Do More › Web & Search 39 Alternatives to Wikipedia 39 websites you can use instead of Wikipedia Share Pin Email Print Spaces Images / Getty Images Web & Search Search Engines Best of the Web Safety & Privacy Running a Website by Jerri Collins Updated April 18, 2019 133 133 people found this article helpful Wikipedia is perhaps the most popular reference site online, with millions of high-quality articles available on virtually any topic. However, there are limits to what Wikipedia can offer. Here are 39 Wikipedia alternatives you can use to find information, research a paper, get quick answers, and much more. The American Presidency Project What We Like From an educational institution Real historical documents Multimedia resources What We Don't Like Searching could be a little easier The American Presidency Project is a project out of the University of California Santa Barbara. If you want to know something about American presidents, it's here: over 87,000 documents all freely available to the public. Wolfram Library Archive What We Like Respected source Covers multiple topics Actual academic papers What We Don't Like Lacking in arts, humanities, and social sciences Fairly dense for lighter research Wolfram Alpha search engine also has a pretty impressive library archive where you can find thousands of downloadable resources from Wolfram research. The Old Farmer's Almanac What We Like They've been trusted for a long time Covers a wide range of practical topics Great visual content What We Don't Like Not really organized for academic research The Farmer's Almanac has been around in different forms since 1792, and today's online version is even more useful. You can use the Almanac to look up tide tables, planting charts, recipes, forecasts, moon rises, and everyday advice. Martindale's Reference Desk What We Like Simple to use Covers thousands of topics Points you directly to real articles What We Don't Like The site could use a visual update There is no search function The Martindale Reference Desk is divided into multiple sections: Language, Science, Business, Mathematics, etc. Simply choose the subject area you're interested in and browse the references available. Bibliomania What We Like Loads of free books Study materials Expanding collection What We Don't Like Site controls are a little clunky for reading Bibliomania offers more than 2000 classic texts online for you to peruse, as well as study guides and a searchable index. Encyclopedia Smithsonian What We Like Verified info from the Smithsonian Covers a wide range of topics Easy to navigate and visually appealing What We Don't Like The browse functions could be better organized The Encyclopedia Smithsonian is the definitive collection of everything the Smithsonian Museum has to offer. Search over 2 million records with images, video and sound files, electronic journals and other resources from the Smithsonian's museums, archives, and libraries. Open Library What We Like It's like a real library, but online Tens of thousands of books Read ebooks instantly What We Don't Like Categories and search aren't the best Sometimes you have to wait, like a physical library Open Library is an Internet Archive project aimed at compiling one web page for every book ever published. To date, they have amassed over 20 million records, all of which are freely accessible. NOLO Legal Dictionary What We Like Covers hundreds of legal terms Simple to use and navigate Explanations are clear and to the point What We Don't Like Other ways to navigate would be nice, but what they have is still great Stumped on a legal term? You can find the definition in plain English at the NOLO Legal Dictionary, a free resource that provides easy to understand information on hundreds of commonly used legal words and phrases. Government Documents Center What We Like From a real university Thousands of documents and resources Verified documents and statistics What We Don't Like Navigating is a little difficult Put together by the University of Michigan Library, the Government Documents Center is an exhaustive database of U.S. government statistics and factual documents. HyperHistory What We Like Presented in a straightforward way Timelines and graphics make things simpler What We Don't Like Interface is dated and clunky More in-depth info would be great 3000 years of world history presented interactively via timelines, graphics, and maps. Click on the time period you're interested in, and then use the menus on the left and the right to manipulate your data. Merck Medical Library What We Like Well organized and easy to navigate Covers thousands of topics Info is presented in a well organized and visually appealing way What We Don't Like Really only suited for medical professionals and medical students Search through comprehensive medical database at the Merck Medical Library, an exhaustive index of medical information culled from the Merck series of health resources for both medical professionals and laymen. Library Spot What We Like Links to hundreds of great resources Very well organized Easy to find just about anything What We Don't Like Site is pretty dated and unappealing Library Spot is a reference utopia. You can browse a list of libraries online, newspapers, poetry, archives, maps, current events, dictionaries...you name it, you can probably find it at Library Spot. Medline Plus What We Like From a trusted source Easy to search and navigate Covers hundreds of topics Simple language for everyone What We Don't Like Not really geared toward academic research From the US National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health; searchable indexes of searches pre-forumulated with information, drug resources, medical encyclopedias, interactive tutorials, and current medical news. Library of Congress Online Catalog What We Like Gigantic catalog from one of the world's largest libraries Covers nearly every topic imaginable Multimedia resources What We Don't Like Site isn't the easiest to use The Library of Congress, one of the largest American cultural repositories, has placed their incredible collection of records online via the Library of Congress Online Catalog. According to the Library records, there are over 14 million documents here, including books, serials, computer files, manuscripts, cartographic materials, music, sound recordings, and visual materials. Encyclopedia Mythica What We Like Thousands of article Covers mythology and religions from around the world and through history Concise explanations of figures and locations What We Don't Like Search and navigation is somewhat clunky Some links just go to books on Amazon Over 7000 articles related to anything mythology: Greek, Roman, Norse, Celtic, Native American, and more. The mythology sections are divided into geographical regions, so you can search via country, plus, there are special gallery sections: heroes, genealogical information, and more. OneLook What We Like Super easy to use Direct results and quick answers Multiple sources for comparison What We Don't Like Partially relies on Wikipedia OneLook is a meta search dictionary engine, indexing over 1000 different dictionaries at the time of this writing. You can use OneLook not only for simple definitions, but also for related words, related concepts, phrases that contain a certain word, translations, and more. Edmunds.com What We Like Tons of information on new and used cars Specific features listed Pricing information Easy to navigate and find cars What We Don't Like Doesn't cover classics If you want to research an auto, Edmunds is the place to do it. You can find information here on both new and used cars, car reviews, industry news, auto shows, local car dealerships, glossary of terms, and savvy auto advice. Webopedia What We Like Covers thousands of terms Simple direct answers Easy to find information What We Don't Like Doesn't give enough information on some topics If you need to know about a computer or technology related term, you can find it at Webopedia. CIA World Factbook What We Like Reputable source Massive wealth of sociological and geographic information Detailed facts and statistics What We Don't Like Info can be dense Anything you want to know about nearly any country or region in the world, you'll be able to find it at the CIA World Factbook. This amazing resource offers you information on the history, people, government, economy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues for 266 different countries, along with maps, flags, and country comparisons. FindLaw What We Like Real practical information Easy to search and find what you need Simple to understand What We Don't Like Not really for academic purposes Need to know about a legal issue? You can use FindLaw to do some initial research on anything legal-related, as well as find a lawyer in your local area and interact with the FindLaw legal community. FactCheck What We Like Current information debunking fake stories Combats political spin in real time What We Don't Like Not really for research, just checking if what you read online is true FactCheck, a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center, monitors accuracy in the US political process by diligently fact-checking everything that prominent political figures say and do. Sports Reference What We Like Unprecedented wealth of sports info and stats Both current and historical information Covers teams, players, and just about everything in most popular sports What We Don't Like Navigation can be clunky Can be overwhelming Anything you want to know about sports - stats, box scores, game logs, playoffs — you can find it at Sports Reference. This site offers detailed information for fans of baseball, basketball, football, hockey, and the Olympic Games. The Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) What We Like Reputable educational institution Massive writing resource Answers loads of tough grammar questions What We Don't Like Navigation could be better If you need help with writing, you'll find it here. Style guides, grammar, mechanics, ESL resources, and much more. PubChem What We Like Reputable source Thousands of chemistry resources Detailed information and diagrams What We Don't Like Working knowledge of chemistry required Need to know something about chemicals, compounds, substances, or bioassays? You can find it at PubChem, a comprehensive database put together by the National Center for Biotechnology Information. PDR Health What We Like Search and learn about your prescriptions Detailed information What We Don't Like Mostly designed as a reference for doctors PDR Health is a production of the Physician's Desk Reference. You can use PDR Health to look up information about prescriptions, herbal medicines, and user-friendly health and wellness information. Online Conversion What We Like Tons of calculators Automatic conversion across units What We Don't Like Site isn't great looking and doesn't work well on phones Whether you need to convert simple measurements or complicated astronomy figures, you'll be able to do it at OnlineConversion.com, an extensive site featuring hundreds of conversion tools. Lexicool What We Like Tons of languages and translations Dictionaries to look up terms Simple direct translation What We Don't Like Really just relies on Google and Yandex for translation If you need to translate something, you'll be able to do it with Lexicool. Over 7000 dictionaries and glossaries here in a wide variety of languages. Google Maps What We Like Maps of everything Control your perspective and scope Get real time directions What We Don't Like Maps can be clunky and take a while to load Find maps and directions at Google Maps; you can also check out locations in Street, Traffic, and Satellite views. Google Maps also periodically offers special features, such as maps for the Winter Olympics. Genetics Home Reference What We Like Reputable source Simplified and relatively easy to understand Easy to navigate What We Don't Like Can still be dense at times The Genetic Home Reference, a project of the National Library of Medicine, is a stellar resource for genetic information and information about genetic conditions. ePodunk What We Like Information about just about any town in the US Lots of useful links to additional resources Well organized and simple to search What We Don't Like Site looks dated and could work better on phones Get demographic information about nearly any community in the United States at ePodunk, a fascination data collection for over 46,000 different cities, towns, and suburbs in the US. Business and Human Rights Resource Center What We Like Easy to search an navigate Find out what big corporations want to hide Clear unbiased accounts of corporate impact What We Don't Like More informational then academic Doing research on a company's human rights impact is difficult — unless you visit the Business and Human Rights Resource Center. This resource covers over 4000 companies in over 180 countries, and deals with topics such as discrimination, environment, poverty and development, labor, medical health, security, and trade. BookFinder What We Like Find nearly any book Search by author, title, or ISBN Gigantic lists of books What We Don't Like Results can contain hundreds of titles making it hard to find what you want BookFinder is a search engine for new, used, rare, out-of-print, and textbooks. Over 150 million books are available here; if you want to find something somewhat obscure, this is the place. BBC News Country Profiles What We Like Search for most countries easily Loads of info Great geographical and statistical information What We Don't Like Less info than CIA World Factbook View full country profiles from all over the world; in addition to basic stats, the BBC also provides audio and video clips from their archives. Forvo What We Like Covers hundreds of languages Real practical pronunciation Audio clips from real people What We Don't Like None really. It's great at what it does Need help on how to pronounce a word — in virtually any language? Try Forvo, the largest pronunciation guide currently online, with hundreds of thousands of words and pronunciations in over 200 different languages. WorldMapper What We Like Interesting maps of everything Great visualization of stats Easy to sort and find What We Don't Like Distorted maps are disorienting at first WorldMapper is a collection of hundreds of world maps, each focusing on a particular topic. For example, you can find maps on land area, disease, religion, income, and more. WorldCat What We Like Search hundreds of libraries Access to thousands of books What We Don't Like Mostly just a search for what libraries have WorldCat allows you to search the largest network of library content and services online, tapping into literally hundreds of different libraries from all over the world. Our Documents What We Like Real historical documents Easy to search Printer friendly versions of documents What We Don't Like Site is dated, requires Flash, and doesn't work well on phones At Our Documents, you can explore 100 cornerstone documents of American history, i.e., the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and many more. Voice of the Shuttle What We Like Real university resource Links to hundreds of publications Covers a variety of humanities topics What We Don't Like Site doesn't work well on mobile devices The Voice of the Shuttle started in 1994 and is one of the largest humanities resources on the Web today. Anything from anthropology to religious studies is covered here. Bartlett's Quotations What We Like Thousands of quotations Historical and literary quotes Fully searchable What We Don't Like Navigation can be clumsy This is the original (1919) edition with over 11,000 searchable quotations. Continue Reading