrar Mac program](https:\/\/www.keka.io\/en\/) that is often used by macOS users, since it can handle not only RAR but also most of the popular formats, both for compression and decompression. This application can be found in the Mac App Store and installed on your computer with ease. The advantage of this archiver is the ability to split large files into volumes. There is also an option to protect compressed files by setting a password.\n\n![Keka](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/keka1-1024x530.jpg)\n\n#### Pros\n- allows setting up a password on archive;\n- allows deleting files in the archive;\n- allows making a step-by-step backup of all files in a folder.\n\n#### Cons\n- inability to pack files into RAR archives;\n- inability to examine the contents of a RAR file without extracting it first.\n\n**Supported OS:** macOS  \n**Price:** Free (donations accepted)  \n**User rating:** 4.5\/5 on G2\n\nIf you work with RAR files infrequently and don’t want to install apps on your Mac, online extractors would be a great way to open rar files quickly. However, keep in mind that this method is suitable for small files, typically under 100 MB, as larger ones may exceed the upload limits of most online services and take longer to process.\n\nHere’s how to open your files online:\n\n1\\. Open your web browser and go to [Unrar Online](https:\/\/unrar.online\/) or another online extraction service.\n\n![Unrar Online](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Unrar-Online.png)\n\n2\\. Click on the “Choose File” button or drag and drop your file to the specified location on the site.\n\n3\\. Once the file is uploaded, click on the “Extract” button.\n\n4\\. Wait until the extraction process has finished.\n\n5\\. Upload your files to your Mac.\n\n## What is a RAR Mac file extension?\nRAR stands for Roshal Archive Compressed file and is named after its Russian-born creator Eugene Roshal. Like other archives, RAR contains one or more files or folders. It has become popular for sharing and downloading various types of files because it compresses the contents of a folder to reduce the file size.\n\nCompressing files speeds up downloads and makes file sharing easier. Some RAR files have passwords or are encrypted to protect the files inside. You can usually compress almost any type of file, including images, documents, videos, and software.The main advantage of this format is to save space, since the information is in a “packed” form. Let’s list the other advantages of the RAR format:\n\n- the maximum size of the archive, as well as the files in it, is practically unlimited;\n- ability to create a multivolume archive (consisting of several parts);\n- password protection of the contents of the archive is provided;\n- support for error correction.\n\nHowever, RAR is a proprietary archive format and to open rar on Mac you will need a third-party application.\n\n## What are the reasons to use RAR vs ZIP files?\nThe main reason people use RAR for Mac and other computers is the [compression ratio](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/compression-files-mac.html). In general, the RAR format can compress a file much better than when it is done using [ZIP format](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/how-to-zip-file-on-mac.html). It means that RAR uses a compression algorithm that is significantly better and more efficient than the DEFLATE compression method used in ZIP. RAR also archives files with smaller sizes compared to ZIP archives, which makes RAR a better alternative than ZIP.\n\nAnother nice thing about RAR files is that they can be split into multiple parts. What does it mean? Well, you can split a large file into two or more different RAR files. Besides that, RAR can store NTFS file system attributes (such as streams, full acl permissions, change \/ access \/ etc. times) and thus makes it a good full backup tool with decent compression capability. ZIP cannot store any of these other than plain old DOS attributes (read-only, hidden, system).\n\nIn addition, RAR supports reliable archiving, which improves the compression ratio if there are many small files in the archive. There are also data redundancy and error correction methods that you can use to repair corrupted Mac RAR archives (for example, corrupted due to transmission errors or bad sectors). Still there is a so-called “problem” with opening.rar files on Mac. Namely, you need to use third-party RAR opener Mac tools.\n\nPopular Articles\n\n[![Commander One](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/commander_one@2x-3.png)](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/how-to-open-apk-files-mac.html \"How to open APK files on Mac with Commander One\")\n\n[File management](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/category\/file-managment\/) [How-to](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/category\/how-to\/)\n\n#### [How to open APK files on Mac with Commander One](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/how-to-open-apk-files-mac.html)\nFebruary 6, 2025\n\n[![Commander One](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/commander_one@2x-3.png)](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/how-to-unzip-files-on-mac.html \"How to unzip a file on Mac – the easiest way\")\n\n[File management](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/category\/file-managment\/) [How-to](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/category\/how-to\/)\n\n#### [How to unzip a file on Mac – the easiest way](https:\/\/mac.eltima.com\/how-to-unzip-files-on-mac.html)\nJanuary 17, 2025\n\n### Conclusion\nMacOS users sooner or later ask themselves the question of finding and choosing the best archiver for their computer. It is with the help of such programs that various documents in the formats RAR, 7Z, GZIP, etc. are unpacked. So in order to work easily and not create problems for yourself because of the archiver, you need to choose it correctly. In this article we have gathered useful information about rar file format, namely how to open rar archive on Mac computers and what are the most convenient unarchiver solutions.\n\n###\nUnfortunately, the built-in Archive Utility cannot open .rar on Mac. You need to use specialized .rar file opener Mac tools in order to hable RAR archives.\n\n###\nThe RAR format is proprietary, so it’s no surprise that Mac systems don’t come with a built-in utility to handle them. However, after installing third-party RAR extractor Mac tools you can seamlessly handle RAR archives on your Mac computer.\n\n###\nThere are quite a lot of both paid and free Mac RAR extractor tools. They all differ in terms of supported formats and additional features. We can recommend you Commander One, a decent Mac archiver that supports a wide range of archive formats and offers enhanced additional features.\n\n###\nZIP is the most widely used file format aimed for lossless data compression and has been in use longer than RAR. However, RAR has a better compression rate, better encryption, and a lower data loss rate. The ZIP format has been in use for quite some time, making it a little more popular than RAR, but RAR certainly has an edge over ZIP when it comes to speed and efficiency.","meta_canonical":null}

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Boilerpipe Text	File manager for Mac Archive utility for Mac How to open RAR files on macOS easily Written by Olga Weis Updated on: January 22, 2026 Time to read: 9 minutes Archivers can significantly save space on your hard drive. On average, the compression level can be up to 30-70%. Therefore, in today’s article, we will consider a problem that is urgent for many users – how to open rar files on Mac in both simple and convenient ways. Also, in addition to practical recommendations on which program to use to open RAR files on Mac, namely Commander One, we will give complete information about what the RAR extension is and the reasons to use it. Table of Contents: How to open RAR files on Mac Commander One The Unarchiver Keka How to Open RAR Files on a Mac Online What is a RAR Mac file extension? What are the reasons to use RAR vs ZIP files? Conclusion FAQ 1. How do you open RAR file on Mac? 2. What application opens RAR files on Mac? 3. What is the best RAR extractor for Mac? 4. What's the difference between RAR and ZIP? User scenario: I'm having difficulty opening RAR files on my Mac and need assistance finding a reliable method or application to extract and access the contents of these files. My MacBook doesn't seem to have a built-in tool for this, and I'm uncertain about which third-party software or solutions are safe and effective for handling RAR archives on macOS — from Apple Discussions Although, by default there is a built-in utility for opening archives in macOS, which somehow simplifies the initial work, however, unfortunately, you will not be able to create or open .rar file on Mac unless you download more powerful rar files opener software. Commander One Let’s take a closer look at this .rar file Mac opener. The app provides impressive support for different archive types both for compression and decompression. With its help you can search through archives without extracting their content, create password protected archives, and use hotkeys to speed up your work with files. Besides that, you can copy/move files from one archive to another as well as delete files and create folders directly inside an archive. To extract RAR file on Mac via Commander One just follows these simple steps, as the app is very intuitive: 1. Download and run Commander One. 2. Select the RAR file you want to open. 3. Right click on the file and select Extract file. Pros search function for content in the archive; support for a large number of archive formats advanced archiving settings; can work with cloud storage and remote servers. Cons inability to pack files into RAR archives. Supported OS: macOS Price: Free, Pro is $29.99 User rating: 4.7/5 on Capterra How to open RAR files on Mac The Unarchiver A handy RAR extractor for Mac that can be found in the Mac App Store. In addition, this application supports many different archive formats, both the most popular and the rarest ones. The Unarchiver integrates into the shell of the operating system instead of the built-in tool and works with greater functionality and productivity. However, that is all its functionality. Pros supports many old, little-known formats; easy-to-use. seamless macOS Integration multi-File Extraction Cons does not always work with RAR archives; not always can handle files with a password. Supported OS: macOS Price: Free User rating: 4.5/5 on the Mac App Store Keka Another unrar Mac program that is often used by macOS users, since it can handle not only RAR but also most of the popular formats, both for compression and decompression. This application can be found in the Mac App Store and installed on your computer with ease. The advantage of this archiver is the ability to split large files into volumes. There is also an option to protect compressed files by setting a password. Pros allows setting up a password on archive; allows deleting files in the archive; allows making a step-by-step backup of all files in a folder. Cons inability to pack files into RAR archives; inability to examine the contents of a RAR file without extracting it first. Supported OS: macOS Price: Free (donations accepted) User rating: 4.5/5 on G2 If you work with RAR files infrequently and don’t want to install apps on your Mac, online extractors would be a great way to open rar files quickly. However, keep in mind that this method is suitable for small files, typically under 100 MB, as larger ones may exceed the upload limits of most online services and take longer to process. Here’s how to open your files online: 1. Open your web browser and go to Unrar Online or another online extraction service. 2. Click on the “Choose File” button or drag and drop your file to the specified location on the site. 3. Once the file is uploaded, click on the “Extract” button. 4. Wait until the extraction process has finished. 5. Upload your files to your Mac. What is a RAR Mac file extension? RAR stands for Roshal Archive Compressed file and is named after its Russian-born creator Eugene Roshal. Like other archives, RAR contains one or more files or folders. It has become popular for sharing and downloading various types of files because it compresses the contents of a folder to reduce the file size. Compressing files speeds up downloads and makes file sharing easier. Some RAR files have passwords or are encrypted to protect the files inside. You can usually compress almost any type of file, including images, documents, videos, and software.The main advantage of this format is to save space, since the information is in a “packed” form. Let’s list the other advantages of the RAR format: the maximum size of the archive, as well as the files in it, is practically unlimited; ability to create a multivolume archive (consisting of several parts); password protection of the contents of the archive is provided; support for error correction. However, RAR is a proprietary archive format and to open rar on Mac you will need a third-party application. What are the reasons to use RAR vs ZIP files? The main reason people use RAR for Mac and other computers is the compression ratio . In general, the RAR format can compress a file much better than when it is done using ZIP format . It means that RAR uses a compression algorithm that is significantly better and more efficient than the DEFLATE compression method used in ZIP. RAR also archives files with smaller sizes compared to ZIP archives, which makes RAR a better alternative than ZIP. Another nice thing about RAR files is that they can be split into multiple parts. What does it mean? Well, you can split a large file into two or more different RAR files. Besides that, RAR can store NTFS file system attributes (such as streams, full acl permissions, change / access / etc. times) and thus makes it a good full backup tool with decent compression capability. ZIP cannot store any of these other than plain old DOS attributes (read-only, hidden, system). In addition, RAR supports reliable archiving, which improves the compression ratio if there are many small files in the archive. There are also data redundancy and error correction methods that you can use to repair corrupted Mac RAR archives (for example, corrupted due to transmission errors or bad sectors). Still there is a so-called “problem” with opening.rar files on Mac. Namely, you need to use third-party RAR opener Mac tools. Popular Articles File management How-to How to open APK files on Mac with Commander One February 6, 2025 File management How-to How to unzip a file on Mac – the easiest way January 17, 2025 Conclusion MacOS users sooner or later ask themselves the question of finding and choosing the best archiver for their computer. It is with the help of such programs that various documents in the formats RAR, 7Z, GZIP, etc. are unpacked. So in order to work easily and not create problems for yourself because of the archiver, you need to choose it correctly. In this article we have gathered useful information about rar file format, namely how to open rar archive on Mac computers and what are the most convenient unarchiver solutions. Unfortunately, the built-in Archive Utility cannot open .rar on Mac. You need to use specialized .rar file opener Mac tools in order to hable RAR archives. The RAR format is proprietary, so it’s no surprise that Mac systems don’t come with a built-in utility to handle them. However, after installing third-party RAR extractor Mac tools you can seamlessly handle RAR archives on your Mac computer. There are quite a lot of both paid and free Mac RAR extractor tools. They all differ in terms of supported formats and additional features. We can recommend you Commander One, a decent Mac archiver that supports a wide range of archive formats and offers enhanced additional features. ZIP is the most widely used file format aimed for lossless data compression and has been in use longer than RAR. However, RAR has a better compression rate, better encryption, and a lower data loss rate. The ZIP format has been in use for quite some time, making it a little more popular than RAR, but RAR certainly has an edge over ZIP when it comes to speed and efficiency.
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On average, the compression level can be up to 30-70%. Therefore, in today’s article, we will consider a problem that is urgent for many users – how to open rar files on Mac in both simple and convenient ways. Also, in addition to practical recommendations on which program to use to open RAR files on Mac, namely Commander One, we will give complete information about what the RAR extension is and the reasons to use it. [Table of Contents:](https://mac.eltima.com/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#collapseExample) - [How to open RAR files on Mac](https://mac.eltima.com/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#cfp-toc-anchor-0 "How to open RAR files on Mac") - [Commander One](https://mac.eltima.com/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#cfp-toc-anchor-1 "Commander One") - [The Unarchiver](https://mac.eltima.com/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#cfp-toc-anchor-2 "The Unarchiver") - [Keka](https://mac.eltima.com/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#cfp-toc-anchor-3 "Keka") - [How to Open RAR Files on a Mac Online](https://mac.eltima.com/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#cfp-toc-anchor-4 "How to Open RAR Files on a Mac Online") - [What is a RAR Mac file extension?](https://mac.eltima.com/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#cfp-toc-anchor-5 "What is a RAR Mac file extension?") - [What are the reasons to use RAR vs ZIP files?](https://mac.eltima.com/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#cfp-toc-anchor-6 "What are the reasons to use RAR vs ZIP files?") - [Conclusion](https://mac.eltima.com/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#cfp-toc-anchor-7 "Conclusion") - [FAQ](https://mac.eltima.com/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#cfp-toc-anchor-8 "FAQ") - [1\. How do you open RAR file on Mac?](https://mac.eltima.com/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#heading-0408b7f "1. How do you open RAR file on Mac?") - [2\. What application opens RAR files on Mac?](https://mac.eltima.com/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#heading-cf9e883 "2. What application opens RAR files on Mac?") - [3\. What is the best RAR extractor for Mac?](https://mac.eltima.com/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#heading-921541d "3. What is the best RAR extractor for Mac?") - [4\. What's the difference between RAR and ZIP?](https://mac.eltima.com/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#heading-9a8a05c "4. What's the difference between RAR and ZIP?") #### User scenario: > I'm having difficulty opening RAR files on my Mac and need assistance finding a reliable method or application to extract and access the contents of these files. My MacBook doesn't seem to have a built-in tool for this, and I'm uncertain about which third-party software or solutions are safe and effective for handling RAR archives on macOS [— from Apple Discussions](https://discussions.apple.com/thread/255141368?sortBy=rank "from Apple Discussions") ## How to open RAR files on Mac Although, by default there is a built-in utility for opening archives in macOS, which somehow simplifies the initial work, however, unfortunately, you will not be able to create or open .rar file on Mac unless you download more powerful rar files opener software. ### Commander One Let’s take a closer look at this .rar file Mac opener. The app provides impressive [support for different archive types](https://mac.eltima.com/archiver-mac.html) both for compression and decompression. With its help you can search through archives without extracting their content, create password protected archives, and use hotkeys to speed up your work with files. Besides that, you can copy/move files from one archive to another as well as delete files and create folders directly inside an archive. ![Commander One](https://mac.eltima.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/step3-rar@2x.jpg) To extract RAR file on Mac via Commander One just follows these simple steps, as the app is very intuitive: 1\. [Download](https://mac.eltima.com/commander-one-download.html) and run Commander One. 2\. Select the RAR file you want to open. 3\. Right click on the file and select Extract file. #### Pros - search function for content in the archive; - support for a large number of archive formats - advanced archiving settings; - can work with cloud storage and remote servers. #### Cons - inability to pack files into RAR archives. Supported OS: macOS Price: Free, Pro is \$29.99 User rating: 4.7/5 on Capterra How to open RAR files on Mac ![Commander One](https://www.electronic.us/images/upload/commander/commander172.png) Commander One Commander One is a free dual-pane file manager for Mac created to help you efficiently access and organize your files. 4\.4 based on 1103 user reviews Latest version:3\.17.1(3990), released 13 Oct, 2025 [Direct download](https://mac.eltima.com/commander-one-download.html "Direct download") [![](https://mac.eltima.com/wp-content/plugins/electronic-core/assets/images/mas/en.svg)](https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id1035237815?pt=119741298&ct=eltima&mt=8) ### The Unarchiver A [handy RAR extractor](https://theunarchiver.com/) for Mac that can be found in the Mac App Store. In addition, this application supports many different archive formats, both the most popular and the rarest ones. The Unarchiver integrates into the shell of the operating system instead of the built-in tool and works with greater functionality and productivity. However, that is all its functionality. ![The Unarchiver](https://mac.eltima.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/unarchiver.jpg) #### Pros - supports many old, little-known formats; - easy-to-use. - seamless macOS Integration - multi-File Extraction #### Cons - does not always work with RAR archives; - not always can handle files with a password. Supported OS: macOS Price: Free User rating: 4.5/5 on the Mac App Store ### Keka Another [unrar Mac program](https://www.keka.io/en/) that is often used by macOS users, since it can handle not only RAR but also most of the popular formats, both for compression and decompression. This application can be found in the Mac App Store and installed on your computer with ease. The advantage of this archiver is the ability to split large files into volumes. There is also an option to protect compressed files by setting a password. ![Keka](https://mac.eltima.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/keka1-1024x530.jpg) #### Pros - allows setting up a password on archive; - allows deleting files in the archive; - allows making a step-by-step backup of all files in a folder. #### Cons - inability to pack files into RAR archives; - inability to examine the contents of a RAR file without extracting it first. Supported OS: macOS Price: Free (donations accepted) User rating: 4.5/5 on G2 ## How to Open RAR Files on a Mac Online If you work with RAR files infrequently and don’t want to install apps on your Mac, online extractors would be a great way to open rar files quickly. However, keep in mind that this method is suitable for small files, typically under 100 MB, as larger ones may exceed the upload limits of most online services and take longer to process. Here’s how to open your files online: 1\. Open your web browser and go to [Unrar Online](https://unrar.online/) or another online extraction service. ![Unrar Online](https://mac.eltima.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Unrar-Online.png) 2\. Click on the “Choose File” button or drag and drop your file to the specified location on the site. 3\. Once the file is uploaded, click on the “Extract” button. 4\. Wait until the extraction process has finished. 5\. Upload your files to your Mac. ## What is a RAR Mac file extension? RAR stands for Roshal Archive Compressed file and is named after its Russian-born creator Eugene Roshal. Like other archives, RAR contains one or more files or folders. It has become popular for sharing and downloading various types of files because it compresses the contents of a folder to reduce the file size. Compressing files speeds up downloads and makes file sharing easier. Some RAR files have passwords or are encrypted to protect the files inside. You can usually compress almost any type of file, including images, documents, videos, and software.The main advantage of this format is to save space, since the information is in a “packed” form. Let’s list the other advantages of the RAR format: - the maximum size of the archive, as well as the files in it, is practically unlimited; - ability to create a multivolume archive (consisting of several parts); - password protection of the contents of the archive is provided; - support for error correction. However, RAR is a proprietary archive format and to open rar on Mac you will need a third-party application. ## What are the reasons to use RAR vs ZIP files? The main reason people use RAR for Mac and other computers is the [compression ratio](https://mac.eltima.com/compression-files-mac.html). In general, the RAR format can compress a file much better than when it is done using [ZIP format](https://mac.eltima.com/how-to-zip-file-on-mac.html). It means that RAR uses a compression algorithm that is significantly better and more efficient than the DEFLATE compression method used in ZIP. RAR also archives files with smaller sizes compared to ZIP archives, which makes RAR a better alternative than ZIP. Another nice thing about RAR files is that they can be split into multiple parts. What does it mean? Well, you can split a large file into two or more different RAR files. Besides that, RAR can store NTFS file system attributes (such as streams, full acl permissions, change / access / etc. times) and thus makes it a good full backup tool with decent compression capability. ZIP cannot store any of these other than plain old DOS attributes (read-only, hidden, system). In addition, RAR supports reliable archiving, which improves the compression ratio if there are many small files in the archive. There are also data redundancy and error correction methods that you can use to repair corrupted Mac RAR archives (for example, corrupted due to transmission errors or bad sectors). Still there is a so-called “problem” with opening.rar files on Mac. Namely, you need to use third-party RAR opener Mac tools. Popular Articles [![Commander One](https://mac.eltima.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/commander_one@2x-3.png)](https://mac.eltima.com/how-to-open-apk-files-mac.html "How to open APK files on Mac with Commander One") [File management](https://mac.eltima.com/category/file-managment/) [How-to](https://mac.eltima.com/category/how-to/) #### [How to open APK files on Mac with Commander One](https://mac.eltima.com/how-to-open-apk-files-mac.html) February 6, 2025 [![Commander One](https://mac.eltima.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/commander_one@2x-3.png)](https://mac.eltima.com/how-to-unzip-files-on-mac.html "How to unzip a file on Mac – the easiest way") [File management](https://mac.eltima.com/category/file-managment/) [How-to](https://mac.eltima.com/category/how-to/) #### [How to unzip a file on Mac – the easiest way](https://mac.eltima.com/how-to-unzip-files-on-mac.html) January 17, 2025 ### Conclusion MacOS users sooner or later ask themselves the question of finding and choosing the best archiver for their computer. It is with the help of such programs that various documents in the formats RAR, 7Z, GZIP, etc. are unpacked. So in order to work easily and not create problems for yourself because of the archiver, you need to choose it correctly. In this article we have gathered useful information about rar file format, namely how to open rar archive on Mac computers and what are the most convenient unarchiver solutions. ###### Related Articles - [How to open a TAR file on Mac](https://mac.eltima.com/open-tar-file-mac.html "How to open a TAR file on Mac") - [How to open a JAR file on Mac](https://mac.eltima.com/how-to-open-jar-file-mac.html "How to open a JAR file on Mac") - [How to open a ZIPX file on Mac](https://mac.eltima.com/open-zipx-file-mac.html "How to open a ZIPX file on Mac") - [How to open ISO files on Mac](https://mac.eltima.com/open-iso-file-mac.html "How to open ISO files on Mac") ## FAQ ### 1\. How do you open RAR file on Mac? Unfortunately, the built-in Archive Utility cannot open .rar on Mac. You need to use specialized .rar file opener Mac tools in order to hable RAR archives. ### 2\. What application opens RAR files on Mac? The RAR format is proprietary, so it’s no surprise that Mac systems don’t come with a built-in utility to handle them. However, after installing third-party RAR extractor Mac tools you can seamlessly handle RAR archives on your Mac computer. ### 3\. What is the best RAR extractor for Mac? There are quite a lot of both paid and free Mac RAR extractor tools. They all differ in terms of supported formats and additional features. We can recommend you Commander One, a decent Mac archiver that supports a wide range of archive formats and offers enhanced additional features. ### 4\. What's the difference between RAR and ZIP? ZIP is the most widely used file format aimed for lossless data compression and has been in use longer than RAR. However, RAR has a better compression rate, better encryption, and a lower data loss rate. The ZIP format has been in use for quite some time, making it a little more popular than RAR, but RAR certainly has an edge over ZIP when it comes to speed and efficiency. ![Commander One](https://www.electronic.us/images/upload/commander/commander172.png) Commander One 1103 user reviews [Direct download](https://mac.eltima.com/commander-one-download.html "Direct download") [![](https://mac.eltima.com/wp-content/plugins/electronic-core/assets/images/mas/en.svg)](https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id1035237815?pt=119741298&ct=eltima&mt=8) Features - [File Management](https://mac.eltima.com/file-manager.html "File Management") - [FTP](https://mac.eltima.com/ftp-manager.html "FTP") - [Archiver](https://mac.eltima.com/archiver-mac.html "Archiver") - [ZIP](https://mac.eltima.com/zip-for-mac.html "ZIP") - [RAR](https://mac.eltima.com/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html "RAR") - [7z](https://mac.eltima.com/opening-7z-files-mac.html "7z") - [APK](https://mac.eltima.com/how-to-open-apk-files-mac.html "APK") Commander One Commander One is a free dual-pane file manager for Mac created to help you efficiently access and organize your files. 4\.4 based on 1103 user reviews [Direct download](https://mac.eltima.com/commander-one-download.html "Direct download") [![](https://mac.eltima.com/wp-content/plugins/electronic-core/assets/images/mas/en.svg)](https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id1035237815?pt=119741298&ct=eltima&mt=8) ![Commander One](https://www.electronic.us/images/upload/commander/commander172.png) Company - 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Readable Markdown	- [File manager for Mac](https://mac.eltima.com/file-manager.html "File manager for Mac") - [Archive utility for Mac](https://mac.eltima.com/archiver-mac.html "Archive utility for Mac") - How to open RAR files on macOS easily ![avatar](https://mac.eltima.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/olgaweis-1-150x150.png) Written by [Olga Weis](https://mac.eltima.com/author/olga-weis/) Updated on: January 22, 2026 Time to read: 9 minutes Archivers can significantly save space on your hard drive. On average, the compression level can be up to 30-70%. Therefore, in today’s article, we will consider a problem that is urgent for many users – how to open rar files on Mac in both simple and convenient ways. Also, in addition to practical recommendations on which program to use to open RAR files on Mac, namely Commander One, we will give complete information about what the RAR extension is and the reasons to use it. [Table of Contents:](https://mac.eltima.com/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#collapseExample) - [How to open RAR files on Mac](https://mac.eltima.com/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#cfp-toc-anchor-0 "How to open RAR files on Mac") - [Commander One](https://mac.eltima.com/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#cfp-toc-anchor-1 "Commander One") - [The Unarchiver](https://mac.eltima.com/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#cfp-toc-anchor-2 "The Unarchiver") - [Keka](https://mac.eltima.com/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#cfp-toc-anchor-3 "Keka") - [How to Open RAR Files on a Mac Online](https://mac.eltima.com/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#cfp-toc-anchor-4 "How to Open RAR Files on a Mac Online") - [What is a RAR Mac file extension?](https://mac.eltima.com/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#cfp-toc-anchor-5 "What is a RAR Mac file extension?") - [What are the reasons to use RAR vs ZIP files?](https://mac.eltima.com/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#cfp-toc-anchor-6 "What are the reasons to use RAR vs ZIP files?") - [Conclusion](https://mac.eltima.com/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#cfp-toc-anchor-7 "Conclusion") - [FAQ](https://mac.eltima.com/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#cfp-toc-anchor-8 "FAQ") - [1\. How do you open RAR file on Mac?](https://mac.eltima.com/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#heading-0408b7f "1. How do you open RAR file on Mac?") - [2\. What application opens RAR files on Mac?](https://mac.eltima.com/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#heading-cf9e883 "2. What application opens RAR files on Mac?") - [3\. What is the best RAR extractor for Mac?](https://mac.eltima.com/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#heading-921541d "3. What is the best RAR extractor for Mac?") - [4\. What's the difference between RAR and ZIP?](https://mac.eltima.com/how-to-open-rar-files-mac.html#heading-9a8a05c "4. What's the difference between RAR and ZIP?") #### User scenario: > I'm having difficulty opening RAR files on my Mac and need assistance finding a reliable method or application to extract and access the contents of these files. My MacBook doesn't seem to have a built-in tool for this, and I'm uncertain about which third-party software or solutions are safe and effective for handling RAR archives on macOS [— from Apple Discussions](https://discussions.apple.com/thread/255141368?sortBy=rank "from Apple Discussions") Although, by default there is a built-in utility for opening archives in macOS, which somehow simplifies the initial work, however, unfortunately, you will not be able to create or open .rar file on Mac unless you download more powerful rar files opener software. ### Commander One Let’s take a closer look at this .rar file Mac opener. The app provides impressive [support for different archive types](https://mac.eltima.com/archiver-mac.html) both for compression and decompression. With its help you can search through archives without extracting their content, create password protected archives, and use hotkeys to speed up your work with files. Besides that, you can copy/move files from one archive to another as well as delete files and create folders directly inside an archive. ![Commander One](https://mac.eltima.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/step3-rar@2x.jpg) To extract RAR file on Mac via Commander One just follows these simple steps, as the app is very intuitive: 1\. [Download](https://mac.eltima.com/commander-one-download.html) and run Commander One. 2\. Select the RAR file you want to open. 3\. Right click on the file and select Extract file. #### Pros - search function for content in the archive; - support for a large number of archive formats - advanced archiving settings; - can work with cloud storage and remote servers. #### Cons - inability to pack files into RAR archives. Supported OS: macOS Price: Free, Pro is \$29.99 User rating: 4.7/5 on Capterra How to open RAR files on Mac ### The Unarchiver A [handy RAR extractor](https://theunarchiver.com/) for Mac that can be found in the Mac App Store. In addition, this application supports many different archive formats, both the most popular and the rarest ones. The Unarchiver integrates into the shell of the operating system instead of the built-in tool and works with greater functionality and productivity. However, that is all its functionality. ![The Unarchiver](https://mac.eltima.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/unarchiver.jpg) #### Pros - supports many old, little-known formats; - easy-to-use. - seamless macOS Integration - multi-File Extraction #### Cons - does not always work with RAR archives; - not always can handle files with a password. Supported OS: macOS Price: Free User rating: 4.5/5 on the Mac App Store ### Keka Another [unrar Mac program](https://www.keka.io/en/) that is often used by macOS users, since it can handle not only RAR but also most of the popular formats, both for compression and decompression. This application can be found in the Mac App Store and installed on your computer with ease. The advantage of this archiver is the ability to split large files into volumes. There is also an option to protect compressed files by setting a password. ![Keka](https://mac.eltima.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/keka1-1024x530.jpg) #### Pros - allows setting up a password on archive; - allows deleting files in the archive; - allows making a step-by-step backup of all files in a folder. #### Cons - inability to pack files into RAR archives; - inability to examine the contents of a RAR file without extracting it first. Supported OS: macOS Price: Free (donations accepted) User rating: 4.5/5 on G2 If you work with RAR files infrequently and don’t want to install apps on your Mac, online extractors would be a great way to open rar files quickly. However, keep in mind that this method is suitable for small files, typically under 100 MB, as larger ones may exceed the upload limits of most online services and take longer to process. Here’s how to open your files online: 1\. Open your web browser and go to [Unrar Online](https://unrar.online/) or another online extraction service. ![Unrar Online](https://mac.eltima.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Unrar-Online.png) 2\. Click on the “Choose File” button or drag and drop your file to the specified location on the site. 3\. Once the file is uploaded, click on the “Extract” button. 4\. Wait until the extraction process has finished. 5\. Upload your files to your Mac. ## What is a RAR Mac file extension? RAR stands for Roshal Archive Compressed file and is named after its Russian-born creator Eugene Roshal. Like other archives, RAR contains one or more files or folders. It has become popular for sharing and downloading various types of files because it compresses the contents of a folder to reduce the file size. Compressing files speeds up downloads and makes file sharing easier. Some RAR files have passwords or are encrypted to protect the files inside. You can usually compress almost any type of file, including images, documents, videos, and software.The main advantage of this format is to save space, since the information is in a “packed” form. Let’s list the other advantages of the RAR format: - the maximum size of the archive, as well as the files in it, is practically unlimited; - ability to create a multivolume archive (consisting of several parts); - password protection of the contents of the archive is provided; - support for error correction. However, RAR is a proprietary archive format and to open rar on Mac you will need a third-party application. ## What are the reasons to use RAR vs ZIP files? The main reason people use RAR for Mac and other computers is the [compression ratio](https://mac.eltima.com/compression-files-mac.html). In general, the RAR format can compress a file much better than when it is done using [ZIP format](https://mac.eltima.com/how-to-zip-file-on-mac.html). It means that RAR uses a compression algorithm that is significantly better and more efficient than the DEFLATE compression method used in ZIP. RAR also archives files with smaller sizes compared to ZIP archives, which makes RAR a better alternative than ZIP. Another nice thing about RAR files is that they can be split into multiple parts. What does it mean? Well, you can split a large file into two or more different RAR files. Besides that, RAR can store NTFS file system attributes (such as streams, full acl permissions, change / access / etc. times) and thus makes it a good full backup tool with decent compression capability. ZIP cannot store any of these other than plain old DOS attributes (read-only, hidden, system). In addition, RAR supports reliable archiving, which improves the compression ratio if there are many small files in the archive. There are also data redundancy and error correction methods that you can use to repair corrupted Mac RAR archives (for example, corrupted due to transmission errors or bad sectors). Still there is a so-called “problem” with opening.rar files on Mac. Namely, you need to use third-party RAR opener Mac tools. Popular Articles [![Commander One](https://mac.eltima.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/commander_one@2x-3.png)](https://mac.eltima.com/how-to-open-apk-files-mac.html "How to open APK files on Mac with Commander One") [File management](https://mac.eltima.com/category/file-managment/) [How-to](https://mac.eltima.com/category/how-to/) #### [How to open APK files on Mac with Commander One](https://mac.eltima.com/how-to-open-apk-files-mac.html) February 6, 2025 [![Commander One](https://mac.eltima.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/commander_one@2x-3.png)](https://mac.eltima.com/how-to-unzip-files-on-mac.html "How to unzip a file on Mac – the easiest way") [File management](https://mac.eltima.com/category/file-managment/) [How-to](https://mac.eltima.com/category/how-to/) #### [How to unzip a file on Mac – the easiest way](https://mac.eltima.com/how-to-unzip-files-on-mac.html) January 17, 2025 ### Conclusion MacOS users sooner or later ask themselves the question of finding and choosing the best archiver for their computer. It is with the help of such programs that various documents in the formats RAR, 7Z, GZIP, etc. are unpacked. So in order to work easily and not create problems for yourself because of the archiver, you need to choose it correctly. In this article we have gathered useful information about rar file format, namely how to open rar archive on Mac computers and what are the most convenient unarchiver solutions. ### Unfortunately, the built-in Archive Utility cannot open .rar on Mac. You need to use specialized .rar file opener Mac tools in order to hable RAR archives. ### The RAR format is proprietary, so it’s no surprise that Mac systems don’t come with a built-in utility to handle them. However, after installing third-party RAR extractor Mac tools you can seamlessly handle RAR archives on your Mac computer. ### There are quite a lot of both paid and free Mac RAR extractor tools. They all differ in terms of supported formats and additional features. We can recommend you Commander One, a decent Mac archiver that supports a wide range of archive formats and offers enhanced additional features. ### ZIP is the most widely used file format aimed for lossless data compression and has been in use longer than RAR. However, RAR has a better compression rate, better encryption, and a lower data loss rate. The ZIP format has been in use for quite some time, making it a little more popular than RAR, but RAR certainly has an edge over ZIP when it comes to speed and efficiency.
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