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Updated: April 07, 2025

.RAR File Extension

There is only one filetype that uses .RAR file extension and it is WinRAR Compressed Archive.

WinRAR Compressed Archive

File category: Compressed Files
Developer: Eugene Roshal
Open with: 7-Zip (+6 more)
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android

A RAR file (with the .rar extension) is an archive format that contains one or more compressed files. RAR stands for "Roshal ARchive," named after its creator, Eugene Roshal, a Russian software engineer who developed the format in 1993. RAR uses a proprietary compression algorithm that typically achieves higher compression ratios than standard ZIP formats, making files smaller while maintaining their integrity.

Key Features

  • Superior compression ratio: RAR compression generally creates smaller archives compared to ZIP, and offers compression comparable to 7z and zipx formats
  • Strong encryption: RAR4 archives use AES-128 encryption, while the newer RAR5 format employs enhanced AES-256 encryption with improved key scheduling
  • Error correction: Includes optional recovery records during archive creation to help repair damaged archives
  • File size flexibility: Supports archives from as small as 20 bytes up to a theoretical maximum of 8 exabytes (8 billion gigabytes)
  • Multi-volume support: Large archives can be split into smaller files for easier transfer over networks or storage on limited media

Common Uses

RAR archives are widely used for:

  • Reducing file sizes for email attachments or messaging
  • Bundling multiple files together for convenient transfer
  • Storing large files (like camera raw files or videos) more efficiently
  • Distributing collections of files, such as software packages or 3D CAD files
  • Backing up important data in less space

How to Open .RAR as WinRAR Compressed Archive

Several applications can open and extract RAR archives:

  • RARLAB WinRAR: The official software from the format's creator (Windows)
  • RARLAB RAR: Official mobile version (Android)
  • Third-party utilities with RAR support:
    • 7-Zip (Windows, free and open-source)
    • B1 Free Archiver (cross-platform)
    • PeaZip (cross-platform)
    • The Unarchiver (Mac)

To open a RAR file with WinRAR, simply select "File → Open archive" within the application. For password-protected RAR files, you'll need to enter the correct password when prompted.

Multi-Volume RAR Archives

RAR archives can be split across multiple files, known as multi-volume or spanned archives. These split files typically have extensions like:

  • .rar for the first file
  • .r00, .r01, .r02, etc. for subsequent parts

To extract files from a multi-volume archive:

  1. Ensure all parts are in the same folder
  2. Open the primary .rar file with your extraction software
  3. Make sure you have all the archive parts (missing any part may prevent successful extraction)

How to Convert an RAR File

RAR files can be converted to other archive formats like ZIP, 7Z, or TAR by:

  1. Extracting the contents of the RAR file using any compatible extraction tool
  2. Creating a new archive with the desired format using appropriate software
  3. Adding the extracted files to the new archive

Note that direct conversion (without extraction) isn't possible due to the proprietary nature of the RAR compression algorithm.

Applications That Open RAR Files

Windows Apps for RAR Files:

macOS Apps for RAR Files:

Linux Apps for RAR Files:

Android Apps for RAR Files:

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