7-Zip for Mac: Alternatives that work on macOS
7-Zip is a free archiver for Windows, and it has no Mac app with a window. Here is what its developer makes for macOS, which 7-Zip alternatives open and create 7z archives on a Mac, and what macOS already has.
7-Zip
- Windows and Linux
- On Mac: Terminal only
- Free, open source
For macOS the developer makes only the command-line 7-Zip: commands in Terminal, no window or menus. To work with the mouse, pick one of the alternatives below: the 7-Zip website itself links to Keka.
A «7-Zip for Mac» .dmg on other websites does not come from the developer. Download apps only from their official websites.
7-Zip alternatives for Mac
KekaClosest to 7-Zip
Creates 7z and ZIP archives with a password, opens 7z, RAR and dozens of other formats. You make an archive by dropping files on its window or Dock icon.
- Opens and creates 7z
- AES-256 password
- Free on its site, paid in the App Store
The UnarchiverTo open archives only
Opens almost any archive with a double-click: 7z, RAR, ZIP and old formats. It cannot create archives.
- Opens 7z and RAR
- Extracting only
- Free, App Store
7-Zip for Terminal7-Zip itself, no window
The official command-line version from the 7-Zip developer, the
7zzcommand. A good fit if you are at home in Terminal or write scripts.brew install sevenzip
| Keka | The Unarchiver | 7-Zip (7zz) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opens 7z | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Creates 7z | ✓ | — | ✓ |
| Password-protects archives | ✓ | — | ✓ |
| How you use it | A window | Double-click | Terminal |
What macOS already has
For ZIP archives you need nothing extra: Finder handles them.
- Compress to ZIP. Control-click files or a folder and choose Compress: a
.zipappears next to them. - Open a ZIP. Double-click the archive and macOS extracts it into the same folder.
Finder cannot put a password on a ZIP, and for 7z and RAR archives you usually need one of the apps above.
How to open a .7z file on Mac
- Install Keka or The Unarchiver.
- Control-click the
.7zarchive and choose Open With › Keka (or The Unarchiver). - If the archive has a password, enter it. The files appear in a folder next to the archive.
- To always open 7z archives with that app, Control-click an archive, choose Get Info, pick the app under Open with and click Change All.
7-Zip in Terminal on Mac
Install the command-line 7-Zip with Homebrew (how to install Homebrew):
brew install sevenzipExtract an archive into the current folder:
7zz x ~/Downloads/archive.7zCompress a folder into a 7z archive:
7zz a archive.7z ~/Documents/FolderWithout Homebrew, the command-line 7-Zip for macOS is on the 7-zip.org download page: a 7z…-mac.tar.xz archive with the 7zz command inside.
The 7z command (one «z») comes from Homebrew’s p7zip: an older third-party port of 7-Zip, not from its developer. If you already have it, it works the same way (7z x archive.7z), but for a new install take the official sevenzip.
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Questions and answers
Is there 7-Zip for Mac?
Only the command-line version: for macOS the developer makes the 7zz command for Terminal. There is no app with a window like on Windows.
How do I open a 7z file on a Mac for free?
With Keka or The Unarchiver: both are free and open 7z with a double-click or from Finder’s menu. Keka can also create 7z archives.
Can I download 7-Zip for Mac from other websites?
Better not: the developer makes no 7-Zip .dmg for Mac, so such files on other websites are someone else’s builds. Get the alternatives from their official websites.