Comparison

Wikipedia vs Kiwix

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Wikipedia

Access the world's largest free knowledge base with over 60 million articles in nearly 300 languages. Explore trending topics, save articles for offline reading, and customize your reading experience with various themes and text sizes. Contribute to the community by editing articles and participating in discussions.

Highlights
  • Ad-free and free knowledge access
  • 60+ million articles in 300+ languages
  • Personalized trending news feed
  • Offline article saving
  • Customizable reading themes and text size
  • Map-based location discovery
  • Article discussion and contribution tools
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

The official Wikipedia app for iOS helps you explore the world’s largest free knowledge project — ad-free and free of charge, forever. With 60+ million articles in nearly 300 languages, your favorite encyclopedia is always at your fingertips. Why you’ll love this app Free, open, and ad-free Wikipedia is written and verified by volunteers worldwide, supported by the nonprofit Wikimedia Foundation. No ads, no tracking — just knowledge you can trust. Search smarter, discover more Find the information you need without distraction. Search across 300 languages, explore trending and breaking news through a personalized feed. Add knowledge to your Home Screen Use widgets for quick access to trending articles, featured content, or the “Picture of the Day,” right from your Home Screen. Read your way Choose from light, sepia, dark, or pure black themes. Adjust text size and image dimming for comfortable reading anytime, anywhere. Explore nearby places Learn about landmarks and locations near you — or places you dream of visiting — through map-based article discovery. Stay connected offline Save articles to custom reading lists and access them offline — perfect for travel or learning without internet access. Share and continue seamlessly Share articles and images with friends, or use Handoff to keep reading across your Apple devices. Get insights into your activity See your own reading and contribution activity on Wikipedia with personalized insights that help you understand and celebrate how you use engage with Wikipedia. Stay organized with tabs Open multiple articles in tabs and switch between them with ease, just like in a browser. Compare topics, keep your place, and dive deeper without losing track. Join the conversation Read and reply to article discussion pages, and get notifications when discussions you follow are updated. Contribute on the go Manage your Watchlist to help keep Wikipedia accurate and up to date. Additional Information Feedback: In the app, go to Settings → Send app feedback. Contribute to translations: https://translatewiki.net/wiki/Translating:WikimediaMobile Source code: https://github.com/wikimedia/apps-ios-wikipedia Privacy Policy: https://m.wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Privacy_policy Terms of Use: https://m.wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Terms_of_Use About the Wikimedia Foundation: https://wikimediafoundation.org/

About

Kiwix

Access a vast library of educational content offline. Download encyclopedias, wikis, and more to browse anytime, anywhere without an internet connection. Save data and access reliable information even in remote areas.

Highlights
  • Offline content access
  • Advanced compression technology
  • Vast educational content library
  • Data saving
  • No internet required
  • Non-profit and ad-free
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Access the world's knowledge offline with Kiwix! Download free educational content once and browse it anytime, anywhere - no internet connection needed. Kiwix uses advanced compression technology to store vast amounts of content whilst taking minimal space on your device. Whether you're travelling, have limited internet access, or simply want to save on data costs, Kiwix puts reliable information at your fingertips. Need help? Our team is available at info@kiwix.org should you need any clarifications or support. Support us! Kiwix is a non-profit and displays no ads nor collects any data. Feel free to donate here: https://donate.kiwix.org OR use Apple Pay for donations in the app.

Screenshots

Wikipedia4 screens
Kiwix4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Wikipedia at every 2 weeks against Kiwix's every 2 months. Wikipedia also leads on ratings volume (6.3K vs 427) and chart position (#40 vs #162). Kiwix's advantage is review sentiment (70% vs 55%). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.3 for Wikipedia against 4.2 for Kiwix. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Wikipedia has 6.3K ratings behind it against 427, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 55% of Wikipedia's written reviews are positive against 70% of Kiwix's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Wikipedia ships an update every 2 weeks, Kiwix every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Wikipedia versus Kiwix: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWikipediaKiwix
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (6.3K ratings) — better4.2 (427 ratings)
Positive reviews54.6% of reviews70.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings6.3K — better427
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
Best chart rank#40 — better#162
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS17.617.6
Further details — not scored
Size251 MB18 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperWikimedia FoundationWikimedia CH

Customer experience

Wikipedia

All ratings6,259 ratings
Positive82.4%
Neutral4.5%
Negative13.1%
Written reviews890 reviews
Positive54.6%
Neutral11.3%
Negative34.0%

Kiwix

All ratings427 ratings
Positive80.1%
Neutral3.7%
Negative16.2%
Written reviews382 reviews
Positive70.2%
Neutral8.1%
Negative21.7%

User reviews

Wikipedia

From 6.3K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Vast information repository
  • 👍 Customizable reading experience
  • 🚀 Convenient offline access
  • 👍 Reliable and trustworthy content
  • 👍 Excellent app design and UI

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes and freezes
  • 🔋 High data usage and battery drain
  • 🔒 Concerns about political bias and censorship
  • 🔒 Unreliable editing process and information accuracy

Kiwix

From 427 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Offline access to vast knowledge
  • 👍 Comprehensive content coverage
  • 🎉 Excellent resource for travelers
  • 💡 Innovative concept

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
  • 🔍 Subpar search functionality
  • 🌃 Lack of dark mode
  • 🎥 Video playback problems

Bugs and requests

Wikipedia

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Unresponsive save button
  • Duplicate saved articles issue
  • Broken search functionality
  • Landscape mode rendering problems
  • Syncing issues with offline content

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add tabs for multi-article browsing
  • Implement a forward navigation button
  • Improve saved articles management
  • Integrate text-to-speech functionality
  • Provide more granular content filtering options

Kiwix

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Crashes when searching
  • Downloads getting stuck or disappearing
  • Formatting issues with some content

Requested features

4 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • Ability to update/refresh downloaded content
  • Improved video support
  • Better search and navigation

In-app purchases

None

Wikipedia

No in-app purchases

None

Kiwix

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Wikipedia free?
Wikipedia is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Kiwix free?
Kiwix is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Wikipedia or Kiwix?
Wikipedia is rated higher. Wikipedia averages 4.3 out of 5 from 6.3K ratings, while Kiwix averages 4.2 from 427 ratings.
Do Wikipedia or Kiwix have ads?
Neither Wikipedia nor Kiwix shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Wikipedia or Kiwix?
Wikipedia ships an update every 2 weeks, and Kiwix every 2 months. Most recently, Wikipedia was updated on September 24, 2026 and Kiwix on September 23, 2026.
Which is more popular, Wikipedia or Kiwix?
Wikipedia currently peaks at #40 in the App Store charts, and Kiwix at #162. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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