How to download source in ZIP format from GitHub?

Question

What happens when the repository owner has not prepared a zip file, and you just want a download to use yourself? There is an answer and you don't need to go though that horrid process to download software, install and register keys and whatnot on GitHub, etc.!

To simply download a repository as a zip file: add the extra path '/zipball/master/' to the end of the repository URL and voila, it gives you a zip file of the whole lot.

For example,

http://github.com/zoul/Finch/

becomes:

http://github.com/zoul/Finch/zipball/master/

It then gives you a zip file to download.

To clone that repository via a URL like that: yes, you do need a client, and that client is Git. That will let you make changes, your own branches, merge back in sync with other developers, maintain your own source that you can easily keep up to date without downloading the whole thing each time and writing over your own changes etc. A ZIP file won't let you do that.

It is mostly meant for people who want to develop the source rather than people who just want to get the source one off and not make changes.

But it just so happens you can get a ZIP file as well:

Click on http://github.com/zoul/Finch/ and then click on the green Clone or Download button. See here:

Updated July 2016

As of July 2016, the Download ZIP button has moved under Clone or download to extreme-right of header under the Code tab:

---

If you don't see the button:

• Make sure you've selected <> Code tab from right side navigation menu, or
• Repo may not have a zip prepared. Add /archive/master.zip to the end of the repository URL and to generate a zipfile of the master branch:

http://github.com/user/repository/ -to-> http://github.com/user/repository/archive/master.zip

to get the master branch source code in a zip file. You can do the same with tags and branch names, by replacing master in the URL above with the name of the branch or tag.

To download your repository as zip file via curl:

curl -L -o master.zip http://github.com/zoul/Finch/zipball/master/

If your repository is private:

curl -u 'username' -L -o master.zip http://github.com/zoul/Finch/zipball/master/

Source: Github Help

As of December 2016, the Clone or download button is still under the <> Code tab, however it is now to the far right of the header:

Even though this is fairly an old question, I have my 2 cents to share.

You can download the repo as tar.gz as well

Like the zipball link pointed by various answers here, There is a tarball link as well which downloads the content of the git repository in tar.gz format.

curl -L http://github.com/zoul/Finch/tarball/master/

A better way

Git also provides a different URL pattern where you can simply append the type of file you want to download at the end of url. This way is better if you want to process these urls in a batch or bash script.

curl -L http://github.com/zoul/Finch/archive/master.zip

curl -L http://github.com/zoul/Finch/archive/master.tar.gz

To download a specific commit or branch

Replace master with the commit-hash or the branch-name in the above urls like below.

curl -L http://github.com/zoul/Finch/archive/cfeb671ac55f6b1aba6ed28b9bc9b246e0e.zip    
curl -L http://github.com/zoul/Finch/archive/cfeb671ac55f6b1aba6ed28b9bc9b246e0e.tar.gz --output cfeb671ac55f6b1aba6ed28b9bc9b246e0e.tar.gz

curl -L http://github.com/zoul/Finch/archive/your-branch-name.zip
curl -L http://github.com/zoul/Finch/archive/your-branch-name.tar.gz --output your-branch-name.tar.gz