KIWIX

KIWIX

Imager Service

Imager Service2026-03-06T09:57:31+00:00

© Totte Annerbrink

Make the Kiwix Hotspot your own

Choose the content you want and build your own bespoke Hotspot.

The Imager Service is our web platform for building a hotspot from a curated selection of content. There are thousands of ZIMs in hundreds of languages for you to choose from.

Man holding a tablet with the Kiwix Imager Service on screen.
TED
TED
FreeCodeCamp
TED
YouTube
TED
Wikipedia
TED
TED
TED
TED
PHET
DWDS
TED
Open edX
TED
TED
TED
TED
TED
TED
TED
TED
TED

Little effort.
Big results.

Your gateway to ultimate customisation and control, the Imager Service is designed for power users, data preservers, and anyone with unique information needs. Get unlimited access access to the service for one month to take advantage of all the available content!

Kiwix Catalog
Infinite content

Choose from thousands of websites in hundreds of languages including Wikipedia, TED videos, the Gutenberg library, and more!

One month access
One month
unlimited access

Access the Imager Service for 30 days straight and create as many images as you want during that time!

Kiwix on your Raspberry
Direct to your Raspberry Pi

Should you already own the hardware, our Imager Service can be used to download onto your own Raspberry Pi, independent of any hardware of ours.

Limitless flexibility
Limitless flexibility

Create multiple configurations for different devices, projects, or users. Update, remix, and refine your offline library throughout your month of access—no limits on the number of images you generate.

1TB
Up to 1TB

Store from 3GB to 1 TB of content on a single microSD card. Perfect for large-scale archiving, professional deployments, or building a comprehensive personal knowledge base.

Select and download
Select & Download

You’ll receive an email with a link to your built .img file so you can flash it onto your Raspberry Pi Storage.

Coming soon
Have it delivered to your doorstep

You also have the option to build your custom hotspot and have a Kiwix Hotspot device delivered to you directly.

Order now

We think you will love the Imager Service

Digital archivists and knowledge curators

Preserve vast amounts of information for personal, professional, or community use. Build your own offline libraries with exactly the content you trust and need.

Researchers
and educators

Customise offline resources for specific courses, research projects, or field deployments. Select only the most relevant materials for your audience or mission.

IT professionals
and tinkerers

Experiment, test, and iterate with different content sets. Create, and later update, specialised Hotspots for different devices, teams, or technical requirements.

Remote workers
and travellers

Prepare for any connectivity scenario by loading your Hotspot or Raspberry Pi with the knowledge, tools, and references you’ll need, wherever you go.

Ready to build your own Hotspot?

Create your own unique Hotspot image in minutes.
Imagine everything you can build with your 30 day access!

1.

Purchase and log into the Imager Service

2.

Select the content and configure

3.

Once satisfied with your build, place the order

4.

Receive a download link to your email

5.

Flash the image onto your Raspberry Pi

© Glenn Carstens Peters

Kiwix on a larger scale

We have partnered with organisations worldwide to implement Kiwix as an Offline network solution. Make your academic material available anywhere or archive valuable information indefinitely.

© Gabriel Sollman

Imager Service FAQ

Can I get this solution for free?2026-03-03T13:17:31+00:00

Kiwix Hotspot is made entirely of free software. We sell ready-made versions to help support the development of the solution and pay for our infrastructure though it’s possible to achieve similar results with just time and effort. Check out our Github repositories.

If you’re interested in testing the product, there’s a free, content-less version available for download in Content Bundles.

How do I use the image I just downloaded?2026-03-03T13:21:53+00:00

  1. Flash your .img file onto a microSD card using Raspberry’s Pi imager. Do not edit parameters at it locks the boot system.
  2. Insert your card into the Raspberry and power it up.
  3. First run: after 1-8 minutes (depending on the device and disk) a “Kiwix Hotspot” network (or whatever name you chose on Imager service) will appear. Connect to it. A captive portal will appear.
  4. Follow the instructions from the captive portal that appears or simply type http://goto.kiwix.hotspot (or http://network-name.hotspot if you changed it in Imager service) in your favourite browser. Beware to type the full address with http://, and not https!
  5. That’s it. Browse, and enjoy!
Can I add more content to an Hotspot?2026-03-03T13:27:26+00:00

Yes! Content Bundles are regular Kiwix Hotspot, with a pre-selected collection of content. On a running Hotspot, head over to the Admin Panel to access the ZIM Manager or the File Manager.

Transferring large files over the Hotspot’s network can be frustrating because of its speed. That is why most people choose to build large Hotspots with the Imager Service instead.

What hardware is supported?2025-06-18T09:44:10+00:00

Kiwix Hotspot currently supports the following models:

  • Raspberry Pi 3B
  • Raspberry Pi 3B+
  • Raspberry Pi 4B
  • Raspberry Pi 400
  • Raspberry Pi 5
  • Raspberry Pi 500

We currently don’t support Raspberry Pi Zero2W due to its limited memory, but we plan to. Drop us a message if you’d like it to happen sooner rather than later.

What’s the difference with the Content Bundles?2026-03-03T13:24:19+00:00

We use Imager Service to create the Content bundles!

A Content bundle is one Imager Service configuration that we imagine many people would be satisfied with… but we selected the content (English only) and the admin credentials.

The Imager Service is more flexible because you build your image from scratch, choosing from the complete Kiwix Catalog (in ~350 languages!).

How long does it take to build an image?2025-06-18T06:19:47+00:00

Our policy is within 24 hours but it’s usually a lot faster. It depends on the size of content and the waiting line (we currently only build one image at a time). From 10 minutes to a few hours for the large 1TB images.

How many images can I make within a month?2026-03-03T13:28:41+00:00

The Imager service allows you to create Configurations (like recipes for a Hotspot). Those are your content collections and you can create as many of them as you want up to the very last minute of your 30 day access.

Any configuration can be ordered, triggering a build. You can also request as many as you want but it’s only possible to do so one at a time.

How long can I download the result images for?2025-06-18T09:51:24+00:00

Built images are automatically deleted two weeks after we send you the download link. Contact us if you need to extend one particular file’s lifespan.

Can I replace the Kiwix Hotspot logo on my images?2025-06-18T06:22:09+00:00

We offer a paid-option for this. Contact us if interested.

Is this a single month access or a monthly access?2025-06-18T06:23:23+00:00

It is a single-month, 30 day access. Experience shows that a month is plenty of time to discover, experiment and refine a project’s configuration. Many users buy another access later on to update their images for instance. If you really want permanent access please contact us, we’ll can arrange billing of the fee monthly.

How can I update my images?2025-06-18T06:24:31+00:00

We keep your data for a couple years so you feel right at home when you buy another access in 12 or 18 months. There is also the possibility to export your configurations to a JSON file for you to import later.

Can I create a custom image myself without this service?2025-06-18T06:29:16+00:00

Sure! We have no easy-to-use tool for that though (it’s in our roadmap). If you are a power-user or akin to programming, head over to the offspot repository on Github. All the building blocks, including Imager Service source code, are there.

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each day.

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