The built-in Archive Utility on Macs is basic and only supports ZIP formats. For better compression, third-party apps are recommended. Commander One, WinZip, Archiver, Keka, The Unarchiver, Bandizip, Entropy, YemuZip, and B1 Free Archiver are top choices, each offering unique features and varying prices. These tools support multiple formats like ZIP, RAR, 7ZIP, and more, with options for encryption and advanced management. Stay tuned for a more detailed tutorial in our next forum post, comparing these tools in-depth to help you choose the best one for your needs.
Hey guys, I’m struggling to find a good file archiver… Any recommendations on what software to use to compress files?
Okay, so even though we’re in this high-tech age, sending huge files over the internet can still be a pain. Big transfer services like WeTransfer and cloud storage options like Dropbox have their limits. So yeah, file archiving software is still super necessary, especially on a Mac. If you want to smooth out those big file transfers, having a good archiver is a must.
The built-in Mac archive utility does a decent job compressing large files to save data, but honestly, it’s not that great. You get minimal disk space reduction before and after compression, and that’s because Apple hasn’t really updated it. Luckily, there are some awesome third-party apps out there to help you out. Let’s dive into some top picks for Mac archive utilities.
Most Popular Mac Archiver Tools
1. Commander One
Starting off with the big hitter, Commander One. It’s got one of the best Terminal emulators for Mac and is a dual-panel file manager made for macOS with loads of functions.
This beast works with ZIP, 7ZIP, RAR, TGZ, TBZ archives and lets you compress, edit, extract, and manage files easily. The dual panels and unlimited tabs are lifesavers for organizing your data.
Pros:
- Built-in search functions to find files easily
- Customizable hotkeys for quicker tasks
- Allows queuing so you don’t have to wait for one file to finish before starting another
- 15-day trial for the PRO version
Cons:
- Advanced features like cloud integration are only in the PRO version.
Supported OS: macOS
Price: Free, but the PRO Pack costs $29.99 (one-time)
2. WinZip
One of the OGs in file archiving—WinZip. If you decide to grab this one, you’ll get a trial version to test it out. It’s super fast at compressing and decompressing files, which explains why it’s been downloaded over 1 billion times!
It also offers AES encryption for securing sensitive files. Plus, it’s available on iPhone and iPad too.
Pros:
- Over 1 billion downloads
- Banking-level AES encryption
- Edit contents of file archives without extracting
- Available for mobile devices
Cons:
- Trial version has limited features, and the full version is pricey
Supported OS: Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android
Price: Free to try, with subscriptions starting at $41.94/year
3. Archiver
Didn’t find your match yet? Check out Archiver. This one has a playful interface and supports a boatload of formats like RAR, ZIP, 7ZIP, and StuffIt.
You get a variety of compression options to balance space and time. Plus, the preview function lets you peek before unpacking.
Pros:
- QuickLook function to preview archives
- Fine-tune compression levels, outputs, etc.
- Auto-remove archive files post-unzipping
- Supports over 300 file formats
Cons:
- Only available for macOS 11 Big Sur and later
Supported OS: macOS
Price: Free with limited features; paid version starts at $29/month
4. Keka
If you want one of the best, give Keka a shot. It’s lightweight yet powerful, with a shortcut in the Dock for easy drag-and-drop compression.
You can password-protect your archives with AES-256 encryption. If your compressed files are still huge, Keka lets you split them into volumes.
Pros:
- AES-256 encryption for security
- Split large files into volumes
- Fast drag-and-drop compression
Cons:
- More extraction formats than compression ones
- Some features require the paid version
Supported OS: macOS
Price: $4.99
5. The Unarchiver
The Unarchiver is great for opening RAR files and other formats on Mac. It’s free and works on macOS 10.7 and later, but if you need to create archives, look elsewhere.
Pros:
- Free to download and use
- Supports many archive formats, even unusual ones
- Low resource consumption
Cons:
- Doesn’t create archives, only opens them
Supported OS: macOS, Windows, Linux
Price: Free
6. Bandizip
Bandizip joined the macOS club recently and offers powerful compression and decompression. It supports over 30 formats and you get super-fast compression with multi-core technology.
Pros:
- Regular updates
- Free trial version
- Multi-core technology for faster compression
Cons:
- Trial version has limited features
Supported OS: macOS, Windows
Price: Free; paid version costs $30
7. Entropy
Lastly, Entropy is highly versatile and easy to use. It supports lots of archive formats and offers features like AES-256 encryption, multi-volume split archives, and quick archive searches.
Pros:
- Lightweight
- Archive previews
- Creates multi-volume split archives
Cons:
-
Still buggy despite being around for a while
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Supported OS: macOS
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Price: $19.00
Wanna grab it? Download Entropy
8. YemuZip: What’s It About?
Alright, YemuZip might not be the reigning champ in the archiver world, but it’s definitely worth a look. The main thing holding it back? It’s got a pretty outdated interface that could really use a makeover . But don’t let that scare you off — it’s still capable of compressing files and extracting them across different platforms, which is super handy. Ever tried opening a Mac-specific archive on Windows and ended up with a bunch of random folders? Yeah, that won’t happen with YemuZip.
Pros 
- Choose where you want your archived files to go with ease
- Auto-updates to iCloud, Dropbox, or Google Drive
- Makes email attachments super easy
Cons 
-
Doesn’t shine on either macOS or Windows since it’s trying to do both.
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Supported OS: macOS
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Price: $4.99
Get it here: YemuZip
9. B1 Free Archiver: Quick and Easy
Last but not least, B1 Free Archiver is perfect for those one-time quick compressing jobs. It’s a breeze to install and navigate, and the best part? It’s 100% free! Plus, it supports the most popular formats and even has its own special format to improve compression.
Pros 
- Totally free to use
- Open-source and gets regular upgrades
- Special built-in format for better compression ratios
Cons 
-
The interface looks a bit dated
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Lacks advanced features
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Supported OS: macOS, Windows, Linux, and Android
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Price: Free
Get it here: B1 Free Archiver
Comparing Archive Utilities for Mac 

Here’s a quick comparison table of some popular archive utilities for Mac:
Name | Free version | Price | Supported formats |
---|---|---|---|
Commander One | yep | $29.99 | RAR, ZIP, 7z, LHA, TBZ, etc. |
WinZip | no, just trial | from $41.94 | ZIP, 7Z, LHA, LZH, RAR, TBZ, etc. |
Archiver | yep | from $29 | ZIP, TAR, JSON, RAR, etc. |
Keka | no, trial only | $4.99 | 7Z, ZIP, RAR, TAR, GZIP, etc. |
The Unarchiver | yep | free | ZIP, RAR, TAR, GZIP, LZH, ARJ, etc. |
Bandizip | yep | $30 | 7Z, ZIPX, RAR, ALZ, LZH, etc. |
Entropy | no, trial only | $19.00 | ZIP, RAR, TAR, and 7Z |
YemuZip | yep | $4.99 | ZIP |
B1 Free Archiver | yep | free | ZIP, RAR, 7z, GZIP, TAR, etc. |
Popular Archive Formats 
Let’s dive into the most used archive formats you’ll come across:
- ZIP: Super common and versatile. Compresses files together or individually for speed and ease. Not the best for compression though.
- GZ: Growing in popularity. Uses GZip for compression paired with various archiving techniques. Great for macOS, Linux, and Unix.
- TAR: A classic. It’s just series of blocks tied to specific byte amounts. Not as popular as ZIP or GZ but still around.
- RAR: ZIP’s biggest rival. Offers better compression but struggles with speed and splitting archives into volumes.
Why Compress Files on Mac? 
Wondering why you should bother compressing files? Here’s why:
- Email Attachments: Compressing big files makes it easier to send them via email.
- Online Transfers: Reduces the size of files so you can send them via services with size limits.
- Disk Space: Saves space on your Mac, especially for seldom-used files.
- Security: Most archivers come with encryption, adding an extra layer of protection.
What’s Archive Utility Mac? 
It’s a built-in tool on macOS for creating and unzipping archives. Super simple and only works with ZIP files. For other formats like RAR, you’ll need third-party apps.
Where To Find Archive Utility on Mac? 
Head over to /System/Library/CoreServices/Applications
to find it. Handy tip: open Finder and just type “Archive” in the search bar. Change default settings by going to Archive Utility → Preferences.