Free alternative
A free WinRAR alternative
RARLAB’s file archiver for Windows, from win.rar GmbH, which creates RAR and ZIP archives and opens RAR, ZIP and many other archive formats. Anyfile is a free alternative for many of the same jobs: it opens, edits and converts files in your browser, and nothing is uploaded.
WinRAR and Anyfile, side by side
| WinRAR | Anyfile | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Single-user licence: $29 excluding VAT, for one computer. Multi-user licences are priced per user: $21 each for 2–9 users, $16 for 10–24, $13 for 25–49, $10 for 50–99, $8 for 100–199, $7 for 200–499 and $6 for 500–999. The page shows the dollar sign without naming the currency. Source | Free, funded by optional donations |
| Free version | Not a free product, but WinRAR offers a 40-day free trial. WinRAR licences are perpetual (valid for a lifetime, with no subscription); to receive upgrades and updates you buy a Support & Maintenance Package, which covers a 12-month period. Source | Everything is free |
| Free limits | The trial runs for a maximum of 40 days at no charge, after which the licence agreement says a licence must be bought to carry on using WinRAR. The trial version can show a registration reminder dialog. Source | No daily limits; size limits per kind of file (for example 100 MB pictures, 300 MB PDFs) |
| Are files uploaded? | WinRAR is software you download and install (the Windows download is an installer), so archives are handled on your own computer rather than uploaded to a website. Source | No: files are opened and converted in your browser |
| How long files are kept | Not stated on their pages | Never stored: nothing is uploaded |
| Account needed | No account is mentioned. A paid licence is registered with a key file (rarkey.rar) that is emailed to you after purchase. Source | No |
| Ads | WinRAR’s licence agreement says the trial version can show a registration reminder dialog, which can load a web page containing licensing instructions or other material, including advertisement. Source | None |
| Platforms | WinRAR runs on Windows 11, 10, 8 and 7. The same site lists RAR for Linux and Mac and RAR for Android as separate products. Source | Any current browser on a computer, tablet or phone; installable as an app |
| Formats | Supports RAR, ZIP, CAB, ARJ, LZH, TAR, GZip, UUE, ISO, BZIP2, Z and 7-Zip. It also offers AES 256-bit encryption and splitting archives into volumes. Source | 202 file extensions in 17 editors, with 639 one-click conversions |
Facts about WinRAR come from its own pages, checked on 2026-10-22. Prices and limits change, so follow each source for today’s.
When WinRAR is the better choice
WinRAR is the better choice for creating RAR archives and opening RAR files (Anyfile does not open RAR yet), and for heavy archive work on Windows: its own pages describe recovery records, multi-volume and self-extracting archives, and archives of practically unlimited size. Anyfile suits quick ZIP, 7z and tar jobs in the browser, with nothing to install or buy.