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 Review31 reviews
Rating Breakdown
Recent Reviews
Casey Thomas
Apr 07, 2026Frustratingly Basic and Unreliable
Archive Utility is supposed to be a convenient built-in tool, but it's incredibly frustrating. It often fails silently on password-protected RAR files or complex 7z archives, forcing me to search for a third-party app anyway. For a core utility, it …
Liam Lopez
Mar 30, 2026The Mac's invisible workhorse
It just works. I forget it's even there until I need to open a zip or rar file, then it pops up seamlessly. It handles all the common formats I encounter, and being built-in means no extra downloads or clutter. …
Liam Harris
Mar 30, 2026Does the job, but could be so much better
It's incredibly convenient that this tool comes built right into macOS, and it handles basic zips and most common formats without any fuss. However, I've run into issues with password-protected archives and some RAR files, forcing me to download a …
Michael Davis
Mar 29, 2026Silent Workhorse in the macOS Toolbox
Archive Utility is one of those macOS features you don't appreciate until you need it. It handles all my basic compression needs—from opening downloaded zip files to creating archives for email attachments—completely invisibly and without any fuss. I never have …
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 …
Rating Distribution
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