ZIP to RAR Converter

Free tools can open RAR files, but very few can make them, because creating RAR is reserved to WinRAR and RARLAB's own software. Upload a ZIP here and download the same files packed as a RAR.

or drop ZIP, ZIPX, RAR … files here ·

Max 95 MB per file· Up to 20 files· Deleted after 30 minutes

Output

Convert to

Compression

Files are processed on our servers and deleted after 30 minutes.

How to use this tool

1
Upload the ZIP
Drop one ZIP or up to 20 at once, 95 MB each. A password-protected ZIP needs its password in Current password under Advanced settings.
2
Set compression and password
Compression is preset to Maximum, the usual choice when someone asks for RAR to save space. Type a New password if the RAR should be locked.
3
Convert to RAR
Press Convert to RAR and save the archive. Both the ZIP and the RAR are deleted from the server after 30 minutes.

Answer

How do I convert a ZIP to RAR without installing WinRAR?

Upload the ZIP, keep Compression on Maximum, add a New password if needed, and press Convert to RAR. The files are unpacked and repacked unchanged into a .rar archive.

RAR in four numbers

Eugene Roshal releases the RAR format: 1993
RAR5 arrives with WinRAR 5.0: 2013
Encryption used by RAR5 archives: AES-256
WinRAR's free evaluation period: 40 days

Why convert ZIP to RAR

RAR stands for Roshal Archive, after its creator. It caught on in the 1990s on bulletin boards and later on file-sharing sites because it split big downloads into numbered parts and could repair damaged ones. Many game-mod communities, comic collections and older backup systems still standardize on it, and some ask uploaders to send .rar only.

The obstacle is creation. Extracting RAR is free and widely supported, but packing one legally means WinRAR, whose license asks for payment after a 40-day trial, or RARLAB's command-line tool. If you need a RAR once, for one upload, that is a lot of setup. This converter repacks the ZIP's contents into a RAR on the server and hands you the file.

Going the other way is the more common request: if you received a RAR that nobody can open, RAR to ZIP turns it back into the format every device reads.

What a RAR archive can do that a ZIP cannot

Solid compression: Many files are compressed as one stream, so similar files shrink far more than ZIP's file-by-file method allows.
Recovery record: Optional repair data lets WinRAR rebuild an archive with a damaged section, useful for long-term storage.
Encrypted file names: A RAR can hide the list of files behind the password; a ZIP always shows names.
Multi-part volumes: Big archives can be split into numbered parts that rejoin on extraction.

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)

ZIP converter

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)

RAR converter

ZIP to RAR happens when a destination insists on .rar, such as a mod community, a forum or an existing RAR archive set, or when maximum compression on many similar files matters more than easy opening.

Before you send a RAR file

TipKeep the original ZIP. If the recipient turns out to lack a RAR tool, you can send it instead without converting back, and our guide on how to unzip files on any device helps them with either format.

ZIP to RAR questions

Why can't 7-Zip or Windows create RAR files?

The RAR compression method is proprietary. RARLAB publishes the UnRAR source code so that anyone can extract RAR archives, but its license forbids using it to build a RAR creator. That is why 7-Zip and Windows 11 can open RAR files but neither offers RAR as a save format.

Will the RAR be smaller than my ZIP?

Often a little, sometimes a lot. RAR at Maximum usually beats ZIP's Deflate on text, code, spreadsheets and game files with repeated data. Photos, MP3s and videos are already compressed, so their size barely moves in either format.

Can I add a recovery record or split the RAR into parts here?

No. This converter sets the compression level and an optional password. Recovery records and multi-volume parts such as part1.rar and part2.rar are created in WinRAR, which offers both in its archive dialog.

Will the person I send it to be able to open the RAR?

On Windows 11, yes, since the 2023 update added built-in RAR extraction. On older Windows, Macs and phones they need an app such as 7-Zip, WinRAR or The Unarchiver, or a browser tool like open RAR online. If you are not sure, send a ZIP instead.

Is the RAR password stronger than a ZIP password?

The current RAR5 format encrypts with AES-256, the same cipher as a ZIP set to AES-256, so the lock itself is equally strong. What protects the files in practice is a long password that is not reused elsewhere.