Why a ZIP file is the best format for saving a website
When you save a website page by page from your browser, you end up with dozens of loose files and broken links between them. A ZIP archive solves this: one file contains the complete website — every subpage, image, stylesheet and script — with the internal links intact. You can store it, move it to a USB stick, send it to a colleague or unpack it years later, and the site still opens in any browser.
The 3-step method (no installation)
- Open the downloader: Go to website-downloader.com — it runs entirely in your browser, so there is nothing to install and it works on Windows, macOS, Linux and tablets.
- Paste the address: Enter the URL of the website you want to save and start the download. The crawler follows the internal links and collects up to 100 subpages for free — you can watch the progress live.
- Download the ZIP: When the crawl finishes, you get a single ZIP archive. Unpack it and open index.html — the website works offline, links and design included.
What ends up inside the ZIP
The archive mirrors the website as the server delivers it: HTML documents for every crawled subpage, CSS stylesheets, JavaScript files and images, organized in folders that match the site structure. Classic and static websites reproduce very well. Two honest limitations: pages that build all of their content dynamically in the browser (heavy single-page apps) and content behind a login may be saved incompletely — that is true for every website copier, online or installed.
Alternatives compared
- Browser "Save page as…": saves one page only, no subpages — fine for a single article, useless for a whole site.
- HTTrack / wget: powerful desktop tools, but you install and configure them yourself, and your computer must stay on during the crawl. Read our detailed comparison.
- Single-page online tools: quick for one page, but most cannot follow subpages or keep your files available for re-download.
Choosing the right start URL
Small detail, big effect: start the crawl at the address the website itself uses. If the site lives at
https://www.example.com, use exactly that (with www) — otherwise the first request may be a redirect and some crawls collect less than they could. For documentation portals it can also pay off to start one level deeper (e.g.
example.com/docs): the crawler follows internal links from your start page, so a focused start URL gives you a focused archive.
Troubleshooting: the ZIP opens, but something looks broken
- Images missing: They were probably loaded from an external image CDN (another domain). Crawlers collect files of the site itself; third-party content stays external.
- Fonts look different: Same reason — fonts served from Google Fonts and similar services need an internet connection or manual download.
- A page is empty: The page likely builds its content with JavaScript in the browser (single-page app). No copier — online or installed — can fully freeze those without a rendering step.
- Links jump to the live site: Absolute links (full https://-addresses in the HTML) keep pointing to the original. Navigation via relative links works offline.
Larger websites: one-time purchase instead of a subscription
Up to 100 subpages per download are free, without registration. For one big website there is the
Single Site one-time purchase (7.99 €, up to 5,000 subpages, no subscription); monthly plans cover up to 30,000 subpages and 30 GB of storage. Registered users keep their ZIP files for 30 days.
Frequently asked questions
Can I open the ZIP on my phone?
Yes — unpack it with any file manager and open index.html in your mobile browser.
Does the download include PDFs and other documents?
Files that are linked from the crawled pages and served from the same website are included.
Is it legal?
Saving a public website for private, personal use is generally fine; re-publishing someone else's content is not. You are responsible for how you use the downloaded material.