Best Web of Science Alternatives in 2026
Updated
20 platforms from academic research databases ranked against Web of Science on the same published basis.
- 1Web of Science vs The Lens
- 2Web of Science vs arXiv
- 3Web of Science vs CORE
- 4Web of Science vs medRxiv
- 5Web of Science vs OpenAlex
- 6Web of Science vs PubMed
- 7Web of Science vs zbMATH Open
- 8Web of Science vs bioRxiv
- 9Web of Science vs Europe PMC
- 10Web of Science vs Scopus
- 11Web of Science vs ERIC
- 12Web of Science vs Directory of Open Access Journals
- 14Web of Science vs Inspec
- 15Web of Science vs Academia.edu
- 16Web of Science vs AGRICOLA
- 17Web of Science vs EconLit
- 18Web of Science vs JSTOR
- 19Web of Science vs MAXQDA
- 20Web of Science vs SSRN
- 21Web of Science vs HeinOnline
Web of Science alternatives compared
| # | Platform | Score | Free plan | From | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Lens | 7.4 | Free plan | $83.33/mo | API, Web |
| 2 | arXiv | 7.3 | Free plan | Free | API, Web |
| 3 | CORE | 7.3 | Free plan | Free | API, Browser, Web |
| 4 | medRxiv | 7.3 | Free plan | Free | API, Web |
| 5 | OpenAlex | 7.3 | Free plan | $416.67/mo | API, Browser, self-hosted, Web |
| 6 | PubMed | 7.3 | Free plan | Free | API, Web |
| 7 | zbMATH Open | 7.3 | Free plan | Free | API, Web |
| 8 | bioRxiv | 7.2 | Free plan | Free | API, Web |
| 9 | Europe PMC | 7.2 | Free plan | Free | API, Web |
| 10 | Scopus | 7.2 | Free plan | Free | API, Web |
| 11 | ERIC | 7.0 | API, Web | ||
| 12 | Directory of Open Access Journals | 6.9 | API, Web | ||
| 14 | Inspec | 6.7 | API, Web | ||
| 15 | Academia.edu | 5.9 | Free plan | Free | Android, iOS, Web |
| 16 | AGRICOLA | 5.9 | Free plan | Free | Web |
| 17 | EconLit | 5.9 | Free plan | Free | Web |
| 18 | JSTOR | 5.9 | Free plan | $16.58/mo | Android, iOS, Web |
| 19 | MAXQDA | 5.9 | Mac, Windows | ||
| 20 | SSRN | 5.9 | Free plan | Free | Web |
| 21 | HeinOnline | 5.8 | Free plan | Free | Web |
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Questions about Web of Science alternatives
What is the best alternative to Web of Science?
The Lens, number 1 in academic research databases with a score of 7.4 out of 10. The others here: arXiv, CORE, medRxiv and 16 more.
What is the best free alternative to Web of Science?
The Lens is the best-ranked alternative with a free plan. 16 of the 20 alternatives here publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
How are these alternatives ranked?
Ranked on what each maker publishes, open and connectable first: a public API, open-source code, the depth of its documentation and a free tier to try it on. Model lists are sorted by the figure in their title, exactly as each provider publishes it.