Keka versus the alternatives
Four comparisons, one per tab, and a summary table. Our aim is fit, not a winner.
Head-to-head
The Unarchiver (MacPaw) is the other free standard. It extracts nearly everything, handles odd encodings in file names well and is also on the App Store. Difference: it cannot create archives at all, so most people end up with both apps or with Keka alone.
Choose The Unarchiver if you only ever extract and prefer its file-name encoding detection. Choose Keka to create, encrypt and split as well.
BetterZip 5 ($24.95) is the paid power tool: browse inside archives, extract single files, edit and re-save, preview with Quick Look, presets and AppleScript. It creates Zip, 7z, tar variants and DMG and can make RAR if the RAR command-line tool is installed.
Choose BetterZip if you work inside archives daily. Choose Keka if you archive and extract whole things and would rather pay nothing.
Every Mac ships with Archive Utility: right-click › Compress makes a Zip; double-click opens Zip, gzip, bzip2 and tar. No passwords, no 7z, no RAR, no splitting, no options.
Stay with Archive Utility if Zip is all you ever touch. Add Keka the first time someone sends a RAR.
Homebrew installs 7-Zip (7zz) and unar, and RARLAB sells the rar CLI for macOS, the only way to create RAR. These are what Keka wraps. They win for scripting and servers; they lose on the drop-target convenience and password sheets.
Choose the CLI for automation and CI. Choose Keka for the desktop; it even ships the same 7zz you can call from scripts.
Summary table
| App | Price | Creates | Extracts RAR | Encrypt | Browse inside | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keka | Free / $6.49 | 19 formats | Yes | AES-256 | No | Everyone, default choice |
| The Unarchiver | Free | None | Yes | No | No | Extract-only users |
| BetterZip 5 | $24.95 | Many | Yes | AES-256 | Yes | Power users |
| Archive Utility | Built in | Zip | No | No | No | Zip-only |
| 7-Zip / rar CLI | Free / $29 | All incl. RAR | Yes | AES-256 | List only | Scripts, servers |