Archive to RAR Converter
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Supports: 7Z, FILE, RAR, TAR, TAR.BZ2, TAR.GZ +5 more
Advanced Options - Our defaults are optimized for the best results. We recommend you keeping the defaults unless you have a specific need.
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Need help?Convert Archive to RAR Online
Already have a ZIP, 7z, or tar archive and need it as RAR? This tool unpacks the archive you upload and repacks its contents into a RAR file — a lossless container swap, so every file inside comes out byte-for-byte identical. RAR is a proprietary format created by Eugene Roshal in 1993 (now licensed by win.rar GmbH), prized for tight compression, AES-256 encryption, and recovery records. If you need a format anyone can both open and create for free, Archive to ZIP or Archive to 7z is usually the better target.
How to Convert Archive to RAR
- Upload Your Archive File: Drag and drop your file or click "+ Add Files." Accepted inputs include ZIP, 7z, TAR, TAR.GZ, TAR.BZ2, TAR.XZ, TGZ, and TB2. You can add several archives at once.
- Choose Single or Individual Archives: Under "Combine?", pick Individual Archives to get one RAR per uploaded file (the default here), or Single Archive to bundle everything you uploaded into one RAR.
- Review Advanced Options: The defaults are tuned for general use; expand Advanced Options only if you want to change how files are combined.
- Convert and Download: Click "Convert" and download your RAR. No sign-up, no watermark.
RAR vs the Open Alternatives
| Property | RAR | ZIP | 7z |
|---|---|---|---|
| License | Proprietary (win.rar GmbH) | Open / royalty-free | Open (LGPL) |
| Free to create everywhere | No — needs WinRAR/RAR | Yes | Yes |
| Free to extract everywhere | Yes (since RAR4 license) | Yes | Yes |
| Typical compression | Tightest of the three | Loosest | Comparable to RAR, often tighter |
| Encryption | AES-256 | AES-128/256 (tool-dependent) | AES-256 |
| Recovery record | Yes | No | No |
| Multi-volume split | Yes (.rev volumes) | Limited | Yes |
| First released | 1993 | 1989 | 1999 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Does converting an archive to RAR change the files inside?
No. This is a lossless container swap: the archive you upload is extracted and the same bytes are repacked into a RAR. Documents, images, and code come out identical to what went in — only the outer container and its compression change.
Why is creating a RAR harder than creating a ZIP or 7z?
The RAR compression algorithm is proprietary. RARLAB's license lets any software unpack RAR archives but not create them, so RAR creation has historically required WinRAR or the official RAR tool. Even Windows 11, which added native RAR extraction in the October 31, 2023 update (KB5031455), still cannot create RAR files. ZIP and 7z, by contrast, are open formats that almost any tool can both make and open.
Will the RAR be smaller than my original ZIP?
Often, slightly. RAR usually compresses 10–15% tighter than ZIP for the same content, so repacking a ZIP as RAR can shave some size. The gain depends on the data — already-compressed contents like JPEGs or MP4s barely shrink in any container. In our testing, a 50 MB folder of mixed source code and text repacked from ZIP to RAR came out roughly 8–12% smaller.
What's the difference between Single Archive and Individual Archives?
Single Archive bundles every file you upload into one combined RAR. Individual Archives produces a separate RAR for each uploaded file — useful when you want to keep items packaged separately. For archive-to-RAR conversion the default is Individual Archives.
How do I open the RAR file after converting?
Any modern archive tool opens RAR: WinRAR, 7-Zip, PeaZip, The Unarchiver on macOS, and Windows 11's built-in File Explorer (since the October 2023 update). If you'd rather pull the contents straight back out online, use Extract RAR.
Are my files kept private?
Yes. Files are uploaded over an encrypted connection, processed on our servers, and deleted automatically after a few hours. There's no sign-up, no watermark, and your archives are never shared or made public.