How to Zip a File on Mac

macOS has built-in zip support right in Finder. No extra software needed. Here are three ways to create zip files on your Mac.

Method 1: Using Finder (Easiest)

The fastest way to zip files on a Mac is right-clicking in Finder.

Select files in Finder

Open Finder and navigate to the file(s) you want to zip. Click to select one file, or hold Cmd and click to select multiple files.

Selecting multiple files in macOS Finder

Right-click and choose "Compress"

Right-click (or Control-click) the selected files. Click "Compress" (for one file) or "Compress [X] Items" (for multiple files).

macOS Finder right-click context menu showing Compress option

Your zip file is ready

A new .zip file appears in the same folder. If you zipped one file, it's named filename.zip. Multiple files create an Archive.zip file. Rename it by clicking once, waiting, then clicking the name.

Newly created Archive.zip file in Finder

Method 2: Using Terminal

The Terminal gives you more control, including excluding hidden macOS files like .DS_Store.

Open Terminal

Open Terminal from Applications > Utilities, or press Cmd+Space and type "Terminal".

Use the zip command

Use the zip command to create your archive:

# Zip a single file

zip archive.zip myfile.txt

# Zip a folder (recursive)

zip -r archive.zip MyFolder/

# Zip multiple files

zip archive.zip file1.txt file2.pdf file3.jpg

# Zip a folder, excluding .DS_Store files

zip -r archive.zip MyFolder/ -x "*.DS_Store"

Pro tip: Always use -x "*.DS_Store" when zipping folders to share with Windows users. Those hidden macOS files are unnecessary clutter on other platforms.

Method 3: Using Keka

Keka is a popular free macOS compression app with password protection and more format support.

Download and install Keka

Download Keka from keka.io (free) or the Mac App Store ($4.99 to support the developer). Drag it to your Applications folder.

Drag files onto the Keka icon

Select your files in Finder and drag them onto the Keka app icon in your Dock. Keka will compress them with your default settings.

Or set Keka as default and right-click

In Keka preferences, set it as the default compression tool. Then you can right-click files in Finder and use Quick Actions > Compress with Keka.

Tips for Zipping Files on Mac

Exclude junk files: macOS adds hidden files like .DS_Store and __MACOSX folders. Use Terminal's -x flag or Keka to avoid this.
Password protection: Finder's built-in Compress doesn't support passwords. Use Terminal (zip -e) or see our password protection guide.
Large files: macOS's built-in zip supports files up to 4 GB. For larger archives, use Keka or Terminal.
Compression ratio: macOS uses the same deflate algorithm as Windows. Text files compress well; media files less so.
Need to unzip a file? Just double-click it in Finder.

Last updated: March 2026