
Because ZIP is open-source, it is far more widely used. RAR files use more efficient compression than ZIP, so they achieve smaller file sizes.Īlso, RAR is a proprietary format, which means developers need to pay for a license to use it. However, there are a couple of important differences between them. They both compress their contents to a single file, which can be securely encrypted and easily transferred. ZIP and RAR files have plenty of similarities. What’s the difference between ZIP and RAR files? This process is often referred to as unzipping.

Your computer, iPhone, iPad, or whatever needs to know how to extract the compressed contents of a ZIP or RAR file before you can use them.

You often encounter ZIP or RAR files when downloading from the internet. They usually contain one or more files or folders that have been compressed to a smaller size. ZIP and RAR files are used to archive and transfer data. What are ZIP and RAR files? ZIP is the most common compressed file format.

