Someone sent you a .rar file and your computer offers to search the store for an app. Drop it here instead: ConvertCove unpacks the RAR in your browser and gives you a ZIP that opens with a double-click on any computer, or lets you download the files inside one by one. The archive never leaves your device, which matters when it holds contracts, photos or backups.
How to convert RAR to ZIP
- Click Select RAR files or drag them onto the box above. You can add as many as you like.
- Check that the target says ZIP. Click the slider icon next to a file to change its options.
- Press Convert. Each file shows its own progress, and the work happens on your device.
- Download files one by one, or use Download all (ZIP). Press Convert more to start a new batch.
If the RAR is split into parts (name.part1.rar, name.part2.rar or .r00, .r01), it cannot be converted piece by piece. Join it with the app that created it, or ask the sender for a single archive.
RAR vs ZIP
What is RAR?
RAR is the proprietary format of WinRAR. It compresses well and supports recovery records and multi-part archives, which made it popular for large downloads. Creating RAR needs a WinRAR licence, but reading it is free, and ConvertCove reads both RAR 4 and the newer RAR 5. More about the RAR format.
What is ZIP?
ZIP is supported by Windows Explorer, the macOS Finder, Linux file managers, phones and email clients without installing anything, so a ZIP is the safest way to pass an archive on. More about the ZIP format.
| RAR | ZIP | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | RAR archive | ZIP archive |
| Extensions | .rar | .zip |
| MIME type | application/vnd.rar | application/zip |
When to convert RAR to ZIP
- You cannot install WinRAR, 7-Zip or The Unarchiver on a work or school computer.
- You need to forward the files to someone who will not know what to do with a RAR.
- An upload form, LMS or ticket system accepts .zip but rejects .rar.
- You only need one or two files from a RAR on a Chromebook or tablet.
Quality and settings
Archives are lossless, so every file in the ZIP is byte-for-byte identical to the one in the RAR. Folder structure is kept. Files that are already compressed, such as JPG, MP4 or other archives, are stored in the ZIP without recompression, which keeps conversion fast; text and documents are compressed with DEFLATE. The ZIP is usually a little larger than the RAR because DEFLATE is a simpler algorithm.