Best Online Encyclopedias in 2026
Updated
In short: Wikipedia is ranked #1 of 31 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of Store norske leksikon and Encyclopedia.com. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Store norske leksikon. The lowest first paid tier on this page is World Book Online at $20.83/mo.
Online encyclopedias provide reference material for exploring subjects and checking information. Compare content formats and update frequency, along with citation tools that can help when tracing sources. Educator resources and institutional access may be relevant for teaching or study, while mobile apps offer another access option. Free-plan availability and paid-from pricing help clarify the listed access and cost details. Wikipedia, Store norske leksikon, and Infoplease appear first, followed by World Book Online and Britannica Library. Consider how you plan to use reference material and which formats, source tools, and access arrangements matter for your needs.
31 online encyclopedias ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
#1 Wikipedia Top pick · 7.2 Free plan · Free
#2 Store norske leksikon Runner-up · 7.0 Free plan · Free
#3 Encyclopedia.com Also great · 6.8 Free plan · Free- Free plan AndroidapiiOSWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
- Citation tools
- Yes
- Educator resources
- Yes
- Institutional access
- Yes
- Content formats
- text and images
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan apiiOSWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
- Citation tools
- Yes
- Content formats
- text and images
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Citation tools
- Yes
- Content formats
- multimedia
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Citation tools
- Yes
- Educator resources
- Yes
- Content formats
- multimedia and interactive
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free trial AndroidiOSWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
- Educator resources
- Yes
- Content formats
- text
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Citation tools
- Yes
- Educator resources
- Yes
- Content formats
- multimedia and interactive
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - AndroidiOSWeb
- Free plan
- No
- Citation tools
- Yes
- Educator resources
- Yes
- Institutional access
- Yes
- Content formats
- multimedia and interactive
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$20.83/mofirst paid tier About World Book OnlineVisit site - Web
- Free plan
- No
- Citation tools
- Yes
- Educator resources
- Yes
- Institutional access
- Yes
- Content formats
- multimedia and interactive
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Citation tools
- Yes
- Educator resources
- Yes
- Institutional access
- Yes
- Content formats
- multimedia and interactive
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Citation tools
- Yes
- Content formats
- text and images
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Citation tools
- Yes
- Educator resources
- Yes
- Content formats
- text and images
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Citation tools
- Yes
- Educator resources
- Yes
- Institutional access
- Yes
- Content formats
- multimedia and interactive
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Citation tools
- Yes
- Educator resources
- Yes
- Content formats
- multimedia
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Citation tools
- Yes
- Content formats
- text and images
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Citation tools
- Yes
- Content formats
- multimedia and interactive
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Citation tools
- Yes
- Educator resources
- Yes
- Content formats
- multimedia
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Citation tools
- Yes
- Content formats
- multimedia and interactive
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Citation tools
- Yes
- Educator resources
- Yes
- Content formats
- multimedia
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Citation tools
- Yes
- Content formats
- multimedia
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Citation tools
- Yes
- Educator resources
- Yes
- Content formats
- multimedia
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- No
- Citation tools
- Yes
- Educator resources
- Yes
- Institutional access
- Yes
- Content formats
- multimedia
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Citation tools
- Yes
- Content formats
- text and images
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Citation tools
- Yes
- Content formats
- text and images
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- No
- Citation tools
- Yes
- Educator resources
- Yes
- Institutional access
- Yes
- Content formats
- multimedia
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Citation tools
- Yes
- Content formats
- text
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which online encyclopedia is ranked first on Everything Xiaomi?
Wikipedia is ranked #1 of 31 with a score of 7.2. Store norske leksikon is second and Encyclopedia.com third.
How many of these have a free plan?
4 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, World Book Online has the lowest first paid tier we found: $20.83/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on what each maker publishes: documentation depth, a free tier and the platforms it runs on. Paid placements never change a rank.