Wayback

Self-Hosted

Open-source web archiving tool for preserving digital content

Overview

Wayback is a self-hosted web archiving solution that lets users capture and store web pages, images, and other digital assets for long-term preservation. It supports scheduled crawls, custom capture rules, and integration with storage systems like S3 or local disks. Deployable via Docker or traditional servers, it offers a user-friendly interface to manage archives, search captured content, and export data in standard formats. Ideal for individuals, libraries, or organizations needing to preserve online resources without relying on third-party services.

Self-Hosting Resources

Find Official Image on Docker Hub View Source & Docs

Below is a reference structure for docker-compose.yml. ⚠️ Do NOT run blindly. Replace placeholders with official values.

docker-compose.template.yml TEMPLATE


version: '3'
services:
  wayback:
    image: <OFFICIAL_IMAGE_NAME>:latest
    container_name: wayback
    ports:
      - "8080:<APP_INTERNAL_PORT>"
    volumes:
      - ./data:/app/data
    restart: unless-stopped

Key Features

Scheduled and on-demand web page captures
Support for multiple storage backends (local, S3, etc.)
Custom crawl rules and exclusion filters

Frequently Asked Questions

? Is Wayback hard to install?

Wayback is relatively easy to install using Docker, which simplifies dependency management. For non-Docker setups, binary releases are available for major OSes, though manual configuration of storage and crawl rules may require basic technical knowledge.

? Is it a good alternative to Archive.org?

Yes, for users who want self-hosted control over their archives. Unlike Archive.org, Wayback keeps data private and allows custom crawl parameters, though it lacks the public search and massive existing archive of Archive.org.

? Is it completely free?

Wayback is open-source software released under the MIT License, so it's completely free to use, modify, and distribute. Users only incur costs for server hosting and storage if they choose to self-host.

Top Alternatives

Archive.org (Proprietary) Search Google

Perma.cc (Proprietary) Search Google

Tool Info

Pricing Open Source

Category Archiving and Digital Preservation (DP)

Platform Self-Hosted

Pros

⊕ Full control over archived data privacy
⊕ No recurring subscription fees
⊕ Flexible deployment options (Docker, binary)
⊕ Standard format exports for interoperability

Cons

⊖ Requires server resources for crawling large sites
⊖ Technical setup for initial configuration
⊖ Limited advanced analytics compared to enterprise tools