What is a .rar file?
Roshal Archive · Archive · Eugene Roshal / RARLAB · 1993
RAR is a compressed archive format known for strong compression and recovery features. It is created only by WinRAR's proprietary tools, so while many apps can extract it, you cannot make one for free.
What is a .rar file used for?
RAR often compresses tighter than ZIP and can split archives into parts and add recovery data to repair damaged files.
Creating RAR archives requires WinRAR, which is paid, but free tools like 7-Zip and The Unarchiver can extract them.
For a free, similarly strong alternative you can both create and open, 7z is the usual pick.
How to open a .rar file
The .rar format opens in the following apps, grouped by operating system. If one app does not work, try another from the same list. For a step-by-step walkthrough, see how to open a .rar file.
Windows
- WinRAR
- 7-Zip
- PeaZip
macOS
- The Unarchiver
- Keka
Linux
- unrar
- Archive Manager
Web
- Not natively; extract locally
How to convert a .rar file
You can convert a .rar file to ZIP, 7Z using a conversion tool or the export menu of an app that opens it.
.rar file signature (magic bytes)
Programs recognise a .rar file by the bytes at the start of the file, not by its name. These are the signatures for RAR. For a full breakdown, see the RAR file signature page.
| Hex signature | Offset | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 52 61 72 21 1A 07 00 | 0 | RAR 1.5 to 4.0 |
| 52 61 72 21 1A 07 01 00 | 0 | RAR 5.0+ |
See the full magic-numbers reference for every format.
Frequently asked questions
What is a .rar file?
RAR is a compressed archive format known for strong compression and recovery features. It is created only by WinRAR's proprietary tools, so while many apps can extract it, you cannot make one for free.
How do I open a RAR file for free?
Use 7-Zip on Windows, The Unarchiver or Keka on Mac, or the unrar command on Linux. All extract RAR without paying for WinRAR.