.rar — RAR Compressed Archive
Alexander Roshal (RARLAB) · 1993
What is a .rar file?
RAR (Roshal Archive) is a proprietary archive format known for its superior compression ratios compared to ZIP. Created by Russian software engineer Alexander Roshal, RAR files typically achieve 10-30% better compression than ZIP. RAR also supports advanced features like multi-volume archives (splitting large files), solid compression, recovery records, and AES-256 encryption. While creating RAR files requires WinRAR, many free tools can extract them.
Programs That Open .rar Files
| Platform | Program | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows | WinRAR | Paid | Official |
| 7-Zip | Free | ||
| PeaZip | Free | ||
| macOS | The Unarchiver | Free | |
| Keka | Free |
Common Problems with .rar Files
Frequently Asked Questions
.rar files can be opened with several programs. WinRAR is one of the most popular choices.
Generally yes, .rar files are safe to open with appropriate software.
Yes, there are many online and offline tools available to convert .rar files. Check the conversion section above for specific methods.
Technical Details
RAR Compressed Archive files use the application/vnd.rar MIME type and were first introduced in 1993 by Alexander Roshal (RARLAB). The file can be identified by its signature: 52 61 72 21 (Rar!).