What is a RAR file?
RAR is what arrives from downloads and from files split into numbered parts, and it can repair itself when a piece gets damaged. Creating one needs paid software, so unpacking a RAR and saving it as a ZIP is the practical move. You can turn a RAR into other formats here, though nothing can be saved back as RAR.
Specification
| Full name | Roshal Archive |
|---|---|
| Extensions | .rar |
| Media type | application/vnd.rar |
| Compression | Lossless |
| Transparency | — |
| Animation | — |
| Multiple pages | Supported |
| Colour depth | Proprietary LZ variant, optional recovery record and volumes |
| Size limits | — |
| Introduced | 1993 |
| Developed by | Eugene Roshal, win.rar GmbH |
| Standard | Proprietary |
| Browser support | Not displayed by browsers |
What RAR is used for
- Multi-part archives split to fit a size limit
- Files downloaded from older file hosts and usenet archives
- Archives where a recovery record guards against transfer corruption
Strengths and limitations
What RAR does well
- Recovery records can rebuild an archive damaged in transit
- Volume splitting is native rather than bolted on
- Compression ratio is competitive with 7z on mixed content
Where RAR falls short
- Proprietary and closed, so only licensed WinRAR can create archives
- Nothing extracts it out of the box on Windows, macOS or Linux
- Requires paid software to use fully, unlike ZIP or 7z
Convert RAR to
Every target this format can be written out as, each on its own page.
Tools that accept RAR
Questions about RAR
What is a .rar file?
RAR is what arrives from downloads and from files split into numbered parts, and it can repair itself when a piece gets damaged. The extension .rar identifies it, and its media type is application/vnd.rar.
How do I open a RAR file?
Browsers do not display RAR natively, so you either need software that understands it or you convert it to something more common first. Converting is usually the faster route when you only need to look at the contents once.
Is RAR lossy or lossless?
Lossless. Nothing is discarded, so repeated saves never degrade the contents.
What is RAR good for?
Recovery records can rebuild an archive damaged in transit. Volume splitting is native rather than bolted on. Compression ratio is competitive with 7z on mixed content. In practice that makes it a good fit for multi-part archives split to fit a size limit, and Files downloaded from older file hosts and usenet archives.
What are the drawbacks of RAR?
Proprietary and closed, so only licensed WinRAR can create archives. Nothing extracts it out of the box on Windows, macOS or Linux. Requires paid software to use fully, unlike ZIP or 7z.