# kiwix-serve

> kiwix-serve is a free, open-source app you can self-host in the e-books category. HTTP daemon for serving wikis from ZIM files. It has 960 GitHub stars, is released under the GPL-3.0 license. It is a self-hosted alternative to Calibre Cloud.

## Key facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Repository | https://github.com/kiwix/kiwix-tools |
| GitHub stars | 960 |
| Forks | 150 |
| Open issues | 44 |
| License | GPL-3.0 |
| License type | Open source |
| Language | C++ |
| Docker image | No |
| Platforms | C++ |
| Categories | E-books |
| Commits, last 12 months | 50 |
| Last commit | Oct 1, 2026 |
| Latest release | 3.8.2 (Mar 2, 2026) |
| Created | Oct 31, 2016 |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained |
| Archived | No |

Topics: kiwix, offline, zim, http, daemon, library

## Install

kiwix-serve installs natively; follow the README at https://github.com/kiwix/kiwix-tools.

Need it installed for you? [appsgit installation help](https://appsgit.com/services/install): a fixed quote by email, single app installs from $79.

## kiwix-serve replaces

- [Calibre Cloud alternatives](https://appsgit.com/alternatives/calibre-cloud): Hosted e-book library and reading services.

## Similar apps in E-books

- [Calibre](https://appsgit.com/apps/calibre): E-book library manager that can view, convert, and catalog e-books in most of the major e-book formats and provides a built-in Web server for remote clients. (26,071 stars, GPL-3.0, Python)
- [Calibre Web](https://appsgit.com/apps/calibre-web): Browse, read and download eBooks using an existing Calibre database. (18,330 stars, GPL-3.0, Fluent)
- [Audiobookshelf](https://appsgit.com/apps/audiobookshelf): Audiobook and podcast server. It streams all audio formats, keeps and syncs progress across devices. Comes with apps for Android and iOS. (14,555 stars, GPL-3.0, JavaScript, Docker)
- [Kavita](https://appsgit.com/apps/kavita): Cross-platform e-book/manga/comic/pdf server and web reader with user management, ratings and reviews, and metadata support. (11,806 stars, GPL-3.0, C#, Docker)
- [Komga](https://appsgit.com/apps/komga): Media server for comics/mangas/BDs with API and OPDS support, a modern web interface for exploring your libraries, as well as a web reader. (6,713 stars, MIT, Kotlin, Docker)
- [Calibre Web Automated](https://appsgit.com/apps/calibre-web-automated): All-in-one solution, combining the modern lightweight web UI from Calibre-Web with the robust, versatile feature set of Calibre (fork of Calibre Web). (6,373 stars, GPL-3.0, JavaScript, Docker)
- [Bookwyrm](https://appsgit.com/apps/bookwyrm): Social network for tracking your reading, talking about books, writing reviews, and discovering what to read next. (2,791 stars, Anti-Capitalist Software License, source-available, Python)
- [Stump](https://appsgit.com/apps/stump): A fast, free and open source comics, manga and digital book server with OPDS support. (2,731 stars, MIT, TypeScript)

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Canonical page: https://appsgit.com/apps/kiwix-serve
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