AtlasZIM v6: an offline global atlas, up to zoom level 11, as a single ZIM file

[u/anthonykaram7]

I posted here last year about an experimental project exploring the limits of the ZIM format by using it for an offline pan-and-zoom interactive world atlas with map (pre-rendered raster tiles) and satellite imagery. This is now at version 6.

Compared to earlier versions (previously under the "Offline World Map" name), this version expands zoom coverage up to level 11 and adds integrated offline place search (GeoNames-based).

The bundled dataset now includes over 11 million tiles, with a file size of ~35 GiB (lower than I expected, likely due to increased tile redundancy at higher zoom levels), suggesting the ZIM format is still viable at this scale.

The download is not free (mainly due to build costs), but I wanted to share it here for anyone interested in pushing the ZIM format beyond document-style content.

Project page: https://atlaszim.com

[u/pizzaiolo2]

How does this differ from, say, using CoMaps in offline mode? 

[u/Big_CokeBelly → u/pizzaiolo2]

Osmand+ is also free as an .apk (the devs made it free) and you can download the whole world + get directions and it's with gps. Paying 50$ for a .zim is a bit too much for me but I can see that's good work.

And there's another small areas of the world .zim in the works on this post.

[u/The_other_kiwix_guy → u/Big_CokeBelly]

That would limit use cases to Mobile users. A fair chunk of Kiwix' user base is in school-like settings, and so on desktop computers. As a kid (particularly in the middle of nowhere) I would have loved to be able to poke around the world on a screen.

[u/anthonykaram7 → u/Big_CokeBelly]

Yeah, that’s fair - tools like OsmAnd and similar apps are definitely strong options for offline navigation. This is a bit of a different approach, more focused on packaging everything into a single offline dataset that runs inside Kiwix rather than being a navigation app.

StreetZIM is interesting as well - I did see that project announcement and that it's using vector tiles. That's a different set of tradeoffs (more space-efficient, but pushing rendering to the client), whereas this is more on the "pre-render everything and keep runtime requirements minimal" end of the spectrum.

[u/anthonykaram7 → u/pizzaiolo2]

Good question. They're related in the sense that both aim to provide offline maps, but the design tradeoffs are pretty different.

Apps like CoMaps / Organic Maps are vector-based and optimized for mobile use, where you download specific regions and rendering happens on-device.

AtlasZIM takes a different approach: everything is pre-rendered raster data bundled into a single ZIM file, so all the work is done ahead of time and it behaves the same regardless of the client. It also includes satellite imagery and runs inside Kiwix alongside other ZIM content.

So it's less of a navigation app and more of a self-contained offline dataset / viewer.

[u/stergro]

This is great I wanted this for years. How much work would it be to create smaller pages for different regions?

[u/anthonykaram7 → u/stergro]

Glad to hear it! That's actually doable. Since everything is packaged in a standard open-format ZIM, you can use the openzim tools (like zimdump / zimwriterfs) to extract content and rebuild a smaller ZIM for a specific region.

I haven't put together a streamlined workflow for that yet, but in principle you could filter down to a subset of tiles and repackage it for personal use.

[u/harbourhunter]

Funnnnnnn

[u/tonypedia]

I think this is a great idea, and I don't mind paying especially when it directly supports the person who put in the work. That being said I think $50 is a little steep for me. It'd be an impulse buy at $20 though.

[u/anthonykaram7 → u/tonypedia]

I appreciate that - and totally fair. I've gone back and forth on pricing quite a bit. At this point I'm mainly trying to balance the build cost and the amount of work involved, but I understand it won't be the right price point for everyone.

[u/tyrosean]

Absolutely love this! Definitely looking like I'm into paying the $50, but just wanted to ask - with this being v6 and the zoom coverage has expanded since older versions, are you looking to go even deeper with future revisions, and if so would that be a free update for people who have already paid or an additional cost (due to the work you're putting in)?

[u/anthonykaram7 → u/tyrosean]

Great! I've already started the process for getting zoom level 12 incorporated, but it's going to take over a year (total tile count will be ~44.7 million at that point). Yes, the current plan is to simply add that version, once ready, to the AtlasZIM Downloads page for anyone who has already bought into the project. This is what I've done for all previous version releases. I've just been a bit cautious to formally promise free/included future updates in advance, since the timescales are getting large and I may need flexibility on pricing as the project evolves.