Kiwix review: read Wikipedia with no connection

Kiwix offline Wikipedia is a free, open-source reader that stores a copy of the encyclopaedia on your own device. It also opens other saved websites packed as ZIM files, compressed archives of web pages. It suits travellers, students, and anyone who wants a reference library that still works with no connection. Once the copy is on the device, looking up a page does not send that search to a website.

Last checked October 28, 2026.

At a glance

What it is: A free reader for offline copies of Wikipedia and other websites, stored as ZIM files.

Works on: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iPhone, iPad, and a browser app. A small server tool can share the files on a home network.¹

Price: The reader is free. Hotspot packages and custom services are paid.¹

Licence: GNU GPL v3 for the Windows and Linux desktop app; GPL v3 or later for the Android app.⁷⁴

Best for: Keeping a private, offline copy of Wikipedia or another reference site.

Official site: kiwix.org

What Kiwix does (and how it protects your privacy)

Kiwix uses ZIM files, highly compressed archives of web content. Download one while you have a connection, then browse with no internet.¹ Kiwix says the reader is free, open source, and without ads or user-data collection. Donations and grants fund it. Hotspot packages and custom services are the paid parts.¹

The privacy benefit is that a lookup stays on the device, so a website does not see which article you opened. What an internet provider can still see still applies to the download. The privacy policy, updated 1 July 2026, says the software does not transmit or record personal information.² It also says file requests are logged with an IP address and user agent, are not used to track individuals, and are kept only for a limited time.²

The copy is a saved edition, not a live site. Wikipedia comes in three sizes. Mini keeps the introduction and infobox and saves about 95 percent of the space. Nopic is the full text without images, about 75 percent smaller. Maxi is the full file.¹

Key features of Kiwix

An in-app catalogue, the Kiwix library, and Zimit if you want to pack your own site.¹
Wikipedia as mini, nopic, or maxi, so you can trade pictures for storage space.¹
Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, and a browser app at pwa.kiwix.org. Windows can use the Microsoft Store, Winget, or an installer. Linux can use a package, Snap, or Flatpak.¹
Kiwix-serve shares files on the local network through a browser, including from a Raspberry Pi using the Debian packages kiwix and kiwix-tools.¹
Android 7.1 through 15, according to the README. The full build opens a ZIM file from any folder.⁴

Pros and cons

Pros

Free, with no ads and no user-data collection, according to Kiwix.¹
Articles open with no connection after the download.¹
One library works on computers and phones, including iPhone and iPad.¹⁵
Smaller Wikipedia files when storage is tight.¹
Public source under the GNU GPL version 3, and the desktop repository is not archived.⁷
One home copy can be shared with kiwix-serve.¹

Cons

The first download needs a connection and free space. Kiwix says file size is always an issue.¹
A ZIM file stays as it was packed until you download a newer one.
From Android 11, the Play Store app only reads ZIM files in its own folders, and uninstalling can delete them.⁴
iPhone and iPad need iOS or iPadOS 17.6 or later. Mac needs macOS 14.6 or later.⁵
Kiwix-serve is HTTP only, without SSL. Kiwix recommends a reverse proxy for a serious deployment.¹
Android asks for storage access to open files, and for location or nearby-device access to find other devices.⁴

Is Kiwix safe and private?

Kiwix’s privacy policy says the software does not transmit or record personal information about its users. The FAQ says Kiwix does not track users or display ads, and that usage is local and private.¹² The organisation on the policy is Kiwix Association, Avenue Auguste-Tissot 4, 1006 Lausanne, Switzerland.²

Google Play was updated on 15 May 2026. The listing says Kiwix is a non-profit, shows no ads, and collects no data. Its data-safety form says nothing is collected or shared with third parties, and Google says the developer supplied that form.⁶ The latest Android release on GitHub is 3.14.1, published 14 May 2026.⁸ Since version 3.12.0, the Play app (org.kiwix.kiwixmobile) only reads ZIM files in its own folders. The full app (org.kiwix.kiwixmobile.standalone) opens a file from any folder.⁴

The US App Store lists version 3.17.1, dated 22 September, after a 17 November 2025 build in the same list. It is free. iPhone and iPad need iOS or iPadOS 17.6 or later, Mac needs macOS 14.6 or later, and Apple Vision needs visionOS 1.3 or later. The seller is Wikimedia CH, the copyright line is Kiwix Association, and the privacy label says no data is collected.⁵

The desktop source is GNU GPL version 3 and is not archived on GitHub.⁷ Android is GPLv3 or later.⁴ Desktop downloads are version 2.5.1, dated 4 January 2026.³ Android uses location permission to find devices on Android 12 and below, nearby-devices permission on Android 13 and above, and storage permission for ZIM files. Scanning all storage on Android 11 and above is only in the full version.⁴

How to get started with Kiwix

Install from an official source: Microsoft Store, Winget, or the Windows installer; a Linux package, Snap, or Flatpak; the App Store on iPhone, iPad, or Mac; Google Play, or the full Android build if you need any folder.¹⁴⁵⁶
Desktop files dated 4 January 2026 are kiwix-desktop_windows_x64_2.5.1.zip, kiwix-desktop_x86_64_2.5.1.appimage, and org.kiwix.desktop.2.5.1.flatpak.³ The Android README sends the full app to the project’s Android download directory.⁴
On a connection, open the in-app catalogue or the Kiwix library and pick a ZIM file.¹ For Wikipedia, mini is short introductions, nopic is full text without pictures, and maxi is the full file.¹
Download on Wi-Fi after checking free space. In the desktop reader, choose “Open file” and select the archive.¹
Turn the network off and open a topic you know. Download a newer file when you want newer pages. On the Play Store app, move ZIM files out of the app folder before uninstalling, or they can be deleted with the app.⁴

Who should use Kiwix (and who might prefer something else)

Kiwix fits travel, a classroom with a weak connection, or home use when you do not want every lookup sent to a live site. A Raspberry Pi can share one copy with kiwix-serve, so several people read in a browser.¹

For ebooks you already own, calibre keeps that library on your computer, and Foliate reads them on Linux. To save a few articles, wallabag is a reading list. Kiwix is the fit for Wikipedia, or another site already packed as a ZIM file.

Frequently asked questions

Is Kiwix free?

Yes. Kiwix says the reader is free, open source, and without ads. Donations and grants pay for it. Hotspot packages and custom services are paid.¹ The US App Store price is free.⁵

Does Kiwix work without internet?

Yes, once the ZIM file is on the device. The download needs a connection. After that, Kiwix opens the archive offline.¹ Pages stay as they were when the file was packed.

Does Kiwix work on iPhone?

Yes. The US App Store requires iOS or iPadOS 17.6 or later, and the same app runs on Mac with macOS 14.6 or later. The listed version is 3.17.1, dated 22 September.⁵

Does Kiwix collect what you read?

Kiwix says the software does not transmit or record personal information, does not track users, and shows no ads.¹² Play and the App Store both say the developer collects no data.⁵⁶ The download is logged: the site records IP address and user agent for a limited time, and says it does not use that to track a person.²