RAR to ZIP
How to use
Repacks RAR archives as ZIP files that open anywhere. Drop the RAR file and download the ZIP.
Step 1 of 4: Upload
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Step 1 of 4 · Upload
- 1Upload
- 2Options
- 3Convert
- 4Download
- Opening a RAR download on a computer without WinRAR or 7-Zip
- Sending files to someone who cannot open RAR archives
- Converting RAR archives for systems and upload forms that only accept ZIP
- Repacking archives on a Chromebook or locked-down work computer
Why a RAR has to be unpacked before it can become a ZIP
RAR and ZIP both bundle files and compress them, but they do it with different algorithms and different on-disk layouts, so there is no way to rename or re-label one as the other. Conversion is two separate steps: every file is extracted from the RAR, then the extracted files are packed into a new ZIP. The files themselves come out byte-for-byte identical to what went into the RAR; only the wrapper around them changes. The folder structure and file names are carried across as they were.
Reading happens with libarchive, the open-source library behind the bsdtar command and the archive handling in macOS, compiled to WebAssembly so it runs in the page. Writing the ZIP uses the standard Deflate method at a middle compression level, which every operating system can open without extra software. That is the whole reason to convert: Windows, macOS, Android and iOS all open ZIP natively, while RAR still needs a separate app on most of them.
The ZIP usually ends up a little larger than the RAR it came from. RAR can compress a whole archive as one continuous stream, which finds repetition across files, while ZIP compresses each file on its own. For photos, videos and PDFs, which are already compressed, the difference is small. For folders of text or source code it can be noticeable, and that is the trade for a format anyone can open.
Free and private. Everything runs on your own device, with no account and no uploads.
RAR is a proprietary archive format: Windows has only recently gained built-in support, many phones and older systems cannot open it, and creating RAR files requires paid software. ZIP opens everywhere with no extra software. This converter extracts a RAR archive in your browser using libarchive, the library behind bsdtar and macOS Archive Utility, and repacks every file into a standard ZIP with the same folders and names.
No. Each file is extracted and stored in the ZIP with identical contents; only the archive format around them changes.
No. Extract encrypted archives with the password in 7-Zip, WinRAR or The Unarchiver, then zip the files.
Split archives need all their parts together and are not supported here. Join or extract them with 7-Zip or WinRAR.
RAR and ZIP compress differently; RAR is often a little smaller. The files inside are the same.
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Add the RAR file
Drop a .rar archive (RAR 4 and RAR 5 are both supported).
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Convert
Every file is extracted and repacked into a ZIP.
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Check the contents
Folders and file names are kept exactly as they were.
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Download the ZIP
Open it with the built-in tools on any computer or phone.
- ·Scan extracted files from unknown sources with antivirus software, as with any download
- ·If you only need one file, the ZIP Extractor can open the resulting ZIP in the browser
- ·Keep the original RAR if it carries recovery records you might need