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Best Star Alternatives ranked by AI · updated Sep 2026

Star is a Unix command-line archiver designed for creating and extracting tar-compatible archives. It is aimed at system administrators and Unix users who need advanced metadata, ACL, extended-attribute, and tape-archive support.

Developer: Schily Tools Price: Free 🎯 outlane.co/shopify/star-theme

🔓 Open Source 💾 Backup Unix command line file archiver

Top 6 Star alternatives

1

GNU Tar

GNU Project

💡 Pick it for the widest Unix compatibility, documentation, and availability.

GNU Tar is the standard command-line archiving utility on many Linux and Unix systems. It is used by administrators, developers, and backup...

Pros

More commonly preinstalled than Star on Linux systems
Broad scripting support and extensive documentation
Integrates well with gzip, bzip2, xz, and other compressors

Cons

Some advanced metadata behavior differs from Star
Does not provide built-in compression by itself
Command-line syntax can be difficult for newcomers

Free

Alternatives to GNU Tar → Visit site

2

bsdtar

The libarchive Project

💡 Choose it for multi-format archives and strong macOS or BSD integration.

bsdtar is a portable command-line archiving and extraction utility built on the libarchive library. It supports tar-based formats and can read several...

Pros

Excellent fit for Unix shell scripts and system administration
Usually available by default on macOS and many BSD systems
Open-source, portable, and dependable for tar workflows

Cons

Format coverage is narrower than unar for some proprietary archives
RAR and certain legacy formats may require other tools
Command syntax is less intuitive for users coming from GUI utilities

Free

Alternatives to bsdtar → Visit site

3

7-Zip

💡 Pick it for higher compression, encryption, and a desktop interface.

7-Zip is a free and open-source file archiver with a high compression ratio.

Free

Alternatives to 7-Zip → Visit site

4

PeaZip

💡 Choose it when you want Star-like archiving with a full desktop interface.

PeaZip is a free file archiver utility and frontend for multiple compression and encryption tools.

Pros

Supports multiple formats
User-friendly interface

Cons

Occasional bugs

Free

Alternatives to PeaZip →

5

DAR

💡 Pick it for incremental disk backups and recovery features instead of tape compatibility.

DAR is a comprehensive software solution for data analysis and reporting.

$99/month

Alternatives to DAR → Visit site

6

WinRAR

💡 Choose it for Windows-native RAR features, recovery records, and a mature GUI.

WinRAR is a powerful file archiver and compressor.

Pros

Advanced features
Intuitive interface

Cons

Paid software

Paid

Alternatives to WinRAR →

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