v0.21.0Latest
Aug 24, 2026
cbz, cbr support
New Compress window for quick archiving · Back button replaces optional parent row · Extracted apps reported as damaged · macOS metadata files clutter the archive list · Language support for Turkish
v0.21.0Free & open source
The archive manager for macOS.
Browse archives like folders. Preview files without extracting. Drag out only the ones you need — or create and edit ZIP archives.
$ brew install --cask macpackerApp Store updates may lag a few days behind direct downloads due to Apple review.
What is MacPacker?
MacPacker is a free, open-source archive manager for macOS. Unlike Archive Utility — the built-in macOS tool that unpacks everything at once into a new folder — MacPacker lets you open an archive and browse its contents like a Finder window, seeing folders, file names, and sizes without extracting anything. You can preview individual files with Quick Look, drill straight into nested archives (archives stored inside other archives), and drag out just the one file you need instead of unpacking gigabytes. And MacPacker is no longer read-only: you can create ZIP archives from scratch, add or delete files in an existing ZIP and save, or compress files and folders to ZIP straight from Finder. Whether you're a developer pulling a single file out of a build artifact or just want to peek inside a download before unpacking it, MacPacker turns a clumsy multi-step chore into one drag. It supports 41 formats — including ZIP, RAR, 7z, TAR, DMG, and ISO — runs natively on Apple Silicon (macOS 14 and later), and is released under the GPL-3.0 license.
Core features
01
Peek inside
Browse the full contents of any archive without extracting a single byte.
02
Nested archives
Archives inside archives? Drill in seamlessly — no intermediate extractions.
03
Selective extraction
Drag out exactly the files you need. No more 2 GB extractions for one config file.
04
Create & edit
Create ZIP archives from scratch, add or delete files, and save. Compress to ZIP right from Finder. More formats on the way.
Supported Formats
Supported Formats
7zARARJBZ2CABCHMCPIODMGEXEFATGZISOLHALZ4LZHLZXMSINTFSPKGQCOW2RARRPMSEASITSITXSquashFSTARTAR.BZ2TAR.GZTAR.LZ4TAR.XZTAR.ZVDIVHDVHDXVMDKWIMXARXZZZIPZIPX
Open source. GPL-3.0. Built in the open — inspect, fork, contribute.
View on GitHubTranslations. Available in 13 languages. Translations are managed on POEditor — anyone can sign up and help.
Changelog
Recent releases
Coming next › Complete archive creation and editing
v0.20.0
Aug 16, 2026
jar, aar, and apk support
Extract-to-folder ignores extension case · Extract-to-folder strips split suffix · Finder toolbar icon size · Correct total size for archives with folders · App extraction · More localizable strings · Launch parameters for search and new archives · FrameBison is available in early access
v0.19.0
Aug 5, 2026
Password-protected archives no longer extract as empty files
Wrong passwords could freeze the application · Automatic engine selection · Dropping a file now asks whether to add or open it · New start page with your recent archives · Find files in the open archive · Updates to multiple translations · Language support for Dutch
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is MacPacker free?
Yes. MacPacker is completely free and open source under the GPL-3.0 license. There are no paid tiers, subscriptions, accounts, or in-app purchases — and no ads or tracking.
What file formats does MacPacker support?
MacPacker opens 41 archive and disk-image formats, including ZIP, RAR, 7z, TAR (and tar.gz, tar.xz, tar.bz2), DMG, ISO, CAB, and more. ZIP archives can also be created, edited (add or delete files), and re-saved.
Does MacPacker work on Apple Silicon?
Yes. MacPacker is a native Apple Silicon app built with Swift and SwiftUI, and runs on macOS 14 (Sonoma) and later on both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs.
How is MacPacker different from the built-in macOS Archive Utility?
Archive Utility extracts an entire archive at once into a new folder. MacPacker lets you browse and preview an archive's contents first, open nested archives directly, and drag out only the files you need — without unpacking the whole thing.
How do I install MacPacker?
Install it from the Mac App Store, with Homebrew (brew install --cask macpacker), or by downloading the .dmg or .zip directly from the site. Every option is free.
How is MacPacker different from The Unarchiver?
The Unarchiver is an extraction tool: double-click an archive and it unpacks everything into a folder. MacPacker is an archive browser — it opens the archive like a Finder window, so you can preview files with Quick Look, step into nested archives, and drag out only the files you need. If you often want one file out of a big archive rather than all of it, that's the difference.
How is MacPacker different from Keka?
Keka focuses on creating and extracting archives across many formats with strong compression options. MacPacker leads with looking inside archives before anything is extracted: browse contents, preview files, navigate nested archives, and pull out individual files — and as of 0.18 it also creates and edits ZIP archives. Both are open source; Keka still covers more formats for compression.
Is MacPacker safe to use?
Yes. MacPacker is fully open source under GPL-3.0, so anyone can audit the code on GitHub, and it's distributed through the Mac App Store, Homebrew, and signed, notarized builds. It collects no data — archives never leave your Mac.
Can MacPacker create archives?
Yes — for ZIP. As of version 0.18, MacPacker can create new ZIP archives from scratch, add or delete files in an existing ZIP and save, and compress files and folders to ZIP straight from Finder. It started as a browser and extractor, and write support for more formats is being developed in the open on GitHub.