What is Kiwix Android used for?

Kiwix Android is a kiwix for Android is an offline reader for web content, mainly Wikipedia, that opens compressed ZIM archives without an internet connection. It is a good fit for reading Wikipedia without internet access and bringing educational content to low-connectivity areas.

Is Kiwix Android open source?

Yes. Kiwix Android is open source under the GPL-3.0 licence. Its source code is on GitHub at kiwix/kiwix-android and is written mainly in Kotlin.

Is Kiwix Android free?

Yes. Kiwix Android is open source, so the software itself is free to use.

Can I self-host Kiwix Android?

Yes. Kiwix Android can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.

What are some alternatives to Kiwix Android?

Similar open-source tools in the Education & LMS category include Wikipedia Android, AnkiDroid and freeCodeCamp. SaaS products in the same category include ACT School Reports, AI Math Solver+ and AlgoDrill.

Is Kiwix Android actively maintained?

Yes. The most recent commit to Kiwix Android was on 2 October 2026, and the latest release is v3.14.1, published on 14 May 2026. The project has 1.5k stars on GitHub.

Kiwix Android: open-source education & LMS

About Kiwix Android

Kiwix is an offline reader for web content, designed mainly to make Wikipedia available without an internet connection. This repository is the Android version, written in Kotlin and licensed under GPL-3.0. It reads archives in the ZIM format, a highly compressed open format that includes additional metadata, and supports Android versions from 7.1 to 15.

The README spends much of its length on a limitation of the Google Play variant. Since Android 11, Google's storage policy prevents that variant from loading ZIM files directly from internal or external storage, and storage scanning has been removed. It can only read from the app's reserved directories. The recommended workaround is to use the in-app file picker to move files there, taking care to move them out before uninstalling.

For the full-featured version without this restriction, users can download the app from the official site or use IzzyOnDroid. The project website at android.kiwix.org provides downloads and documentation, and the topics tag the app for offline use, Wikipedia and ZIM files.

Key features

Offline reading of Wikipedia and web content
Opens compressed ZIM archives
Supports Android 7.1 and later
Written in Kotlin
Alternative builds outside the Play Store

Good fit for

→Reading Wikipedia without internet access
→Bringing educational content to low-connectivity areas

Built with: Kotlin
Tags: offline; wikipedia; zim; android; kiwix; reader; kotlin; education

Kiwix Android: questions and answers

What is Kiwix Android used for?: Kiwix Android is a kiwix for Android is an offline reader for web content, mainly Wikipedia, that opens compressed ZIM archives without an internet connection. It is a good fit for reading Wikipedia without internet access and bringing educational content to low-connectivity areas.
Is Kiwix Android open source?: Yes. Kiwix Android is open source under the GPL-3.0 licence. Its source code is on GitHub at kiwix/kiwix-android and is written mainly in Kotlin.
Is Kiwix Android free?: Yes. Kiwix Android is open source, so the software itself is free to use.
Can I self-host Kiwix Android?: Yes. Kiwix Android can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.
What are some alternatives to Kiwix Android?: Similar open-source tools in the Education & LMS category include Wikipedia Android, AnkiDroid and freeCodeCamp. SaaS products in the same category include ACT School Reports, AI Math Solver+ and AlgoDrill.
Is Kiwix Android actively maintained?: Yes. The most recent commit to Kiwix Android was on 2 October 2026, and the latest release is v3.14.1, published on 14 May 2026. The project has 1.5k stars on GitHub.