RAR to ZIP Converter
A RAR archive needs a separate app on most devices; a ZIP opens with a double-click or a tap. Upload the RAR, and the files inside are repacked into a ZIP with the same folders, names and dates.
Archive Converter
or drop ZIP, ZIPX, RAR … files here ·
Max 95 MB per file· Up to 20 files· Deleted after 30 minutes
Files are processed on our servers and deleted after 30 minutes.
Needed only if the archive you upload is password-protected.
Optional password for the converted archive. Leave empty for none. TAR and ISO cannot hold a password.
AES-256 is secure and opens in Windows 11, macOS, 7-Zip and WinRAR. ZipCrypto is weak but opens on older built-in Windows unzip.
Keep the original folders, or move every file to the top level.
How to use this tool
- 1
Upload the RAR archive
Drop the .rar file onto the upload area, up to 20 archives of 95 MB each. If it is password-protected, type the password in Current password under Advanced settings.
- 2
Keep or change the defaults
Compression stays on Normal and folders are kept as they are. Add a New password if the ZIP should be locked, and leave Skip hidden system files on to drop __MACOSX and Thumbs.db clutter.
- 3
Convert to ZIP
Press Convert to ZIP and download the new archive. Both the RAR and the ZIP are deleted from the server after 30 minutes.
How do I convert RAR to ZIP without WinRAR?
Upload the RAR, enter its password if it has one, and press Convert to ZIP. The contents are repacked unchanged, and the ZIP opens on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android without extra apps.
Why convert RAR to ZIP
Eugene Roshal released RAR in 1993, and it became the format of choice for splitting large downloads into parts and adding recovery data. Its compression method is still proprietary: the source code to extract RAR files is freely available, but creating a RAR legally requires WinRAR or RARLAB's command-line tool. RAR5, the current version, arrived with WinRAR 5.0 in 2013.
ZIP went the other way. Phil Katz published the format with PKZIP in 1989 and documented it openly, so every major platform added it. Windows has opened ZIP files natively since Windows XP, the Mac since Mac OS X 10.3 in 2003, the iPhone Files app since iOS 13, and Android through the Files app. When you send a ZIP, you never have to explain how to open it.
That is the whole reason for this conversion. The content does not get better or worse; it simply moves into a container that school portals, email recipients, clients and older work computers already understand. The same logic applies to 7-Zip archives, which 7z to ZIP repacks the same way, and our guide on how to unzip files on any device covers the receiving end.
RAR vs ZIP vs 7z at a glance
| ZIP | RAR | 7z | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opens on Windows 10, macOS, iPhone and Android with no app | yes | no | no |
| Built into Windows 11 (2023 update and later) | yes | yes | yes |
| Anyone may write software that creates it | yes | no | yes |
| Solid compression across files | no | yes | yes |
| Recovery record for damaged archives | no | yes | no |
| AES-256 password protection | yes | yes | yes |
| First released | 1989 | 1993 | 1999 |
Password-protected and solid RAR files
A locked RAR needs its password first
Enter the password in Current password before converting. RAR can also encrypt the file names, in which case nothing, not even the list of files, can be read without it. If the password is lost, no converter can open the archive; the encryption is doing its job.
RAR
RAR archive
RAR is a proprietary archive format created by Eugene Roshal in 1993 and used by WinRAR. It compresses better than classic ZIP and supports split volumes, recovery records and strong AES encryption. Creating RAR files requires WinRAR or another licensed tool, though many free programs can extract them. Some phones and operating systems cannot open RAR without an extra app.
- Compression
- Lossless
- Transparency
- –
- Animation
- –
- Introduced
- 1993 · Eugene Roshal (RARLAB)
ZIP
ZIP archive
ZIP is a lossless archive format created by Phil Katz of PKWARE in 1989. It bundles many files and folders into one compressed file, and Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android can open it without extra software. ZIP is also the container behind DOCX, XLSX, EPUB, APK and JAR files. Its standard compression is fast but less efficient than 7z, and the old ZipCrypto password protection is weak.
- Compression
- Lossless
- Transparency
- –
- Animation
- –
- Introduced
- 1989 · Phil Katz (PKWARE)
People repack RAR as ZIP so that whoever receives it can open it without installing WinRAR or 7-Zip; the opposite move, ZIP to RAR, is usually about solid compression or recovery records for long-term storage.
Open the ZIP on any device
iPhone and iPad
- 01Save the ZIP to the Files app.
- 02Tap the ZIP once.
- 03A folder with the same name appears next to it.
Android
- 01Open the Files app and find the ZIP in Downloads.
- 02Tap it and choose Extract.
- 03Tap Done to see the extracted folder.
Windows and Mac
- 01Windows: right-click the ZIP and choose Extract All.
- 02Mac: double-click the ZIP in Finder.
- 03The files land in a folder beside the ZIP.
RAR to ZIP questions
Why won't my computer open a RAR file?
RAR is a proprietary format from RARLAB, the maker of WinRAR, and for decades no operating system shipped a RAR reader. Windows 11 added built-in RAR extraction in its 2023 update, but Windows 10, macOS's Archive Utility and many work laptops still need a third-party app. ZIP has been built into Windows and macOS for over twenty years.
Does converting RAR to ZIP change the files inside?
No. The files are extracted and packed again byte for byte, so documents, photos and programs are identical. Only the container changes. With Keep file dates on, each file also keeps its original modified date.
Why is the ZIP bigger than the RAR?
RAR can compress all files as one continuous stream, called a solid archive, which finds repeated data across files. ZIP compresses each file separately. For many small text or code files the ZIP can be noticeably larger; for photos and videos, which are already compressed, the two end up close.
Can I convert a multi-part RAR such as part1.rar and part2.rar?
A split archive can only be read when every part is present, so upload all parts in the same batch. If one part is missing or damaged, the files that span it cannot be recovered by any tool.
What if I only want the files, not another archive?
Choose Extract files in Convert to, or go straight to Open RAR online, which downloads the contents without creating a ZIP.
Is AES-256 or ZipCrypto the right choice for a password-protected ZIP?
AES-256 for anything private. ZipCrypto is the original ZIP encryption from the early 1990s and can be broken with freely available tools; pick it only when the recipient's unzip program cannot handle AES and the contents are not sensitive.
