Internet, Networking, & Security Around the Web 179 179 people found this article helpful 39 Best Alternatives to Wikipedia Websites to use instead of Wikipedia by Tim Fisher General Manager, VP, Lifewire.com Tim Fisher has 30+ years' professional technology support experience. He writes troubleshooting content and is the General Manager of Lifewire. our editorial process Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Tim Fisher Updated on September 10, 2019 Spaces Images / Getty Images Around the Web Browsers Cloud Services Error Messages Family Tech Home Networking 5G Antivirus VPN Web Development Around the Web View More Tweet Share Email 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. Below are dozens of Wikipedia alternatives you can use to find information, research a paper, get quick answers, and much more. 01 of 39 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 Real historical documents.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. The site has over 100,000 documents that are freely available to the public. Visit The American Presidency Project 02 of 39 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 has an impressive library archive where you'll find thousands of downloadable resources from Wolfram research. Visit Wolfram Library Archive 03 of 39 The Old Farmer's Almanac What We Like Trusted for a long time. Covers a range of practical topics. Great visual content. What We Don't Like Not 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. Use the Almanac to look up tide tables, planting charts, recipes, forecasts, moon rises, and everyday advice. Visit The Old Farmer's Almanac 04 of 39 Martindale's The Reference Desk What We Like Simple to use. Thousands of topics. Points to real articles. What We Don't Like Could use a visual update. No search function. The Martindale Reference Desk is divided into multiple sections: Language, Science, Business, Mathematics, and more. Simply choose the subject area you're interested in and browse the references. Visit Martindale's The Reference Desk 05 of 39 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 2,000 classic texts for you to read, as well as study guides and a searchable index. Love to Read? Try These 17 Sites To Download Free Books Visit Bibliomania 06 of 39 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 13 million records with images, video, and sound files; electronic journals; and other resources from the Smithsonian's museums, archives, and libraries. Visit Encyclopedia Smithsonian 07 of 39 Open Library What We Like A real library, but online. Tens of thousands of books. Read e-books 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. Visit Open Library 08 of 39 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? 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. Visit NOLO Legal Dictionary 09 of 39 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. Visit Government Documents Center 10 of 39 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. 3,000 years of world history presented interactively in timelines, graphics, and maps. Select the time period you're interested in, then use the menus on the left and right to manipulate your data. Visit HyperHistory 11 of 39 Merck Medical Library What We Like Well organized and easy to navigate. Covers thousands of topics. Visually appealing. What We Don't Like Really only suited for medical professionals and medical students Search through the 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. Visit Merck Medical Library 12 of 39 LibrarySpot What We Like Links to hundreds of great resources. Very well organized. Easy to find anything. What We Don't Like Site is pretty dated and unappealing. LibrarySpot is a reference utopia. Browse a list of libraries online, newspapers, poetry, archives, maps, current events, dictionaries, and more. If you can name it, you can probably find it at LibrarySpot. Visit LibrarySpot 13 of 39 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. Medline Plus comes from the US National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health. The site has indexes of searches pre-formulated with drug resources, medical encyclopedias, interactive tutorials, and current medical news. Visit Medline Plus 14 of 39 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 its incredible collection of records online in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. There are over 160 million collections at the Library of Congress that include books, periodicals, manuscripts, music, recordings, images, and more. The LC Catalog contains 17 million records that describe them. Visit Library of Congress Online Catalog 15 of 39 Encyclopedia Mythica What We Like Thousands of articles. 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 based on country, plus, there are special gallery sections such as heroes, genealogical information, and more. Visit Encyclopedia Mythica 16 of 39 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, a meta-search dictionary engine that indexes millions of words in over 1,000 different dictionaries, is another website like Wikipedia. Use OneLook for simple definitions, related words, related concepts, phrases that contain a certain word, translations, and more. Visit OneLook 17 of 39 Edmunds 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 auto research, Edmunds is the place to do it. You'll find information on new and used cars, car reviews, industry news, auto shows, local car dealerships, a glossary of terms, and savvy auto advice. Visit Edmunds 18 of 39 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'll find it at Webopedia. The search tool is handy but you can also use the All Categories page to locate terms under a specific type. Visit Webopedia 19 of 39 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 is in the CIA World Factbook. This amazing resource offers information on the history, people, government, economy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues for 267 countries, along with maps, flags, and country comparisons. Visit CIA World Factbook 20 of 39 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? Use FindLaw to do initial research on anything legal-related, as well as find a lawyer in your local area and interact with the FindLaw legal community. This Wikipedia alternative also has legal forms you can purchase, and the forms are location-specific. Visit FindLaw 21 of 39 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. Visit FactCheck 22 of 39 Sports Reference What We Like Wealth of sports info and stats. Current and historical information. Covers teams, players, and most everything in 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 — can be found at Sports Reference. This site offers detailed information for fans of baseball, basketball, football, hockey, and soccer. Visit Sports Reference 23 of 39 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. Visit The Purdue Online Writing Lab 24 of 39 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'll find it at PubChem, a comprehensive database put together by the National Center for Biotechnology Information. Visit PubChem 25 of 39 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. Use PDR Health to look up information about prescriptions, herbal medicines, and user-friendly health and wellness information. Visit PDR Health 26 of 39 Online Conversion What We Like Tons of calculators. Automatic conversion across units. What We Don't Like Site isn't great looking. 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. Visit Online Conversion 27 of 39 Lexicool What We Like Tons of languages and translations. Dictionaries to look up terms. Simple direct translation. What We Don't Like Relies on Google and Yandex for translation. The 5 Best Translation Sites of 2020 If you need to translate something, you'll be able to do it with Lexicool. Over 8,000 dictionaries and glossaries are available in a variety of languages. Visit Lexicool 28 of 39 Google Maps What We Like Maps of every location. Control 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 traffic in various locations, Street View, and satellite views. Google Maps also periodically offers special features, such as maps for the Winter Olympics. Visit Google Maps 29 of 39 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 Genetics Home Reference, a project of the National Library of Medicine, is a stellar resource for genetic information and data about genetic conditions. Visit Genetics Home Reference 30 of 39 ePodunk What We Like Information on just about any town in the U.S. Lots of useful links to additional resources. Well organized and simple to search. What We Don't Like Site looks dated. It could work better on phones. Get demographic information about nearly any community in the United States at ePodunk, a fascinating data collection for tens of thousands of cities, towns, and suburbs in the U.S. Visit ePodunk 31 of 39 Business & Human Rights Resource Center What We Like Easy to search and navigate. Find out what big corporations want to hide. Clear unbiased accounts of corporate impact. What We Don't Like More informational than academic. Doing research on a company's human rights impact is difficult — unless you visit the Business & Human Rights Resource Center. This Wikipedia-like resource covers over 9,000 companies in dozens of countries and deals with topics such as discrimination, environment, poverty and development, labor, medical health, security, and trade. Visit Business and Human Rights Resource Center 32 of 39 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. Everything You Need to Know About Book Exchange Websites BookFinder is a search engine for textbooks and new, used, rare, and out-of-print, books. It helps you find the best prices for books from over 100,000 booksellers around the world. Over 150 million books are available here. If you want to find something obscure, this is the place. Visit BookFinder 33 of 39 BBC News Country Profiles What We Like Search for most countries easily. Loads of information. Great geographical and statistical information. What We Don't Like Less information 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. Visit BBC News Country Profiles 34 of 39 Forvo What We Like Covers hundreds of languages. Practical pronunciation. Audio clips from real people. What We Don't Like Nothing, 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 online, with hundreds of thousands of words and pronunciations in hundreds of languages. Visit Forvo 35 of 39 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 CO2 emissions per capita, migration, disease, language, vegetation, literacy, income, and lots more. Visit Worldmapper 36 of 39 WorldCat What We Like Search thousands of libraries. Access to thousands of books. What We Don't Like Mostly just a search for what libraries have. WorldCat searches the largest network of library content and services online, tapping into libraries from all over the world that you're sifting through two billion items, including books, DVDs, CDs, and articles. Visit WorldCat 37 of 39 Our Documents What We Like Real historical documents. Easy to search. Printer friendly versions of documents. What We Don't Like Outdated website. Requires Flash. Doesn't work well on mobile devices. At Our Documents, you can explore 100 cornerstone documents of American history, such as the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Bill of Rights, and more. Visit Our Documents 38 of 39 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 Might not work as expected on a phone or tablet. Many links are dead. 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. Visit Voice of the Shuttle 39 of 39 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. Visit Bartlett's Quotations