Glance
A small window that opens right by the pointer. See what’s inside, extract, and get back to work.
Made for Mac. Designed with Liquid Glass.
Archives, opened with care.
See what’s inside and take the next step — without extracting a thing. Packing for someone else? Stow makes sure it opens on their computer too.
brew install --cask beastry/tap/stow
Designed around what you actually ask
Every archive raises the same four questions.
Most archive tools answer one of them: “where should I extract this?” Stow answers all four, on one screen.
What’s in it?
Browse, search and preview everything — even archives inside archives — before anything touches your disk.
Anything to watch for?
Stow reads names, paths and apps as an archive opens, and speaks up only when something needs a look.
What’s next?
Fonts offer to install. Apps offer to install too. The right step is already on screen.
Will it open for them?
Tell Stow who it’s for. It fixes names Windows rejects and leaves out Mac-only clutter.
Walkthrough
See it work, step by step.
Real screens from the app, one step at a time.
Notices
Quiet, until something needs a look.
As an archive opens, Stow reads its names, paths and apps. Most archives need nothing said. When one does, a notice sits above the files and says, in plain words, what it found and what Stow will do about it. It doesn’t scan for malware; macOS still checks an app the first time it opens.
- Paths stay inside. Entries that try to write outside the folder are kept in it.
- Nothing half-written. Work happens in a private staging area; a cancelled job leaves no mess.
- Originals untouched. Browsing and previewing never change the archive.
ZIP
Harbor Prototype 1.3.zip
ZIP archive · 2 files
- Harbor Prototype.app isn’t notarizedmacOS will ask before opening it. Only run it if you trust whoever sent this.
- 1 path tried to leave the folder“../../.zshrc” will be kept inside the destination folder instead.
Actions
The next step is already there.
Select something and Actions, at the bottom of the window, offers exactly what makes sense for it — no hunting through menus, no extracting first and figuring it out later.
- Fonts → Install, straight from the archive.
- Apps → Install App, and Stow says first if it isn’t notarized.
- Installers → Open Installer, without unpacking first.
- Archives inside archives → Open Inside, like a folder.
Editing
Change an archive without unpacking it.
Add files, rename and delete right in the browser. Nothing is written until you save — then it’s written in one step.
- Marked as you go. New and renamed files are labelled, and the bar counts unsaved changes.
- Revert any time. Until you save, the archive on disk hasn’t changed.
- Safe to save. A new copy is written first, so a cancel or an error leaves the original as it was.
Packing
Say how you want it.
Say how you want it.
In one sentence.
No dialog full of checkboxes. Change any highlighted word — the report underneath tells you exactly what will happen. Try it.
Click a highlighted word to change it
Around your Mac
Wherever an archive turns up.
The Tray
A shelf for files from anywhere, one click away in the menu bar. Gather them, then pack them or drag them out together.
Open Recent
The welcome window keeps your recent archives, with where they are and when you last opened them.
Quick Look
Press Space on an archive in Finder to see its size and contents without opening Stow.
Thoughtful details
Small things, done properly.
Hover to peek
Rest the pointer on a file to preview it. Once one is open, its neighbours open instantly — so scanning a list feels effortless.
- Lighthouse.jpg230 KB
- Pier at Dawn.jpg224 KB
- Harbor at Night.jpg233 KB
- Brand Guidelines.pdf599 KB
- Rope Detail.jpg265 KB
Errors in plain words
When something goes wrong, Stow says what happened and what to do next — never just a code.
Search inside
Remember part of a name? That’s enough.
Nested archives
An archive inside an archive opens like a folder. No extracting first.
Encrypted & split
AES-256, hidden file names in 7Z, and volumes sized for email or a FAT32 drive.
Formats
Opens 30+ formats. Creates the ones that matter.
From everyday ZIPs to installer packages and disk images, built on the official 7-Zip engine.
| Format | Extensions | Create |
|---|---|---|
| ZIP | .zip .zipx .jar .apk | Encryption, split volumes |
| 7Z | .7z | Encrypted file names |
| TAR family | .tar .tgz .tbz2 .txz .tar.zst | Keeps permissions |
| RAR 4 & 5 | .rar .cbr .partN.rar | Open & extract |
| Compressed files | .gz .bz2 .xz .lzma .lz .zst | Open & extract |
| Disk images | .dmg .iso | Open & extract |
| Packages | .pkg .xar .cab .msi .rpm .deb .cpio .arj .lzh | Open & extract |
Privacy
Your files stay yours.
Everything happens on your Mac
No uploads, no analytics on what you open. Archive contents, names and passwords never leave the device.
Parsing runs in isolation
Archives are read by a separate, sandboxed helper. A malformed file can’t reach the rest of the app.
Nothing changes until you save
Edits are staged and written in one step. Cancel, or hit an error, and the original is exactly as it was.
Open source
Free. All of it.
Free. All of it.
For everyone.
No trials, no Pro tier, no feature behind a paywall. Every line is public, so you can read exactly what Stow does with your files.
Read every line
The app, the sandboxed engine helper and this website are all in one public repository. Trust you can check.
Everything included
Search, hover previews, Glance, the Tray, encryption, split volumes, editing, installing apps and fonts — no upsell, ever.
Built in the open
Report a bug, suggest a format, translate the interface or send a pull request. The roadmap is public too.
Questions
Where do I download it?
Download the signed, notarized DMG from the latest GitHub release, then drag Stow to Applications. These are early releases for macOS 26 or later, on Apple silicon and Intel Macs. You can also build from source.
Will Stow change my original archive?
Never by browsing, previewing or extracting. Changes happen only when you edit and save — and they’re written to a staging copy first, so a cancel or an error leaves the original exactly as it was.
Can it create RAR files?
No — RAR creation is licensed by its authors. Stow opens and extracts RAR 4 and 5 (including encrypted and multi-part ones). To pack, ZIP works everywhere and 7Z compresses harder.
What does “for Windows PCs” actually change?
It replaces characters Windows rejects (like “:” or “?”), renames reserved names such as “aux”, stores accents the way Windows expects, and leaves out “.DS_Store” and other Finder files. You see every change before packing; your originals stay as they are.
Are my files or passwords uploaded?
No. Everything happens on your Mac. Stow has no accounts and sends nothing about your files anywhere — and because it’s open source, you can verify that.
Is it really free?
Yes — every feature, for everyone, with no trial or upgrade. Stow is open source.
How can I help?
File bugs and feature requests, add a translation, or pick up an issue and send a pull request. Archives that Stow struggles with are especially useful — share them if you can.
Open your next archive
with Stow.
brew install --cask beastry/tap/stow