Files, Unwrapped.
Double-click a ZIP, RAR, 7z, TAR or almost any other archive and it opens like a folder in Finder. Look around, drag out what you need, or extract the lot right where it is.
brew install --cask snackstudio/tap/peel
- macOS 13 or later
- Apple silicon and Intel
- Notarized by Apple
- Updates itself
How it works
Open Files. Not Apps.
Archives open in Finder, like folders. No new window to learn: Peel works the way you already do.
Double-click to look inside
Peel opens the archive as a folder in the same Finder window. Browse it, open files, drag out just the ones you need.
Extract from the right-click menu
Peel extracts next to the archive, Peel to… asks where, and Peel & Reveal shows you the result in Finder.
PeelPress Space to peek first
Quick Look lists what an archive holds, with sizes, before you open or extract anything.
Encrypted? Peel asks once
Password-protected ZIP, 7z and RAR archives ask for the password once, then extract like any other. Peel can remember it in your Keychain.
Formats
42 file types, one double-click.
The everyday archives, the awkward ones, and the many file types that are secretly ZIPs underneath.
Archives
Including multipart RAR sets and solid 7z.
- .zip
- .rar
- .part1.rar
- .7z
- .tar
Compressed TARs
Unpacked in one go, no two-step dance.
- .tar.gz
- .tgz
- .tar.bz2
- .tbz
- .tbz2
- .tar.xz
- .txz
- .tar.zst
- .tzst
Single compressed files
One file squeezed down, opened back up.
- .gz
- .bz2
- .xz
- .zst
- .zstd
Books and comics
Look at the pages and pictures inside.
- .epub
- .cbz
- .cbr
- .cb7
- .cbt
Office documents
Get the images and media out of a document.
- .docx
- .xlsx
- .pptx
- .odt
- .ods
- .odp
Apps, code and 3D
Packages that are ZIPs under the hood.
- .jar
- .war
- .ear
- .apk
- .usdz
- .3mf
Installers and design files
Look inside without running anything. Their own apps stay the default.
- .pkg
- .mpkg
- .sketch
- .pages
- .numbers
- .key
Safe by design
An archive can't reach outside its folder.
Archives can be built to write files where they shouldn't. Peel checks every entry before it writes anything.
- Stays in the folder you chooseEntries that point outside it, like
../or absolute paths, are refused. - Links can't redirect a writeA symbolic link in an archive can't send a file anywhere outside that folder.
- Signed and notarizedChecked by Apple, and every update is signed too.
Peel Pro Coming soon
Locked out? Find a way back in.
Forgot the password to an old backup? Inherited an archive nobody can open? Peel Pro is guided recovery for the archives you can't get into.
Opening, browsing and extracting stay free forever. Pro only adds recovery.
Tell me when Pro is ready- Free check firstPeel tells you what it can learn about a locked archive, and whether recovery is realistic, before you pay for anything.
- Remember, don't configureAnswer a few plain questions about the password you used. Peel turns them into a focused search, with no masks or wordlists to set up.
- Look for the originalsSometimes the fastest way in is a copy you already have. Peel checks your Mac for the files the archive was made from.
- Stays on your MacRecovery runs locally. Your archive and your clues never leave your computer.
Questions
Good questions, short answers.
Is Peel really free?
Yes. Opening, browsing and extracting archives are free, with no account, ads or trial, and they stay free. Peel Pro, which is planned, will only add recovery for archives you're locked out of.
Which Macs does Peel run on?
Any Mac with macOS 13 Ventura or later, on Apple silicon or Intel. Peel is one universal app.
How is Peel different from Archive Utility?
Archive Utility only extracts, and it can't open RAR or 7z. Peel opens RAR (including multipart sets), 7z and the other formats listed above, opens them as a folder you can look through before extracting anything, and lists an archive's contents in Quick Look.
Can Peel open password-protected archives?
Yes: password-protected ZIP (ZipCrypto and WinZip AES), 7z and RAR archives. Peel asks for the password once, then extracts, and can remember it in your Keychain for next time.
Can Peel make archives too?
Yes. Select files in Finder and choose Compress with Password… to make an AES-256 ZIP that Peel, 7-Zip, WinZip and Keka open. On the command line, peel create makes ZIP and tar archives.
Is it safe to open an archive I downloaded?
Peel checks every entry before writing it. Entries that point outside the folder you extract to, like ../ or absolute paths, are refused, and a symbolic link in an archive can't send a file anywhere else. Peel is signed and notarized by Apple, and so is every update.
Does Peel upload my files?
No. Archives and everything in them stay on your Mac. The app has no analytics and no account. The only thing it fetches from the internet is the update feed.
How do I install, update or remove Peel with Homebrew?
Install with brew install --cask snackstudio/tap/peel. Peel updates itself, so you don't need brew upgrade. Remove it with brew uninstall --cask peel.
How do I make Peel open all my ZIP files?
In Finder, select a ZIP file and choose File ▸ Get Info. Under Open with, choose Peel, then click Change All. Do the same for RAR, 7z or any other type.
Is Peel on the Mac App Store?
Not yet. A Mac App Store edition is in the works. Until then, download Peel here or install it with Homebrew; it's notarized by Apple either way.
What will Peel Pro do?
Pro is for getting back into your own archives when you've lost the password. Peel first tells you, for free, what it can learn about a locked archive and whether recovery is realistic. Pro then turns what you remember about the password into a focused search, and looks on your Mac for the original files. Everything runs on your Mac.
Something isn't working. Where do I get help?
Report it on GitHub at github.com/SnackStudio/peel-releases/issues, or email hello@snackstud.io. Include your macOS version and, if you can, the archive's format.
Get Peel. Free forever.
No account, no ads, no trial. Everything Peel does today stays free, and it keeps itself up to date.
brew install --cask snackstudio/tap/peel
- Requirements
- macOS 13 Ventura or later, on Apple silicon or Intel.
- Install
- Open the installer and follow it. Or open the disk image and drag Peel to Applications, or run
brew install --cask snackstudio/tap/peelin Terminal. - Updates
- Peel updates itself, and every update is signed. To check now, choose Peel ▸ Check for Updates…
- Uninstall
- Drag Peel to the Trash, or run
brew uninstall --cask peel. - Price
- Free. No account, no ads, no trial.
- Privacy
- Your files never leave your Mac, and the app has no analytics. This site counts visits without cookies. Privacy policy.