Double-clicking a RAR download won't extract it on your Mac without a compatible app assigned to it. Start with The Unarchiver for straightforward extraction and a shortcut for future downloads. For selected files or extraction in your browser, there are options for those too.
Open your RAR with The Unarchiver
Download The Unarchiver using the Download link on its official website. It requires macOS 10.13 or later.
Install The Unarchiver on your Mac. Locate your .rar file in Finder.
Control-click the archive to open its contextual menu. Choose Open With > The Unarchiver to extract it. Tip: This chooses The Unarchiver for this opening; set it as your default below for double-click extraction.
Understand why double-clicking needs an extractor
Finder doesn't extract RAR files on its own. Apple's built-in double-click extraction instructions cover ZIP files; RAR files need a compatible extractor.
The Open With menu lets you choose an installed extractor for a particular archive. Assigning a default app makes double-clicking the shortcut for opening RAR files.
Make double-clicking open the right app
This fixes RAR files opening in the wrong app. Select a .rar file in Finder. Choose File > Get Info.
Under Open with, select The Unarchiver or another installed RAR-capable app. Click Change All to apply your choice to that file type. Double-click the RAR file to open it with your chosen app. The Unarchiver extracts it.
Try Keka for drag-and-drop extraction
Download Keka from its official website or through its Mac App Store link. Keka requires Mac OS X 10.10 or newer.
Open Keka on your Mac. Drag your RAR file onto Keka's window or its Dock icon to extract it. For an encrypted archive, enter its password when prompted. Tip: Drop several RAR archives onto Keka at once for batch extraction, or double-click them after making Keka your default RAR app.
Extract only the files you need with BetterZip
Use BetterZip when you want to browse a RAR and pull out selected items. BetterZip 6 requires macOS 13.5 or later, and the full app offers a trial.
Download the current package from BetterZip's download page. Open your RAR in BetterZip. Select the files or folders you want.
Choose File > Extract Selected…. Select a destination for the extracted items. Click Extract Here.
For the entire archive, choose File > Extract All… instead of Extract Selected…. For drag-and-drop extraction, drag items from the archive into Finder or onto your desktop.
Open a RAR in your browser
Just need to open an occasional archive? ezyZip extracts RAR files locally in a modern Mac browser, without an app installation.
Visit ezyZip's RAR extraction tool. Click Select RAR file to open to choose your archive. For a multipart archive, select every part. Alternatively, drop the archive onto the page.
For a password-protected archive, enter the password. Click Set Password to submit it. Click Save beside a file to save it to your Mac. To view supported content, click Preview.
For whole-folder output, click Save All in a browser that supports it. If extraction fails, try The Unarchiver or Keka; if your browser doesn't support Save All, use Save beside each file.
Handle passwords and multipart archives
An encrypted RAR needs a password-capable extractor. The Unarchiver supports encrypted RAR files, and Keka prompts you for the password during extraction.
A multipart RAR needs the complete set of archive volumes. The Unarchiver supports multipart archives; in ezyZip, select every part through Select RAR file to open.
Previewing has a separate limit. With BetterZip's included free Quick Look extension installed, select a RAR in Finder and press Space to list its contents without extracting the whole archive.
That extension cannot preview header-encrypted archives because it cannot request a password. Open those archives through Open With > The Unarchiver or another password-capable extractor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change the app for just one RAR file?
Yes. Select the file in Finder, choose File > Get Info, and select an extractor under Open with. Leave Change All untouched to change only that file's association.
Is there a graphical version of WinRAR for Mac?
RARLAB's official Mac packages contain command-line tools, not a Mac WinRAR graphical application. Choose its macOS ARM package for Apple silicon or its macOS x64 package for Intel.
Can I open RAR files in Terminal?
Yes. With Homebrew installed, open Terminal and run brew install unar. Then run unar "/path/archive.rar". To choose an output folder, use unar -o "/path/output" "/path/archive.rar" instead. Replace the example paths with your archive and destination paths.
Can I extract a RAR directly from Dropbox?
Yes. In ezyZip's file selector, click the Dropbox logo. Authorize access, then choose the RAR. To save extracted files back to Dropbox, choose Dropbox beneath Save or Save All.