Side by side
The Unarchiver vs Universal Extractor 2
Both stand on file compression software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan LinuxMacWindows
The Unarchiver provides broad archive-format support in a free macOS app, with command-line tools for other operating systems. Check the system requirement and its documented format limitations if you rely on a specific archive type.
Visit The Unarchiver Free plan Windows
Universal Extractor 2 offers broad extraction support and batch and scan-only modes on Windows. It is an extraction-only project that remains in beta, with rare updates and differing licenses among some bundled extractors.
Visit Universal Extractor 2The facts
| The Unarchiver | Universal Extractor 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | Linux, Mac, Windows | Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | theunarchiver.com | github.com |
| On file compression software | #19 of 36 | #23 of 36 |
The Unarchiver: what it does well
- Free, with no in-app purchases for additional features.
- Supports ZIP, RAR, 7z, TAR, Gzip, Bzip2, and ISO.
- ZIP support includes AES encryption.
- Handles archive names with non-Latin characters.
- Command-line tools are available for Windows and Linux.
What to know first
- The graphical app requires macOS 10.13 or later.
- There is no graphical app for other operating systems.
- Windows command-line version is slightly outdated.
- StuffIt X support is partial; Ace 2.0 and later are unsupported.
Universal Extractor 2: what it does well
- Supports more than 500 additional file types.
- Batch mode processes multiple files.
- Scan-only mode identifies file types without extraction.
- Portable version and command-line tools are available.
- Free for Windows XP or newer.
What to know first
- Cannot recompress files.
- Project says updates are rare and it remains in beta.
- Some bundled extractors have commercial-use restrictions.
- Context-menu entries create registry entries.
Alternatives to The Unarchiver Alternatives to Universal Extractor 2 The whole list