WebStripper

Like a fan dancer, this Web site downloader promises to reveal more than it delivers.

WebStripper promises to make pages available for offline viewing, but it didn't work with all sites and had some overall stability issues to boot. Its traditional folder tree and file menu interface is chock-full of options but offers little direction for getting started. The process is fairly simple, however, and once users choose a favorite site and answer a few basic questions about site depth and download location, WebStripper is off to download the entire site.

Or not, as our testers found that some sites completely blocked this application. Unfortunately, WebStripper's error message is hidden and users are left to wonder why the download failed. Our testers also experienced multiple crashes due to exception errors.

When it works, WebStripper quickly pulls the text and images from a site onto your computer for offline browsing. It also parses all files to change URLs to those files stored on your machine. This is a boon for those with slow connections, as they can schedule Webstripper to download a favorite site overnight. It includes an offline browser, but IE and Firefox work as well. Despite its listed freeware status, the download has limitations and a trial period. It also adds a watermark to many pages and files.

Dial-up users may favor this product, but the app's complexity and frequent execution errors keep it off our recommended list.