CNET Editors' review
We were impressed by Unarchiver for Mac, a free, supereasy app for opening almost all compressed file types. It integrates easily with your computer and worked perfectly in our tests.
As soon as you download Unarchiver for Mac, a little pop-up window will prompt you to customize the application to specify which files it should handle, where to save the extracted files, and whether the compressed file should be deleted after decompression. After that initial setup, you'll see the program's icon automatically anytime a compressed file is detected. Double-click the detected compressed file, and Unarchiver does the rest. You will still have the option to send files to a specific location, but this can be done on the fly. We tested it on each of the supported file types and were impressed with how quickly and accurately the decompression process proved to be. There isn't much user guidance or support provided for the app, but we didn't encounter any issues during our evaluation.
For its ease of use and top-notch performance, we recommend Unarchiver for Mac to anyone who frequently works with compressed files.
The Unarchiver - Unarchive ZIP, TAR, SIT, RAR, and 7-Zip files - Download Video Previews:Publisher's Description
From Dag Agren:
The Unarchiver supports more formats than I can remember. Zip, Tar, Gzip, Bzip2, 7-Zip, Rar, LhA, StuffIt, several old Amiga file and disk archives, CAB, LZX, stuff I don't even know what it is. It copies the finder file-copying/moving/deleting interface for its interface and uses the character set auto-detection code from Mozilla to auto-detect the encoding of the filenames in the archives. The Unarchiver supports split archives for certain formats, like RAR. It is built around libxad. This is an old Amiga library for handling unpacking of archives. It supports a whole lot of formats, and I added a couple more, and bugfixed old code. I also wrote a higher-level Objective-C wrapper around it, which might be useful for other projects too (including Xee).
What's new in this version:
- Fixed extraction of double-format archives like .tar.gz, which was accidentally broken in 3.9.
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All versions:
4.5 starsout of 50 votes
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"Tremendous App"
Version: The Unarchiver 3.8
Pros
This free app (without ads either!!) is better than any other decompression application. It put Stuffit (which was the Mac standard for more than a decade), WinZip, or any others.
Cons
I have to admit, I cannot think of any.
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"All in all i like it."
Version: The Unarchiver 3.7
Pros
Generally it works fine
Cons
If you have more than 2 zip-files: with some it works fine, you can open all together. But there are zip-files, you have to open after the 2nd file each separately.
In Preferences you cannot fix it, that it expands from the beginning in the same file. The first zip-file you have always to authorise. -
"Works without a hitch"
Version: The Unarchiver 3.5.1
Pros
Straightforward installation and easy to use.
Cons
haven't noticed yet
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"Perfect for what I needed"
Version: The Unarchiver 3.2
Pros
Wide variety of supported file types.
Cons
Interface is slightly lackluster.
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"The best program of the kind I have ever used."
Version: The Unarchiver 3.1.1
Pros
Opens almost any compressed archive format you are ever likely to see.
Fast; opens many Stuffit archives much faster than Stuffit Expander on my PowerMac.
It just works, you hardly notice it after a while.Cons
None that I know of.
Summary
If you download many archive files form the web and have a Mac, I think you should have The Unarchiver installed.
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"PowerMac Support returns!"
Version: The Unarchiver 3.1.1
Pros
- Support for every archive format imaginable, including ZipX
- PowerMac supportCons
- None I've found so far
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"Bye-bye to PowerMacs"
Version: The Unarchiver 3.0
Pros
• Unarchives tons of different formats
• Easy to useCons
• No longer supported on PowerMacs
Summary
The product description needs to be updated. The Unarchiver 3.0 is Intel-only. Very disappointed that .zipx support still leaves us PowerMac users behind.
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"please, some assistance"
Version: The Unarchiver 2.7.1
Pros
I'm new to unarchiver, and I was happy to discover that it opened a huge zip file that I downloaded - with no fuss . . .
Cons
But, when I attempt to open a torrent file, Unarchiver asks for my password - problem is, I have not entered a password for Unarchiver . . . please inform me where I can find how to create/change my unarchiver password.
thanks! -
"One of the Best Unarchiving Tools"
Version: The Unarchiver 2.7.1
Pros
Easy to navigate; supports dozens of different formats; efficient, fast, reliable app; one of the best unarchiving tools on Mac OS X.
Cons
Can't find any fault in it.
Summary
The Unarchiver is one of those handful of programs I consider most essential for my system. It's truly a wonderful app that supports a variety of formats, from RAR to 7-zip to even old Amiga formats. It is able to handle practically all that you throw at it without any issues. It's practical, stable, and extremely easy to use. Great piece of software.
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"Handy to have an alternative."
Version: The Unarchiver 2.7.1
Pros
Handy to have an alternative when something doesn't open automaticly
Cons
no negative comment.
