ArchiveBox 0.9 brings desktop & mobile apps, redesigned viewers, and PostgreSQL support

After nearly a year since its last major release, ArchiveBox has launched version 0.9, marking one of the most significant updates to the open-source web archiving platform since its inception. The headline addition is the debut of native mobile and desktop applications spanning iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, and Linux, transforming ArchiveBox from a primarily command-line and web-based tool into a cross-platform ecosystem. The development team emphasizes performance as a core pillar, claiming sub-100ms response times even when serving over one million snapshots on modest hardware, alongside an entirely rebuilt archiving engine designed for enhanced stability and speed.

Beyond the interface expansion, the update introduces several enterprise-grade capabilities that longtime users have requested. PostgreSQL support joins SQLite as an option for database backend storage, catering to larger deployments requiring robust data management. The platform also adds scheduled crawls accessible directly through the UI, eliminating the need for external cron job configuration within single Docker containers. New personas functionality enables authenticated archiving by syncing cookies and settings from connected browsers, while an expanded plugin ecosystem now offers 50+ additional integrations covering everything from forum scraping to PDF processing. An AI tools section featuring a new MCP server rounds out the feature set, positioning ArchiveBox for modern automated workflows.

The release maintains the project's commitment to privacy and openness, with developers stressing zero analytics and no data collection, a stance echoed in their tongue-in-cheek admission of uncertainty regarding active user numbers. While some architectural changes like new DNS and HTTPS serving requirements introduce migration complexity, the upgrade positions ArchiveBox as a more mature solution for both individual collectors and organizations managing large-scale digital preservation efforts.