Best ZIP Extractors (2026): 10 for Browser, Windows and Mac

Someone's sent you a .rar, a .7z or a ZIP with a folder inside a folder, and all you want is the files. That's a narrower job than the archiver menus suggest, and the right tool has more to do with your computer than with the format.

This list covers ten extractors, using only what each maker's own website says, read on 2 Nov 2026 (as of Nov 2026). It's alphabetical and in no particular order. It's about opening and extracting archives: compressing files is a different job with its own list.

ZIP, RAR and 7Z extractors side by side

Tool	Type	Good for
7-Zip	Open-source file archiver for Windows	Extracting from the Windows shell or the command line
Archive Extractor	Online archive extractor	Opening archives from your computer, Google Drive, Dropbox or a URL
B1 Online Archiver	Online archiver	Unzipping and unraring in a browser tab
Bandizip	Archiver for Windows	Right-click extraction and a file list inside archives
ezyZip	Browser archive tools	Opening RAR, 7Z and TAR.GZ archives in a browser tab
NanaZip	Open-source archiver for modern Windows	Extraction styled for Windows 10 and 11
PeaZip	Open-source archiver for Windows, Linux and macOS	Extraction tasks you can export as command-line scripts
PowerArchiver	Archiver for ZIP, RAR and 7Z files	Drag-and-drop, Office add-ins and a command-line edition
The Unarchiver	Mac app for opening archives	Opening RAR on a Mac, including multi-volume archives
ZIP Extractor	Browser app and Chrome extension for ZIP files	Extracting ZIP files to your computer or Google Drive

Ten archive extractors, one line each

7-Zip

Best for: Unpacking a long list of formats on Windows, with RAR, ISO and DMG in its unpack-only list, from the Windows shell or the command line.

Archive Extractor

Best for: Extracting 7z, zipx, rar, tar, exe, dmg, iso and zip files in a browser, then clicking each extracted file to download it.

B1 Online Archiver

Best for: Pulling files out of b1, zip, rar and 7z archives online, from a page that calls itself the simplest way to extract files.

Bandizip

Best for: Right-click extraction on Windows, with smart file extraction and a list of the files inside an archive.

ezyZip

Best for: Grabbing the files you need from a RAR, 7Z or TAR.GZ archive in a browser, on a site that also creates and converts archives.

NanaZip

Best for: Windows 10 and 11 users who want an open-source archiver whose GitHub page says it's built for the modern Windows experience.

PeaZip

Best for: Linux, macOS or Windows users who want to open RAR, TAR and ZIP files and export extraction tasks as command-line scripts.

PowerArchiver

Best for: Handling ZIP, RAR and 7Z files by drag-and-drop, Office add-ins or a command-line edition, from a maker with business and Mac editions.

The Unarchiver

Best for: Mac users who need to open RAR files, including encrypted and multi-volume ones, and want one app set as the default for every archive.

ZIP Extractor

Best for: Opening ZIP files from Google Drive and Gmail, then extracting them to your computer or straight back into Drive.

One file, a daily habit, or a Mac that can't open RAR

Here's the split a searcher wouldn't guess: 'zip extractor' covers three different jobs. One is a one-off file you want opened without installing anything. Another is a daily archiver on Windows. The third is a Mac that can't open RAR on its own. The tools differ by where they run more than by their format lists.

ezyZip's page sums up the first job, telling you to 'extract any archive and grab files inside' and 'open RAR archives in your browser'. The Unarchiver sums up the third, calling itself 'the only app you need to open RAR on Mac'.

• A one-off archive: open it in a browser tab and move on.
• A daily archiver: install it once and extract from the right-click menu.
• RAR on a Mac: add an app that opens the formats your Mac doesn't.

Browser extractors for a single archive

If one archive has landed in your inbox and you don't want to install anything, a browser tool is the shortest route. One lets you choose a file from your computer, Google Drive, Dropbox or a URL, then click each extracted file to download it. Another opens ZIP files from Google Drive and Gmail and can extract them back into Drive.

A third calls itself 'the simplest way to extract files' from b1, zip, rar, 7z and other archives. Browser tools suit the odd file; if you're unpacking archives every day, a desktop app will save you the upload each time.

Desktop archivers that live in the Windows right-click menu

One Windows archiver here splits its format list into packing and unpacking, and RAR, ISO and DMG sit on the unpack-only side. That's worth knowing: you can open those archives with it, but you can't create them.

NanaZip calls itself a derivative of 7-Zip 'intended for the modern Windows experience', so it's one to look at on Windows 10 or 11. Bandizip lists right-click menus, smart file extraction and editing of files inside an archive among its features.

Cross-platform, scripted and Mac extraction

If you work across systems, PeaZip lists builds for Linux, macOS, BSD and Windows, and its page says tasks defined in its interface 'can be exported as CLI scripts' for reuse. Another archiver here lists a command-line edition beside drag-and-drop and Office add-ins, and sells a Mac edition too.

On a Mac, the dedicated unarchiver on this list supports RAR 'including encryption and multiple volumes', and its page says it takes a few clicks to install and set as the default app for all archive files. After that, double-clicking an archive just opens it.

Questions for choosing an archive opener

• Is this a one-off file, or something I'll do every week?
• Which formats turn up most: ZIP, RAR, 7Z or disc images?
• Am I on Windows, a Mac or Linux?
• Do I only need to open archives, or create them too?
• Will I want to run extraction from a script?
• Is the archive already sitting in Google Drive or Gmail?

Do you make an archive or ZIP extraction tool? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.

My advice for opening ZIP, RAR and 7Z files

Match the tool to how often you'll use it. For one archive, use a browser extractor and don't install anything. If you unpack files every week on Windows, install a desktop archiver and use the right-click menu. On a Mac, add an unarchiver that opens RAR and set it as the default, and you'll never think about it again.

If you're weighing up the original open-source Windows archiver, here's my look at whether it's safe to install. And if those archives are backups you can't afford to lose, my list of cloud backup services is worth a read.

Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.

Frequently asked questions

Can I open a RAR file on a Mac?

Yes. One Mac app here says it's built to open RAR on Mac, including encrypted and multi-volume RAR archives, and three of the browser extractors on this list open RAR files too.

Which of these extractors work in a browser?

Four do. One opens archives from your computer, Google Drive, Dropbox or a URL, one unzips and unrars online, one opens RAR, 7Z and TAR.GZ archives in a browser tab, and one opens ZIP files from Google Drive and Gmail.

Which archive extractors run on Linux?

One cross-platform archiver here lists Linux, macOS and BSD builds as well as Windows, and lets you export extraction tasks as command-line scripts.

Can I extract archives from the command line?

Yes. One Windows archiver lists a command line version, one lists a command-line edition, and one cross-platform archiver lets you export the tasks you set up in its interface as CLI scripts.

Can these tools open ISO or DMG files?

One Windows archiver lists ISO and DMG among the formats it can unpack but not create, and one browser extractor lists dmg and iso among its supported formats.

Can I extract a ZIP file straight into Google Drive?

One tool here can. It's a browser app with a Chrome extension that opens ZIP files in Google Drive and Gmail, with options to extract to your computer or to Drive.