What is Zeal used for?

Zeal is an offline documentation browser that offers a searchable personal reference library with 981 docsets. It is a good fit for accessing documentation without internet connection and quickly searching technical references.

Yes. Zeal is open source under the GPL-3.0 licence. Its source code is on GitHub at zealdocs/zeal and is written mainly in C++.

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

Can I self-host Zeal?

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

What are some alternatives to Zeal?

Similar open-source tools in the Docs & Wikis category include DevDocs, SpectaQL and Outline. SaaS products in the same category include 1explain, Adobe FrameMaker and Adobe RoboHelp.

Is Zeal actively maintained?

Yes. The most recent commit to Zeal was on 7 October 2026, and the latest release is v0.9.1, published on 28 July 2026. The project has 13k stars on GitHub.

Zeal: open-source docs & wikis

About Zeal

Zeal is an offline documentation browser that functions as a personal reference library. It allows users to search through documentation instantly without an internet connection.

The application offers 981 docsets covering a wide range of technologies, including programming languages, frameworks, and tools. It is available for Windows and Linux, with a separate app for macOS called Dash.

Key features

Offline documentation browsing
Instant search across docsets
981 available docsets
Available for Windows and Linux

Good fit for

Accessing documentation without internet connection
Quickly searching technical references

Built with: C++ tools
Tags: offline; documentation; browser; reference; developer-tools

Zeal: questions and answers

What is Zeal used for?: Zeal is an offline documentation browser that offers a searchable personal reference library with 981 docsets. It is a good fit for accessing documentation without internet connection and quickly searching technical references.
Is Zeal open source?: Yes. Zeal is open source under the GPL-3.0 licence. Its source code is on GitHub at zealdocs/zeal and is written mainly in C++.
Is Zeal free?: Yes. Zeal is open source, so the software itself is free to use.
Can I self-host Zeal?: Yes. Zeal can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.
What are some alternatives to Zeal?: Similar open-source tools in the Docs & Wikis category include DevDocs, SpectaQL and Outline. SaaS products in the same category include 1explain, Adobe FrameMaker and Adobe RoboHelp.
Is Zeal actively maintained?: Yes. The most recent commit to Zeal was on 7 October 2026, and the latest release is v0.9.1, published on 28 July 2026. The project has 13k stars on GitHub.