Xarchiver review
A free, open-source archive manager with broad format support and command-line options.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Xarchiver is a lightweight graphical archive manager for Linux and FreeBSD. Its desktop-environment-independent interface supports browsing archive directories, creating archives, adding files, extracting contents, testing archives, and modifying existing packages. It is aimed at users who want a straightforward graphical front end while retaining access to external command-line archiving utilities. The application also supports drag-and-drop operations, archive comments, archive signature detection, and export of archive contents as HTML or text.
Format coverage is broad, including 7z, ARJ, bzip2, gzip, LHA, LZMA, RAR, TAR, ZIP, Debian packages, and RPM packages. Xarchiver can handle encrypted ZIP, RAR, ARJ, and 7z archives, and its multi-extract function is useful when several archives need to be processed together. Command-line options extend the workflow beyond the graphical interface, including extraction and archive creation, while command-line output can be displayed within the application. Users who move between graphical and terminal-based archive tasks should find this combination particularly relevant.
Xarchiver is free and open source, making it a practical choice for Linux users who want archive management without a paid tier. Its main dependency is the set of separately installed command-line archiving utilities: the formats available for creation depend on which utilities are present. That arrangement suits users comfortable managing their Linux environment, but it adds an installation consideration compared with a self-contained archive utility. Choose Xarchiver for lightweight Linux or FreeBSD archive browsing and manipulation, especially when encrypted archives, multi-extract actions, and terminal options matter. Consider an alternative if split-archive workflows or a portable distribution are central requirements.
Xarchiver pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Creates, extracts, tests, and modifies archives
- Supports encrypted ZIP, RAR, ARJ, and 7z archives
- Offers multi-extract, drag-and-drop, and CLI options
- Where it doesn't
- Relies on separately installed command-line archiving utilities
- Archive creation support depends on available utilities
- Split-archive workflows are not a stated strength
Xarchiver fact sheet, pricing and score →
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