---
title: ".cbr file — what it is and how to open it"
description: "A .cbr file is a Comic Book Archive (RAR). The same idea as CBZ but built on RAR, so it needs a RAR-capable reader. How to open one on Windows, macOS and Linux, and what to convert it to."
url: https://atoneplace.net/file/cbr/
site: "At One Place"
---

# .cbr files

**.cbr file: Comic Book Archive (RAR)**

The same idea as CBZ but built on RAR, so it needs a RAR-capable reader.

## What opens a .cbr file

- **Windows:** CDisplayEx, YACReader, Calibre, WinRAR (to extract the pages)
- **macOS:** YACReader, Simple Comic, The Unarchiver (to extract)
- **Linux:** YACReader, MComix, Calibre

## What a .cbr file is

CBR is a RAR archive of comic page images with a renamed extension. Because RAR is proprietary, some readers that handle CBZ fine will refuse a CBR, and Windows 11's built-in archive support covers reading RAR but not creating it. YACReader, CDisplayEx and Calibre all cope; converting to CBZ removes the problem permanently.

## Converting it

A .cbr file is commonly converted to .cbz, .pdf, .zip or .epub. It is a binary format, so a text editor will show unreadable characters rather than its contents.

## Details

- **Extension:** .cbr
- **Full name:** Comic Book Archive (RAR)
- **Category:** E-books
- **MIME type:** application/vnd.comicbook-rar
- **Created by:** Community convention
- **Format:** Binary

## Common questions

### How do I open a .cbr file?

On Windows use CDisplayEx; on macOS use YACReader; on Linux use YACReader. The same idea as CBZ but built on RAR, so it needs a RAR-capable reader.

### What is a .cbr file?

Comic Book Archive (RAR). CBR is a RAR archive of comic page images with a renamed extension. Because RAR is proprietary, some readers that handle CBZ fine will refuse a CBR, and Windows 11's built-in archive support covers reading RAR but not creating it.

### Can I convert a .cbr file?

Yes. It is usually converted to .cbz, .pdf, .zip or .epub, either by exporting from one of the programs listed above or with a format converter.

## Related pages

- [.epub — Electronic Publication](https://atoneplace.net/file/epub/)
- [.mobi — Mobipocket Ebook](https://atoneplace.net/file/mobi/)
- [.azw3 — Kindle Format 8](https://atoneplace.net/file/azw3/)
- [.cbz — Comic Book Archive (ZIP)](https://atoneplace.net/file/cbz/)
- [.djvu — DjVu Scanned Document](https://atoneplace.net/file/djvu/)

## Sources

- Media Types Registry — IANA (https://www.iana.org/assignments/media-types/)
- Official vendor product documentation — At One Place (/about/)