ARC to ZIP Converter
Convert ARC to ZIP online for free. Fast, secure, and high-quality conversion with no sign-up or software required.
Maximum file size is 1GB
How it works
Three steps to your converted file
Everything happens in your browser tab - upload, pick a format, download. The heavy lifting runs on our servers.
Upload your file
Drag and drop, click to browse, or paste a URL. Batches take up to 20 files at once - 230+ input formats across video, audio, image, document, and archive types.
Choose an output format
Pick from over a hundred output formats. Filter by category or search by name - every option is open to everyone, no account needed.
Convert & download
Hit Convert and grab your download link moments later. Originals are erased when the job completes; results are cleared within about an hour.
What is an ARC file?
The ARC file format is a legacy lossless data compression and archival container developed by System Enhancement Associates (SEA). Designed by Thom Henderson in 1985, it aggregates multiple files into a single binary structure using varying compression methods, most notably Lempel-Ziv-Welch (LZW) and Huffman coding. It served as the de facto standard for the Bulletin Board System (BBS) environment during the 1980s before being largely superseded by the PKZIP format. The architecture allows for hierarchical storage and metadata retention, though it lacks the encryption standards found in modern containers like 7z or RAR.
How to open an ARC file
Modern operating systems do not provide native kernel-level support for the SEA ARC format. Users require specialized third-party file extraction software to parse the legacy headers. On Windows, WinZip, PeaZip, and IZArc retain backward compatibility for extraction. macOS users can utilize The Unarchiver, while Linux environments often rely on the command-line utility nomarch (an open-source implementation of the ARC extraction algorithm) to access archived contents.
ARC Technical Info
- Full Name
- ARC Archive
- Developed By
- System Enhancement Associates (SEA)
- Initial Release
- 1985
- MIME Type
- application/x-arc
What is a ZIP file?
The ZIP format is an archive file format capable of lossless data compression, originally created by Phil Katz of PKWARE. It utilizes a Central Directory structure to catalog files and supports various compression algorithms, most notably DEFLATE (RFC 1951). The format is standardized under ISO/IEC 21320-1:2015 as a document container file and serves as the base structure for modern file types like .docx and .jar.
How to open a ZIP file
The ZIP format enjoys universal native support across all major operating systems, including Windows (File Explorer), macOS (Archive Utility), and Linux. No third-party software is strictly required for basic extraction, though power users often employ tools like 7-Zip or WinRAR to access advanced features like AES-256 encryption or multi-volume spanning.
ZIP Technical Info
- Full Name
- ZIP Archive
- Developed By
- Phil Katz (PKWARE)
- Initial Release
- 1989
- MIME Type
- application/zip
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Why RunConvert
The fastest way to convert any file
Purpose-built for speed, privacy, and breadth of format support.
Convert ARC to ZIP in seconds
Every ARC to ZIP conversion runs on our servers, so your device stays fast and the output quality stays intact.
Fast, cloud-powered
No queue, no waiting. Files are processed on high-performance servers and returned in seconds, even for large files.
Secure & private
Encrypted in transit and never shared with anyone. Uploads are erased the moment your job completes, and results shortly after.
Free - no account needed
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Developer API
Convert ARC to ZIP via API
Automate ARC to ZIP conversions in three steps: create a job, upload your file, then poll for the result.
# 1. Create job
curl -X POST https://api.runconvert.com/v3/jobs \
-H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"tag": "arc-to-zip",
"tasks": {
"upload-file": {
"operation": "import/upload"
},
"convert": {
"operation": "convert",
"input": "upload-file",
"output_format": "zip"
},
"export-result": {
"operation": "export/url",
"input": "convert"
}
}
}'
# 2. Upload your file (use upload_url from the response)
curl -X PUT "$UPLOAD_URL" --upload-file input.arc
# 3. Poll for result
curl https://api.runconvert.com/v3/jobs/$JOB_ID?include=tasks \
-H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"Replace YOUR_API_KEY with your RunConvert API key. Get your free API key at runconvert.com/api.