Archive Utility
Archive Utility: Built-in File Compression and Decompression Tool
Archive Utility is a built-in file compression and decompression tool included with macOS. It supports common archive formats like zip, rar, 7z, tar, gzip, and bzip2.
What is Archive Utility?
Archive Utility is a file archiving application developed by Apple Inc. and included with macOS. It allows users to create, open, and extract common archive formats including zip, tar, gzip, bzip2, rar, and 7z.
Some key features of Archive Utility include:
- Intuitive graphical interface to easily compress or decompress files and folders
- Support for password-protected archives for added security
- Options to encrypt archives using AES-128 or AES-256 encryption
- Integration with Finder allowing archives to be created by right-clicking on files/folders
- Support for creating disk images from folders
- Options to customize compression levels for balance of size and speed
Overall, Archive Utility provides an easy way for macOS users to work with common archive formats without needing to install third-party software. Its integration into the operating system makes it a convenient option for basic compression and decompression tasks.
Archive Utility Features
Features
- Compress and uncompress zip, tar, gzip, bzip2, rar, 7z, and other archive formats
- Create encrypted disk images
- Open common archive formats directly without extracting
- Integrated into Finder for easy access
- Support for splitting large archives into volumes
Pricing
- Free
Pros
Cons
Official Links
Reviews & Ratings
Login to Review27 reviews
Rating Breakdown
Recent Reviews
Finley Wilson
Mar 25, 2026Seamlessly Handles All My Archives
As a Mac user, Archive Utility is my go-to for quickly compressing files to send via email and unpacking downloads. It works invisibly in the background for common formats like ZIP and RAR, which covers 95% of my needs. Having …
Oliver Davis
Mar 23, 2026Frustratingly basic and unreliable
Archive Utility feels like a relic from a decade ago. It constantly fails with password-protected RAR files and offers zero customization options for compression levels or archive splitting. For a built-in tool, it's shockingly limited and makes me install third-party …
Phoenix Harris
Mar 23, 2026Handy but frustratingly basic
It's incredibly convenient that Archive Utility is built right into my Mac and just works for most everyday zipping and unzipping. However, I constantly get frustrated by its lack of options; I can't set a password for a zip or …
Emma Wilson
Mar 23, 2026Convenient but limited for basic archiving needs
As a built-in tool, Archive Utility couldn't be easier to use for simple zip files—just double-click and it's done. However, I've run into issues with multi-part RAR archives and password-protected 7z files it couldn't handle, which forced me to download …
Morgan Martin
Mar 21, 2026Silently Efficient and Always There
For years, Archive Utility has been my go-to for zipping files to email and unpacking downloads. It just works in the background without any fuss, supporting all the common formats I encounter. It's so seamlessly integrated that I often forget …
Rating Distribution
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