A modern and lightweight alternative to kiwix-serve for your ZIM files
About • Why ZIMServer • Use Cases • Installation • Usage • License
ZIMServer lets you serve ZIM files (Wikipedia, Wiktionary, etc.) through a clean Web interface. It's basically kiwix-serve but simpler to use and with a more modern look.
Unlike kiwix-serve which needs system libraries, ZIMServer is just one file. Download it, run it, that's it. No dependencies, no headaches.
Point it at your ZIM files and go. No config files to write, no settings to tweak. Want to serve files? zimserver /path/to/zims. Done.
Clean UI that works on phones and desktops. Fast search when available, proper mobile support, all the basics you'd expect from a modern web app.
Drop a new ZIM file in your folder and ZIMServer picks it up automatically. No need to restart anything. It even waits for files to finish copying before loading them.
Runs fine on a Raspberry Pi. Won't eat your RAM or max out your CPU. Good for everything from old hardware to proper servers.
Schools and libraries without internet can host Wikipedia and educational materials locally. Students get access to millions of articles without connectivity.
In places where internet access is restricted or monitored, ZIMServer provides uncensored access to knowledge on local networks or USB drives.
Medical teams and disaster response units can carry WikiMed, first aid guides, and technical manuals in the field - all available offline.
Researchers and engineers working in isolated locations can access reference materials without depending on satellite internet.
Keep your own offline library at home. Wikipedia snapshots, technical documentation, Project Gutenberg books - always available, always fast.
Deploy in secure facilities or classified environments where external connectivity is prohibited but knowledge access is essential.
Grab a binary (Linux (amd64, i386, arm64, armv7), macOS (Intel/ARM), Windows (amd64, i386, arm64)) from releases or build from source.
Needs Go 1.24+.
git clone https://github.com/gaetanlhf/ZIMServer.git
cd ZIMServer
make build# Point it at your ZIM files
zimserver /path/to/zim-files
# Or specific files
zimserver wikipedia.zim wiktionary.zim
# Mix files and directories
zimserver file.zim /another/directory
# Serve on your network
zimserver --host 0.0.0.0 --port 8080 /path/to/zimsOpen http://localhost:8080 in your browser. That's it.
Download from library.kiwix.org - Wikipedia, Wiktionary, medical references, Stack Exchange, TED, books, and more.
This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License along with this program. If not, see http://www.gnu.org/licenses/.
