A new accessory has come to the WinRAR software. The WinRAR Archive Messenger Bag is constructed from vegan leather, and it features a rigid compartment, a magnetic snap closure, and a detachable adjustable strap. Its price is $150. The makers of the software now point out that those who have never paid for it could have bought five licenses for exactly that amount.
The bag is a collaboration between the archiving software WinRAR and the fashion brand tern. It originally went on sale in February 2025, sold out fast, and prompted a larger production run. It is now back in stock and available for shipment to buyers around the world.
The bag’s features
- Vegan leather construction
- Rigid compartment
- Magnetic snap closure
- Detachable adjustable strap
- Free WinRAR tote bag included with orders
- Orders ship within 24 hours
- Five-year warranty
The stock announcement
The messenger bag returned to shelves on September 21, and the reaction was swift. A million viewers came back to the bag, which is shaped around WinRAR’s recognizable archive icon.
WinRAR posted the restock announcement, adding a message directed at its unpaid users.
“For those of you who haven’t paid for WinRAR (basically all of you!), then why don’t you get yourself a WinRAR bag instead!”
A viral return
This bag first launched in February 2025, where it sold out entirely. A second production run has since brought it back to the tern store.
A prior report from Tom’s Hardware determined that the $150 price corresponds to a cost higher than that of five WinRAR licenses.
The bag’s role in the business
While the product listing claims that every sale contributes to WinRAR, buyers can technically support the software without purchasing a license.
The bag comes with a five-year warranty.
WinRAR’s history with unpaid users
For years, countless people have continued using WinRAR after its internet’s longest-running software jokes for years. The program’ trial period ends, because the software keeps working while simply reminding users to purchase a license.
In an earlier report, Dexerto detailed the way WinRAR reacted to the launch of version 7.23, with the company joking that the update was bankrolled by users who had finally started making payments.
The June update
In June, WinRAR thanked users for their “recent payments” while announcing its latest software update. The bag’s product listing says every sale contributes to WinRAR.
The bag’s price problem
The $150 price remains considerably higher than simply paying for the program itself.
Our verdict
The bag is a joke, and the company knows it. It is a viral product that also contributes to WinRAR’s revenue stream. The fact that it costs $150 and is worth more than five licenses is the point.
The company believes that it is preferable for users to pay for accessories than to have no income from them at all.
A company that has spent years being funny about its own business model has produced a funny product.
Source material: “WinRAR tells unpaid users to buy viral handbag that costs as much as five licenses,” Dexerto.
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