To create a RAR file, you need commercial software such as WinRAR for Windows or command-line RAR, which also happens to support macOS. The compressed file format also made it easier to send multiple files or file archives via email, Google Drive, WeTransfer, and other similar utilities for file sharing. By doing so, RAR is one of the ways by which many users were able to span their archives across multiple floppy disks. One of the key differences between RAR and ZIP in the early days was the ease with which compressed archives could be split into multiple files. Like ZIP, the main purpose of RAR is data compression to save space or reduce file sizes. Some Important Things to Know About RAR Filesĭeveloped by Eugene Roshal in 1993, RAR (Roshal Archive Compressed) is a file format for an archive. In this guide, I will explain how to open RAR files on Mac using third-party apps. You need to use a third-party app that can open RAR files. However, unlike ZIP files, your Mac won’t be able to open RAR files on its own. Isn’t it just another type of ZIP file that the Mac can open by simply double-clicking on the file? Well, you are correct, RAR files are similar to ZIP files.

So, you ask yourself, “Why can’t I Open a RAR file on my Mac?” The most logical thing to do after receiving such an email is to download the file onto your Mac, look for it using the Finder app, and then click on the file, not knowing that it won’t open.

Sometimes, you may come across an email with an attached RAR compressed archive file.

Open rar file online mac