Zipeg for Mac

Product snapshot

Zipeg is a free archive viewer and extractor that’s particularly handy for dealing with image-containing archives. It requires no registration or payment and offers a visual preview so you can inspect files before extracting them. If you prefer another option, ALZip (free) is a commonly recommended alternative.

Standout capabilities

• Runs extraction tasks in the background so you can keep working while archives are being processed.
• Lets you unzip files quickly by dragging them onto the app — simple and intuitive.
• Provides a preview pane so you can see thumbnails and file lists before committing to extraction.
• Offers a clean, attractive interface that’s easy to navigate.
• Can sort folder contents by name, size or modification date.
• Checks for updates automatically to keep the tool current.
• Note: thumbnail generation can be slow for some files, so previews might not appear immediately.

Archive types handled

• 7z, TAR, TGZ, GZ, ZIP
• RAR, WINRAR, ARJ, LHA / LZH
• BZIP2, CPIO, RPM, ISO
• CHM, Z, CBR, CBZ, WAR, EAR

Recent fixes and enhancements

• Added new preference options to give users more control.
• Ensured the Caps Lock state is respected in password entry dialogs.
• Improved checks for write permissions at destination folders to avoid failed extractions.
• Use the volume’s local Trash when overwriting files to prevent cross-volume issues.
• Enabled opening of nested (“matryoshka”) archives so inner archives can be inspected directly.
• Restored compatibility for Mac PPC builds.
• Addressed Java 1.5 compatibility issues.
• Optimized handling of resource forks on macOS.

Practical tips for daily use

• Preview files first to avoid extracting unwanted or suspicious content.
• Drag-and-drop is the fastest way to extract single files or entire archives.
• If thumbnails take a while to appear, give the app a moment — background processing may still be generating them.
• Keep automatic updates enabled to benefit from security and compatibility fixes.