In this guide, I’ll explain how to open a RAR file on the main operating systems: Windows , macOS , and Android . Although this type of file doesn’t have the same universal compatibility as ZIP files, there are simple ways to manage them. In some cases, you won’t need more than a couple of clicks. Additionally, if you’re looking for alternatives to WinRAR, I’ll also recommend some very powerful options that have helped me a lot. By the way, if you’re interested in this topic and want to learn more tools, don’t miss our selection of the best file compression apps .

Open a RAR file on your devices

Although ZIP files are more widespread and natively supported on almost all systems, RAR files are still common , especially when you download content from certain websites or someone sends you large compressed documents. Knowing how to handle them is helpful to avoid unnecessary complications.

Windows

For some time now, Windows 11 has allowed you to open RAR files directly from File Explorer , without having to install any external programs. In fact, I already talked about this in my guide to the best File Explorer tricks .

If you just need to extract the contents, this is all you have to do:

1. Double-click the RAR file.
2. The system will show you its contents as if it were a normal folder.
3. Select the files you want to extract.
4. Right click and choose Copy or Cut .
5. Paste them wherever you want on your hard drive.

This method is fast and sufficient for basic tasks. However, if you want to create RAR files, add passwords, split files into parts , or perform other more advanced tasks, you’ll need to use a dedicated tool.

WinRAR is the official application for this format. It’s paid, but its trial version never stops working, making it one of the most popular options. If you prefer not to rely on WinRAR, there are other alternatives to WinRAR that also work perfectly with this type of file. Here are three of the best:

• 7-Zip . Free, open source, very lightweight, and compatible with multiple formats.
• PeaZip . Modern interface and excellent compression rate.
• Bandizip . Very complete and performant.

All of these options are compatible with RAR and offer similar functionality to WinRAR.

macOS

On macOS , the operating system doesn’t include native support for opening RAR files. Therefore, it’s necessary to install a third-party application. Here are some of the most reliable and easy-to-use:

• The Unarchiver . Free, with support for many formats (RAR, ZIP, 7z, etc.) and seamlessly integrated with Finder.
• Keka . Popular among Mac users, it allows you to open and create files in many formats. It supports encryption and offers a simple interface.
• RAR Extractor . Available on the Mac App Store, it lets you extract RAR files quickly and easily.
• BetterZip . More advanced and geared toward professional users, it allows you to view and edit files without extracting them.

Any of these tools will allow you to open a RAR file without any problems, and many of them also allow you to compress files in other formats.

Android

On Android , native support is more geared toward ZIP files, which can be easily opened with tools like Files by Google . However, opening RAR files requires a specialized app . The best option for this operating system is RAR by RARLAB , created by the same developers as WinRAR for Windows. This app is free and offers a very comprehensive set of features.

RARLAB’s RAR not only lets you open RAR files , but also create RAR and ZIP archives from scratch. It also supports multiple extraction formats such as TAR, GZ, BZ2, XZ, 7z, ISO, and ARJ. Its most interesting features include repairing damaged archives, creating split volumes, supporting encryption, and utilizing multiple processor cores for faster compression.

It also supports decompressing ZIP and ZIPX files with advanced algorithms such as BZIP2, LZMA, PPMD, and XZ. It can even handle ISO files (UDF and ISO9660), making it a very complete tool. Due to its ease of use and power, I believe RARLAB RAR is the best option for opening RAR files on Android phones.

What do you think? Do you often encounter files in RAR format? Have you had problems opening a RAR on any of your devices, or do you already have your favorite app to manage them? Share your experience below. We’ll see you soon!