Keka vs The Unarchiver
A side-by-side feature comparison.
Summary
On macOS, Keka and The Unarchiver are the two essential free archivers. They serve different roles: Keka creates archives in many formats; The Unarchiver only extracts but supports almost every format ever made.
Bottom line: Install both. Keka for creation, The Unarchiver for opening obscure files.
Feature comparison
| Feature | keka | the-unarchiver |
|---|---|---|
| Creates archives | Yes (10+ formats) | No |
| Extracts archives | Yes | Yes |
| Format breadth | Wide | Widest |
| UI | Drag-and-drop dock app | Quiet, runs on double-click |
| Cost | Free outside Mac App Store | Free |
| License | Donationware | Open source (LGPL) |
| Vintage formats | Some | Excellent (StuffIt, BinHex, LHA, etc.) |
About keka
About the-unarchiver
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