In the sprawling pantheon of software, most names fade. Netscape is a ghost. Winamp is a relic played only on nostalgia drives. But then there is —a name that sounds like a forgotten genetics lab in an Eastern European basement, yet which has outlived every tech boom and bust since the Clinton administration.
Why? Because the nag screen is the marketing. Every day, millions of users see that reminder. They tell their colleagues: “Just click ‘Close’ – it still works.” That word of mouth, spanning three decades, has made WinRAR one of the most recognized software brands on Earth without a single Super Bowl ad or billboard. rarlab
Three reasons:
Licenses are also cheap ($29 for a personal license, lifetime updates). And Rarlab has no VC investors demanding hockey-stick growth. The Roshal brothers own it outright. They are reportedly comfortable. Very comfortable. In the sprawling pantheon of software, most names fade
In 1997, Roshal founded RARLAB, a company based in Russia, to manage the development and distribution of RAR software. Under RARLAB, the company expanded its product line to include additional tools, such as WinRAR, a popular Windows-based archiver, and RAR for Android. But then there is —a name that sounds