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zealdocs/zeal

Offline documentation browser that searches locally installed docsets in the Dash docset format, on Linux, Windows and other platforms.

Open-source alternative to:Dash

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What is it?

Zeal is an offline documentation browser for developers. It lets you download API reference sets (docsets) for languages and frameworks, then search across them instantly without an internet connection. Zeal uses the same docset format as Dash, so docsets built for Dash can be used with it.

You can limit a search to a specific docset by prefixing the query with its name, such as cpp:vector, or search several docsets at once by separating names with commas. Zeal can also be launched from the command line with a query, which makes it easy to call from scripts or other tools.

The application is written in C++ with Qt 6 and is distributed through Flathub and Snap Store, with Windows builds available from the project website. Building from source requires CMake, Ninja, Qt WebEngine and SQLite.

Key features

  • 01Browse and search many offline docsets from one window
  • 02Search scoped to one or more docsets with prefix syntax like python,django:string
  • 03Command-line launch with a query
  • 04Compatible with the Dash docset format
  • 05Available on Linux via Flathub and Snap, and on Windows

Use cases

  • Looking up API references while coding without a reliable internet connection
  • Keeping language and framework documentation locally on a laptop
  • Searching several libraries' docs at once from a single search box
  • Using Dash-format docsets on Linux or Windows

Quick start

  1. 1

    Install from Flathub or Snap Store, or download a binary from the download page

  2. 2

    Open File → Docset Library, select docsets and click Download

  3. 3

    Build from source with CMake and Ninja (release preset)

    cmake --preset release

Things to know

  • Building from source requires Qt 6.4.2 or later with WebEngine and other dependencies.
  • Windows builds require Windows 10 version 1809 or later.

In collections

Privacy & local-first toolsStatic site generators & documentation tools

Topics

#documentation#offline#api-documentation#docset#developer-tools#qt#cpp#api#dash#desktop-application

FAQ

What is zeal?
Offline documentation browser that searches locally installed docsets in the Dash docset format, on Linux, Windows and other platforms. Zeal is an offline documentation browser for developers. It lets you download API reference sets (docsets) for languages and frameworks, then search across them instantly without an internet connection. Zeal uses the same docset format as Dash, so docsets built for Dash can be used with it.
Is zeal free to use? What license does it have?
zeal is open source under the GPL-3.0 license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is zeal still maintained?
Actively maintained. The last commit to zeal was on Oct 31, 2026.
What can I use zeal for?
Looking up API references while coding without a reliable internet connection Keeping language and framework documentation locally on a laptop Searching several libraries' docs at once from a single search box Using Dash-format docsets on Linux or Windows
How do I install zeal?
Install from Flathub or Snap Store, or download a binary from the download page Open File → Docset Library, select docsets and click Download Build from source with CMake and Ninja (release preset): cmake --preset release
Where can I get zeal?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/zealdocs/zeal

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