This is a reference guide, not a sales pitch. Every app below is one I would actually install, with exactly what it opens, what it costs, and where it falls short. Short version of the whole article: if you just need to open a RAR file once, you probably already have what you need. If you live inside archives, the right tool depends entirely on your device.
One fact that makes most old advice obsolete: Windows 11 has opened RAR files natively since the 23H2 update in 2023. Right-click, extract, done. No trial software required.
Android: RAR by RARLAB
This is the official app from the people who make WinRAR, and it is the only free Android app that creates genuine RAR archives. It also extracts RAR, ZIP, TAR, GZ, BZ2, XZ, 7z, ISO, and ARJ, repairs damaged archives, and handles password-protected files. The interface is dated and plainly a port of a desktop program, but it is the most capable archiver on Android, and it is free. If you only install one archive app on Android, this is it.
Honest limit: it looks like it time-traveled from 2012, and creating RAR files still requires you to understand archive settings like solid compression and recovery records. For simply opening files, the next pick is friendlier.
Android: ZArchiver
ZArchiver is the simpler Android option, and for most people it is enough. It extracts RAR (including the newer RAR5 format), 7z, ZIP, ISO, TAR, and more, and creates 7z, ZIP, TAR, and several other formats. Two things stand out: it requests no internet permission, so it works fully offline and cannot phone home, and it handles multipart archives gracefully, joining pieces like part1.rar and part2.rar without fuss. It is free.
Honest limit: it cannot create RAR files, only extract them. If you need to create RAR archives, pair it with the RAR app above. It is also Android-only.
iPhone and iPad: iZip
iZip has been the go-to RAR opener on iOS for years and remains a solid pick in 2026. The free version extracts RAR, ZIP, 7Z, TAR, and password-protected archives, previews document contents, and connects to iCloud and other cloud storage. You open a RAR attachment, tap it, and iZip imports and extracts it. It is free with ads; a Pro upgrade removes ads and unlocks encryption features for about $10 one-time.
Honest limit: the free version nags. If you only extract archives occasionally, it is fine, but power users should pay once for Pro rather than fight the ads. Also note: the iPhone’s built-in Files app opens ZIP files natively but cannot touch RAR, which is why you need an app at all. For iPhone file management more broadly, our guide to the best scanner apps for iPhone and Android covers the other half of document handling.
Windows: File Explorer (native) and 7-Zip
As noted above, Windows 11 opens and extracts RAR files with nothing installed. For most people, that ends the story: double-click the RAR, copy the files out. When native support is not enough, 7-Zip is the classic answer. It is free and open source, extracts RAR, RAR5, 7z, ZIP, and dozens of obscure formats, and creates 7z and ZIP archives with strong encryption. It has been maintained for over two decades, with recent 24.x releases keeping it current on Windows 11.
Honest limits: File Explorer cannot create RAR files and occasionally chokes on passworded archives, in which case 7-Zip usually succeeds. 7-Zip cannot create RAR files either; only WinRAR and RARLAB’s tools can, and WinRAR is paid software after its 40-day trial (around $29 for a single license). Do not pay for WinRAR unless you specifically need to create RAR files, which almost nobody does in 2026.
Mac: The Unarchiver and Keka
On the Mac, The Unarchiver remains the zero-friction choice: free, fast, and it extracts RAR (including RAR5), 7z, ZIP, TAR, and many legacy formats with a double-click. It does one thing and does it well. If you also need to create archives, Keka is the companion app: free from its own website (about $6 on the Mac App Store if you prefer paying for convenience), it creates 7z, ZIP, TAR, and more, extracts everything The Unarchiver does, and splits files into parts.
Honest limit: neither creates RAR files. That is a licensing wall, not a technical one: only RARLAB’s own tools can write the format.
Format support at a glance
| App | Opens RAR / RAR5 | Creates RAR | Passworded RAR | Cost |
| Windows 11 File Explorer | Yes / Yes | No | Partial | Free (built in) |
| 7-Zip (Windows) | Yes / Yes | No | Yes | Free |
| RAR by RARLAB (Android) | Yes / Yes | Yes | Yes | Free |
| ZArchiver (Android) | Yes / Yes | No | Yes | Free |
| iZip (iPhone) | Yes / Yes | No | Yes | Free (ads); ~$10 Pro |
| The Unarchiver (Mac) | Yes / Yes | No | Yes | Free |
| Keka (Mac) | Yes / Yes | No | Yes | Free (website); ~$6 App Store |
Independent roundups of free RAR tools confirm this lineup: DataNumen’s comparison of free RAR readers covers the desktop side, and PhoneCorridor’s Android guide walks through the RAR app and ZArchiver in detail. If extraction leaves you juggling duplicate files afterward, our Android cleaner apps guide helps reclaim the space.
Verdict
On Windows, use what is already installed; add 7-Zip when you need more. On Android, install RAR by RARLAB if you create archives and ZArchiver if you just open them. On iPhone, iZip does the job. On Mac, The Unarchiver for extracting and Keka for everything else. And in all cases: nobody needs to pay for WinRAR to open a RAR file in 2026.
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