What is RAR (Roshal Archive)?
RAR is a proprietary archive format by WinRAR, still common for downloads, with good compression and recovery records.
RAR files are easy to receive and annoying to open. Converting RAR to ZIP turns them into a format every device opens. RAR can only be read here, not created, because the format is proprietary.
File extensions: .rarMIME types: application/vnd.rar
Advantages
- Good compression
- Recovery records repair damaged archives
- Splits into volumes for large downloads
Disadvantages
- Proprietary: only WinRAR may create RAR files
- Needs extra software on most systems
- Not suitable for long-term archiving
Typical uses
- Downloads from forums and file hosts
- Split archives of large files
- Older backups
Compatibility
Windows 11 opens it in Explorer; elsewhere WinRAR, 7-Zip, The Unarchiver or a phone app is needed.
Convert RAR to another format
Frequently asked questions
Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. The conversion runs entirely in your browser with local code. Your files never leave your device, and there is no upload.
Is there a file size limit?
There is no limit on our side, but your browser memory is. Images work for very large files; for videos, files above a few hundred megabytes can fail on devices with little memory.
Will the quality suffer?
That depends on the target format and settings. Use the quality option to balance size and detail; lossless targets keep everything the source contained.
Which browsers are supported?
Current versions of Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari. Fast hardware paths are used where available, with a compatible fallback otherwise.