ArchiveBox
Self-hosted tool that saves copies of web pages and media in standard, readable formats.
- Stars
- 28.9k
- Forks
- 1.6k
- Licence
- MIT
- Language
- Python
- Last update
- 4 days ago
- Type
- App
What it is
ArchiveBox is a self-hosted app that takes URLs, bookmarks, browser history, or feeds from services like Pocket and Pinboard, and saves copies of the content in several formats such as HTML, PDF, PNG, WARC, and SQLite. It is meant for keeping pages you care about from disappearing or degrading. Your data stays in ordinary files and folders that can be read without ArchiveBox.
- Save a URL from the command line with archivebox add after setup
- Import bookmarks, browser history, or Pocket/Pinboard links on a schedule
- Save media from YouTube or SoundCloud as MP3/MP4 with subtitles and metadata
- Keep a git clone and README of a GitHub repository alongside saved pages
- Browse the archive through the self-hosted web interface
Great for
- People who want to keep a personal backup of bookmarks or saved links
- Researchers preserving papers and web sources
- Users who want to keep control of their archive on their own machine or server
- Anyone who wants a CLI, web UI, or Python API for managing saved pages
Not ideal for
- People who want a simple hosted bookmark service with no setup, since ArchiveBox must be installed and run
- Users who need guaranteed archiving of pages behind logins or paywalls without extra configuration, since the README does not establish this
- Anyone without comfort running Docker or Python tools from a terminal
How to get it
- 1
Run with Docker
You'll need: Docker (for the Docker Compose option) · Python 3.13 with uv (for the uv install option)
Docker Compose setup
docker compose pullStart with Docker Compose
docker compose up -d --waitInstall with uv
uv tool install --python 3.13 --prerelease explicit --upgrade 'archivebox>=0.9.0rc0,<0.10' - 2
Run it
- Run the Docker Compose commands or the uv install commands from the README
- Open http://admin.archivebox.localhost:5797 to finish setup
- Add a URL with docker compose run --rm archivebox add 'https://example.com' or archivebox add 'https://example.com'
- Browse the saved snapshots in the public UI at http://web.archivebox.localhost:5797
- 3
Get the most out of it
- Install the ArchiveBox browser extension to send pages from your browser
- Schedule regular imports from bookmarks, RSS, or link-saving services
- Use the REST API or webhooks to connect ArchiveBox to other services
- Set BASE_URL if you want a different public base domain
Downloads
Strengths
- Saves pages in open, standard formats that other programs can read directly
- Stores data in ordinary files and folders, with no proprietary format
- Offers a CLI, REST API, webhooks, and Python API for integrations
Trade-offs
- Requires installing and running software, including Docker or Python tooling, and optional tools like Chrome, wget, and yt-dlp
- Some features depend on external tools and sites, so results vary by source
How it compares
| Project | Stars | Type | Level | Updated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ArchiveBox (this) | 28.9k | App | intermediate | 4 days ago | People who want to keep a personal backup of bookmarks or saved links |
| wallabag | 13k | App | intermediate | 4 days ago | People who want a read-later app they control on their own server |
| huginn | 50.3k | App | intermediate | 4 days ago | People who want IFTTT-style automations without sending their data to a third-party service |
| gotenberg | 13.5k | App | intermediate | 4 days ago | Developers who need to turn HTML or web pages into PDFs from their own application |
| ext-saladict | 13.4k | App | beginner | 6 days ago | Language learners who read foreign-language websites or PDFs |
| VidBee | 11k | App | beginner | 4 days ago | People who save videos or podcasts from supported sites and want them organized in one library |
Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.