Box vs The Unarchiver

Box is a cloud content-management platform focused on enterprise security, compliance, and workflow, rather than just consumer file sync. It emphasizes governance, permissions, and integrations for business.

The Unarchiver is a free macOS application that extracts a wide range of archive formats beyond what Apple's built-in Archive Utility supports, including RAR, 7z, Tar, Gzip, Bzip2, CAB, and many legacy formats like StuffIt, ARJ, and LZH. It can be set as the default handler for these formats so double-clicking any supported archive just works. The app also handles archives with foreign-language filenames, encrypted and multi-volume archives, and can extract files from self-extracting Windows EXE installers. A companion iOS app called Archives brings similar extraction capability to iPhone and iPad.

• Strong enterprise security
• Good governance and compliance
• Wide integrations
• Workflow automation

• Completely free with no in-app purchases or ads.
• Supports a far wider range of archive formats than macOS's built-in tool.
• Lightweight and simple; installs quickly and just works as a default handler.
• Handles edge cases like foreign filenames and old, obscure formats well.

• Overkill for individuals
• Pricier than consumer options
• Interface less consumer-polished

• Mac-only for the desktop app, though a separate iOS app exists.
• No archive creation features; it only extracts, it does not compress.
• Interface is minimal, with no advanced repair or password-recovery tools.