Madghoot

RAR · 7Z · ZIP · TAR for macOS

The Mac zip and unzip app for RAR, 7Z and ZIP files

Madghoot opens RAR, 7Z, ZIP, TAR and other archives on your Mac, and creates ZIP, 7Z, TAR and ISO files that are tested after they're written. It's free for 14 days, then $1.99 once, with no subscription and no ads.

Coming soon to theMac App Store

14 days free, then $1.99 once. No subscription. No ads.

  • Apple silicon and Intel
  • No ads, no subscription
  • Collects no data
  • Tests the archives it creates
Illustration of the planned Madghoot 1.0 window. The app is in development, so details may change.

Formats

Opens the archives people send you. Creates the ones they can open.

Opens and extracts

  • RAR
  • RAR5
  • 7Z
  • ZIP
  • Zip64
  • TAR
  • TGZ
  • GZ
  • BZ2
  • XZ
  • ZST
  • LZ4
  • ISO
  • UDF
  • CPIO
  • CAB
  • LZH
  • XAR
  • ARJ
  • WIM

Including password-protected RAR and 7Z, RAR5 and RAR7, multi-part sets, zips over 4 GB and the Deflate64 zips Windows makes for big folders.

Creates

  • ZIP
  • 7Z
  • TAR
  • TAR.GZ
  • TAR.XZ
  • TAR.BZ2
  • TAR.ZST
  • TAR.LZ4
  • GZ
  • BZ2
  • XZ
  • ZST
  • ISO
  • CPIO

With optional AES-256 for ZIP and 7Z. It doesn't create RAR, because RAR compression is proprietary. Creating split archives is planned for version 1.1.

See every format and what's planned

Honest answer

Do you need an app to unzip files on a Mac?

Often, no. Double-click a .zip file in Finder and Archive Utility, which comes with macOS, expands it next to the original. To make a zip, Control-click a file or folder and choose Compress.

The built-in tools stop at the everyday cases. Step-by-step guides: how to unzip files on a Mac and how to create a zip file.

Madghoot is for the jobs they don't cover

  • RAR files, which Archive Utility doesn't open
  • Password-protected 7Z and RAR archives, and archives split into parts
  • Big zips from Windows, OneDrive or Google Takeout that won't expand
  • Compressing large folders onto a NAS, an external drive or a FAT32 stick
  • Zips for Windows users, without the __MACOSX folder
  • Password-protecting a zip, which Finder's Compress can't do
  • Looking inside an archive before you extract it

Reliable compression

Built not to fail at 99% on network and external drives

Finder's Compress can stop near the end on NAS shares, external disks and FAT32 sticks. People have reported it on Apple's support forums without finding a fix.

Madghoot takes the careful route every time, so a failed job never leaves a half-written archive behind. If the network drops, you get a clear message and your original files are untouched.

Compressing on a network drive and zips over 4 GB have their own guides.

  1. Checks before it writes

    It counts the files, flags any it can't read, and checks free space and drive limits first, such as the 4 GB file limit on FAT32 drives.

  2. Builds the archive somewhere safe

    For network and external drives, it builds the archive on your Mac when there's room, then copies it over. Unfinished files stay hidden and are cleaned up if anything stops.

  3. Handles big archives properly

    Zip64 switches on automatically, so zips over 4 GB open on Windows and Linux too.

  4. Tests the finished archive

    It reopens the archive and checks every file in it. For an encrypted archive, that also proves the password works.

  5. Gives it the real name last

    Only a tested archive gets its final name. If a file had to be skipped, the report says which one and why, and you decide whether to keep the result.

What else it does

Everything you expect from an archiver, plus the details that matter

  • Look inside first, for free

    Open an archive to browse its folders, search it and preview files with Quick Look before you extract anything. Browsing stays free after the trial.

  • Strong passwords

    AES-256 for ZIP and 7Z, optional encrypted 7Z file names, a password generator, and saved passwords in your Keychain that Madghoot tries for you.

  • Zips that open cleanly on Windows

    No __MACOSX folder, ._ files or .DS_Store. Names are saved as UTF-8, so accented, Japanese and Arabic file names come through intact.

  • Multi-part sets

    Open any part of a .part1.rar, .r00, .7z.001 or .z01 set. Madghoot finds the other parts and tells you before it starts if one is missing.

  • Honest about damaged files

    From a damaged archive, Madghoot extracts every file it can read and lists the ones it couldn't. A partial result is never reported as a success.

  • Convert RAR to ZIP

    Turn a RAR or 7Z archive into a ZIP that a Windows colleague can open. The original archive is never changed.

  • Built into Finder

    Right-click to Extract Here or Compress, press Space on an archive to see what's inside, or drop files on the Dock icon.

  • Plain-language messages

    A .exe or .dmg isn't an archive. Instead of an error code, Madghoot tells you what the file is and what to do with it.

Pricing

One small price. No subscription. No ads.

Madghoot is a free download with a 14-day free trial of everything, then a one-time $1.99 lifetime unlock: no subscription, no ads and no data collection.

  • First 14 days

    Free

    Everything included

    • Extract, compress and convert
    • Passwords and the Keychain vault
    • Finder menu and Quick Look
    • Nothing is charged automatically

  • Lifetime unlock

    $1.99

    One time. No subscription

    • Extract, compress and convert, for good
    • No ads and no data collection
    • Family Sharing included
    • Restore on any Mac with your Apple ID

  • After the trial, without the unlock

    Still free

    Peek inside, always

    • Open archives and list what's inside
    • Search and sort the contents
    • Quick Look previews of files up to 100 MB
    • Finder's Quick Look preview of archives

The fine print, exactly as the app shows it: “Free for 14 days with everything included. After that, extracting, compressing and converting need the lifetime unlock ($1.99, one time). Viewing what's inside an archive stays free. Nothing is charged automatically and there's no subscription.”

Trust

Private, native and open about what's inside

  • Collects nothing

    No account, no analytics, no ads and no network requests of its own. Purchases go through Apple, and saved passwords stay in your Keychain.

  • Made for the Mac

    A native app for macOS 14 Sonoma and later, built for both Apple silicon and Intel Macs. Nothing promotional pops up after a job.

  • Proven engines inside

    Madghoot uses libarchive and the official 7-Zip engine (7zz), built from 7-Zip's own source code. Their licenses and source are published here.

7-Zip, Windows, OneDrive and Google Takeout are trademarks or product names of their respective owners. Archive Utility is part of macOS, by Apple Inc. Madghoot is an independent app and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by any of them.

Frequently asked questions

Is Madghoot free?
Madghoot is a free download with a 14-day free trial that includes everything. After that, a one-time $1.99 unlock keeps extracting, compressing and converting working for good. Browsing and previewing what's inside an archive stays free, and there's no subscription.
Can Madghoot create RAR files?
No. Madghoot opens RAR files, including RAR5, password-protected and multi-part sets, but it can't create them: RAR compression is proprietary. It creates ZIP, which every computer opens without extra software, and 7Z, which usually makes smaller archives.
Can Madghoot repair a corrupted zip file?
No, and it doesn't pretend to. From a damaged archive it extracts every file it can read, then lists the files it couldn't recover, so you know exactly what's missing and can ask for a new copy.
Which Macs does Madghoot run on?
Any Mac with macOS 14 Sonoma or later, with Apple silicon or an Intel processor.
Does Madghoot collect my data?
No. The app has no account and no analytics, shows no ads and makes no network requests of its own. Purchases are handled by Apple. The privacy policy has the details.
When can I get Madghoot?
Madghoot is in development and coming soon to the Mac App Store. The download button on this site will link to it on release day. The changelog lists what version 1.0 includes.

Madghoot is coming soon to the Mac App Store

Open RAR, 7Z and ZIP files, and create ZIP and 7Z archives that are tested after they're written.

Coming soon to theMac App StoreQuestions? Read support

14 days free, then $1.99 once. No subscription. No ads.