BetterZip lets you quickly inspect archives without first extracting their contents.
Extract Only Files You Really Need: If you only need a few files or folders from a larger archive, you don't have to extract the whole thing. Simply drag the files you need from the BetterZip window to any Finder window or the desktop.
Open Archives Without Extracting: Not only can BetterZip open archives without first extracting them but you can also search for a file using the iTunes-like interface. BetterZip can open and extract archives with the most common formats: ZIP, SIT, TAR, XAR, XZ, GZip, BZip2, RAR, 7-Zip, CPIO, ARJ, LZH/LHA, JAR, WAR, CAB, ISO, CHM, RPM, DEB, NSIS, BIN, HQX, DMG, EPUB, and Winmail.dat.
Create Archives: Simply drag files and folders from your hard drives, disks, or network places into your new zip file. You no longer have to copy all the files into a temporary folder first. The supported formats are ZIP, TAR, GZip and BZip2 compressed TAR, XAR, 7-ZIP, and RAR (using the external RAR commandline tool). Large archives can also be split.
Protect Your Data: BetterZip can protect your data with a password and create AES-256 encrypted archives. 7-zip and rar archives can also be protected.
Update Archives: Add new or updated files to existing archives. Remove any file or folder from an archive, or even move files around inside the archive as if it were a normal folder.
Make Archives Compatible: Strip Mac-specific files and resource forks from archives for best compatibility with systems like Windows or Linux.
What’s new in version 5.4
New Features
The new Close File command (choose File > Close File from the menu or press ⌃⌘W on the keyboard) will close the current file, but leave the window open and return to the initial state.
Non-archive files can now be previewed in BetterZip when selected in the built-in file browser (the left sidebar).
Enhancements
The archive's macOS quarantine flag will not only be preserved for extracted executable files, but also for extracted (recursive) archives.
The Quick Look preview now automatically sorts by file name.
When clicking in the background of the file list and dragging the mouse up or down, BetterZip will now select files like in the Finder.
Bug Fixes
Sequential archives (.001, ...) didn't open correctly in some cases.
Archives with a digit in the first place of the filename extension couldn't be opened, if they were not multi-volume archives (e.g., archive.3mf).
Moving archives to the trash after extraction now works reliably.
When using a save preset, and selecting the option “Don’t include the single root folder in the archive”, BetterZip wouldn't save the archive to a folder set in the preset, but always next to the original.
The preset option "Move after successful extraction" would only move the numbered parts .z01, .z02, ... of WinZip-style multi-volume zip archives while leaving the last .zip named part behind.
If BetterZip is set to open directly to DropBar, closing the DropBar did not result in BetterZip quitting.
Extracting from an opened subfolder in a Finder list view window to a place through the Finder extension extracts to a different folder.
Automator actions for extracting or compressing files couldn't be configured, if there were multiple presets with the exact same name.
Regularly updated and works well. I'm a huge fan of the built-in Quick Look Generator so you can view the contents of a zip archive in the Finder without opening it. (I tried to write a review but the page wouldn't save/complete.) I'd give it 4.5 stars.
Betterzip freezes when opening a folder using 100% CPU resources. Had to force quit and resorted to Keka. Much simpler, more compression options, and doesn't freeze. A shame as I just spent $10 to upgrade to a newer version of Betterzip. WOM (waste of money).
Have been using this app since version 2. Never let me down. A must have if you deal with Windows/Linux users on a regular basis (BetterZip filters out all the pesky .DS_store files and other Mac specific cr*p that nobody cares for). Creating compressed files in whatever format is a breeze. Also extracting only selected files from large archives. Developer is very responsive (contacted him twice).