How to Open RAR Files Without WinRAR

The rest of this guide shows the simplest option for each device, and what to do when the usual method doesn't work.

Why You Don't Need WinRAR to Extract RAR Files

RAR is a proprietary format owned by RARLAB, the company behind WinRAR. Creating RAR archives requires their software, but RARLAB publishes the source code for decompressing RAR files, and that's why so many other programs can extract them. Reading a RAR archive is widely supported; writing one is not.

So if someone has sent you a .rar file, any decent extractor will do. You only need WinRAR if you plan to make RAR archives yourself or use WinRAR-specific features such as adding a recovery record.

How to Open RAR Files on Each Device

Windows 11

Microsoft added native support for more archive formats to File Explorer in Windows 11, built on the open-source libarchive library. On an up-to-date Windows 11 PC you can usually right-click a .rar file and choose Extract All, or double-click it to look inside.

If that option isn't there, your Windows build may be older, or the archive may use a feature File Explorer doesn't handle well, such as encryption. In that case use 7-Zip (free and open source) or an online opener.

Windows 10

Windows 10 only handles ZIP natively. Install 7-Zip, right-click the archive and choose 7-Zip → Extract Here or Extract to "folder\". 7-Zip also opens 7z, TAR, GZ, ISO and many other formats, so it's worth having.

Mac

macOS's built-in Archive Utility handles ZIP but not RAR. The Unarchiver and Keka are free and both extract RAR files with a double-click once installed. If you'd rather not install anything, especially on a work Mac where installs are restricted, an online opener works in Safari, Chrome or Firefox.

Linux

Most distributions offer unrar (from RARLAB, non-free licence) or unar (open source) in their package manager:

# Debian / Ubuntu
sudo apt install unrar
unrar x archive.rar

# or the open-source alternative
sudo apt install unar
unar archive.rar

unrar x keeps the folder structure; unrar e dumps every file into one folder, which is rarely what you want.

Chromebook

ChromeOS can mount some archive types from the Files app, but RAR support has been inconsistent across versions, and most desktop extractors don't run on a Chromebook without enabling Linux. An online RAR opener is often the least painful route.

Android and iPhone

Neither phone platform has dependable built-in RAR support. You can install an archive app from the app store, but many are ad-heavy and ask for broad file permissions. For a one-off file, opening it in the browser is usually simpler.

How to Open a RAR File Online

If you only need an archive occasionally, or you're on a device where you can't install software, you can open the RAR file online in a browser tab:

1. Upload the .rar file. It is sent to the server in chunks, so you can see progress on a slow connection.
2. Enter the password if asked. Encrypted archives show a password prompt before anything is extracted.
3. Browse the contents. Folders, file sizes and dates are listed, and you can search by name.
4. Download what you need. Grab a single file, or select several and download them as one ZIP.

Be clear about what happens to the file: unlike a desktop extractor, an online opener has to upload the archive to a server to read it. SimpleTools24 deletes the uploaded archive and extracted files automatically after 30 minutes without use, or straight away when you open another archive. For confidential archives, a local extractor such as 7-Zip is still the better choice.

What If the RAR File Still Won't Open?

When every extractor gives an error, the problem is almost always the file rather than the software. The common culprits are:

• An incomplete download. The file is smaller than it should be and ends abruptly.
• A multi-volume set. Names like movie.part1.rar and movie.part2.rar mean all parts must be in the same folder, and you open part 1.
• A wrong password. Passwords are case-sensitive, and a pasted password may carry a trailing space.
• A fake or renamed file. Some downloads are executables or other formats with a .rar extension.

Each of these, along with the error messages they produce, is covered in why a RAR file won't open. If the problem is a password you've been given, see how to open password-protected RAR files.

Is It Safe to Open a RAR File?

The archive format itself is just a container; the risk comes from what's inside. A few habits help:

• Look at the file list before extracting everything. A "PDF" that is actually document.pdf.exe is a warning sign.
• Don't run executables from archives you weren't expecting.
• Keep your extractor updated. Archive tools have had security flaws, which is another reason to avoid abandoned apps.

The Short Version

Extracting RAR files is free almost everywhere: Windows 11's File Explorer, 7-Zip, The Unarchiver, Keka and unrar all do it. When you can't or don't want to install anything, an online RAR opener lets you browse and pull out just the files you need. If you're curious about how the format actually works, read what a RAR file is.