ZST files are becoming more common.
Developers use them. Backup workflows use them. Infrastructure tools use them. Large datasets and technical downloads may arrive as .zst or .tar.zst files.
Zstandard is fast, modern, and efficient.
The problem is macOS.
macOS handles ZIP files easily, but ZST is not part of the normal Finder workflow. When you receive a .zst file, you often end up looking for command-line tools or a larger archive manager just to extract one file.
Creating ZST files can feel just as awkward.
That should be simpler.
Opening a ZST archive should be a normal Mac action: drop the file, extract it, and continue working. Creating a ZST archive should be just as direct: drop files or folders, choose the compression style, and get the result.
That is the idea behind unpackZST and packZST.
unpackZST is built for extracting .zst and .tar.zst files on Mac. It uses a focused drag-and-drop workflow, works locally, and keeps the process simple without background services or setup.
packZST does the other side. It creates .zst files from dropped files and .tar.zst archives from folders, with compression modes like Fast, Balanced, and Smallest. It also works locally and is designed as a small, focused macOS utility.
Both apps stay focused.
unpackZST and packZST are available on the Mac App Store:
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