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Wikipedia

wikipedia.org

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Spec score 8.3 #6 of 31 in Online Encyclopedias

What it is

Wikipedia is a free encyclopedia available on the web and through mobile apps, with editions in hundreds of languages, including editions with over one million articles. Volunteer editors create and revise content, check facts, cite sources, discuss entries, and moderate the encyclopedia. The Wikimedia Foundation hosts and protects Wikipedia, while editorial decisions are made by volunteers. The Foundation says the service is available without advertising or paywalls and is funded mainly by donations, not advertising, subscriptions, or sales of users’ personal data. The official Android app supports searching articles, changing languages, saving reading lists for offline use, and adjusting themes and text size. Its listing says the app has no ads, does not track or collect data, and encrypts data in transit. MediaWiki provides a REST API for interacting with installations including Wikipedia. The Foundation publishes a privacy policy, says it prioritizes speed, reliability, and availability during traffic spikes, and publishes transparency reports twice a year. Its financial statements are independently audited annually. Wikipedia is free at free.

Spec sheet

What it does
Wikipedia is a free online encyclopedia created and maintained through volunteer collaboration using MediaWiki.Read 14 Oct 2026 · en.wikipedia.org
Purpose
Wikipedia describes itself as a free encyclopedia.Read 29 Sep 2026 · wikipedia.org
API
MediaWiki provides a RESTful HTTP API for searching, retrieving and transforming pages and accessing page history.Read 14 Oct 2026 · mediawiki.org
Support
The Android app listing provides the support email [email protected].Read 29 Sep 2026 · play.google.com
Headquarters
San Francisco, California, USARead 23 Sep 2026 · wikipedia.org
Founded
2001Read 23 Sep 2026 · wikipedia.org
Ad and tracking policy
The official apps state that Wikipedia is ad-free and does not track users for advertising.Read 14 Oct 2026 · play.google.com
Advertising and paywalls
The Foundation says Wikipedia is available for free without advertising or paywalls.Read 29 Sep 2026 · wikimediafoundation.org
API authentication and limits
Wikimedia APIs require an identifying User-Agent, support OAuth 2.0 tokens and apply rate-limit policies.Read 14 Oct 2026 · mediawiki.org
API documentation depth
Documentation includes a reference, interactive REST sandbox, tutorials, OAuth guidance, CORS guidance and status-code explanations.Read 14 Oct 2026 · mediawiki.org
API formats and extensibility
The REST API returns JSON or HTML and permits extensions to define their own API endpoints.Read 14 Oct 2026 · mediawiki.org
App privacy
The Android app listing states that the app contains no ads, does not track data, collects no data, and encrypts data in transit.Read 29 Sep 2026 · play.google.com
Collaboration features
The mobile app supports watchlists, article discussions, replies and notifications for followed discussions.Read 14 Oct 2026 · apps.apple.com
Company founding
The Wikimedia Foundation says it was founded in 2003.Read 14 Oct 2026 · wikimediafoundation.org
Company funding model
The Foundation describes itself as a US 501(c)(3) organization supported through donations and grants rather than advertising or subscriptions.Read 14 Oct 2026 · wikimediafoundation.org
Company headquarters and size
Crunchbase lists San Francisco, California headquarters and an employee range of 501–1,000.Read 14 Oct 2026 · crunchbase.com
Company legal name
Crunchbase lists the legal name as Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit founded by Jimmy Wales.Read 14 Oct 2026 · crunchbase.com
Content creation
Volunteer editors create, edit, fact-check, cite sources, debate, and moderate Wikipedia content.Read 29 Sep 2026 · wikimediafoundation.org
Customization
Administrators can customize configuration, interface messages, skins and extensions, and MediaWiki supports multilingual operation through Translate.Read 14 Oct 2026 · mediawiki.org
Discovery
The iOS app includes map-based discovery of nearby landmarks and places.Read 14 Oct 2026 · apps.apple.com
Editing model
The Wikimedia Foundation says hundreds of thousands of volunteers create and curate articles, while the Foundation itself has no editorial role.Read 14 Oct 2026 · wikimediafoundation.org
Editorial role
The Wikimedia Foundation says it does not make content decisions on Wikipedia; volunteers do.Read 29 Sep 2026 · wikimediafoundation.org
Extensions
MediaWiki extensions can add features, special pages and API modules, but third-party extensions may be incompatible, buggy or insecure.Read 14 Oct 2026 · mediawiki.org
Funding
The Foundation says Wikipedia is funded mainly by donations and does not rely on advertising, subscription fees, or selling users’ personal data for funding.Read 29 Sep 2026 · wikimediafoundation.org
Languages
Wikipedia’s homepage links to editions in hundreds of languages, including editions with over one million articles.Read 29 Sep 2026 · wikipedia.org
Languages and scale
The official mobile listing says Wikipedia offers more than 60 million articles in nearly 300 languages.Read 14 Oct 2026 · apps.apple.com
Licence
MediaWiki is free software licensed under GNU GPL version 2 or any later version.Read 14 Oct 2026 · mediawiki.org
Limit: dated or heavy experience
Some reviewers call the base software clunky or dated and say it can be heavy for small knowledge bases.Read 14 Oct 2026 · softwareadvice.com
Limit: learning curve
Reviewers repeatedly describe the wiki structure or editor as difficult for newcomers and requiring time to learn.Read 14 Oct 2026 · softwareadvice.com
Limit: maintenance overhead
Reviewers report that self-hosting requires ongoing updates, backups and other maintenance work.Read 14 Oct 2026 · softwareadvice.com
Mobile app
The official Android app supports article search, language switching, saved reading lists for offline use, themes, and text size adjustment.Read 29 Sep 2026 · play.google.com
Notable news: October 2025
On October 10, 2025, the Foundation published a statement explaining Wikipedia’s neutrality, oversight and privacy mechanisms amid public criticism.Read 14 Oct 2026 · wikimediafoundation.org
Notable release: MediaWiki 1.45
MediaWiki 1.45 documentation records security fixes including disabling the XSLT option by default.Read 14 Oct 2026 · mediawiki.org
Offline reading
The iOS app lets users save articles to reading lists and read them without an internet connection.Read 14 Oct 2026 · apps.apple.com
Operator
The Wikimedia Foundation says it is the nonprofit responsible for hosting and protecting Wikipedia.Read 29 Sep 2026 · wikimediafoundation.org
Personalization
The iOS app offers light, sepia, dark and black themes plus adjustable text size and image dimming.Read 14 Oct 2026 · apps.apple.com
Praise: flexibility and value
Independent reviewers repeatedly praise MediaWiki as open source, feature-rich, extensible with plugins, free and suitable for large knowledge bases.Read 14 Oct 2026 · softwareadvice.com
Privacy policy
The Wikimedia Foundation publishes a privacy policy covering its sites and services.Read 29 Sep 2026 · foundation.wikimedia.org
Privacy protections
The Foundation says contributors may use pseudonyms and are not required to disclose real names, partly to reduce harassment and doxing risks.Read 14 Oct 2026 · wikimediafoundation.org
Rating on Apple App Store
4.3 out of 5 from 6.3K ratingsRead 14 Oct 2026 · apps.apple.com
Rating on Capterra
4.0 out of 5 from the displayed MediaWiki review; the page also shows 80% likelihood to recommend.Read 14 Oct 2026 · capterra.com
Rating on GetApp
4.5 out of 5 from 8 reviewsRead 14 Oct 2026 · getapp.com
Rating on Google Play
4.3 out of 5 from 693K reviewsRead 14 Oct 2026 · play.google.com
Rating on Software Advice
4.5 out of 5 from 8 reviewsRead 14 Oct 2026 · softwareadvice.com
Rating on TrustRadius
8.3 out of 10 from 2 reviews and ratingsRead 14 Oct 2026 · tr-web.stage.trustradius.com
Release cadence
MediaWiki release documentation lists version 1.46 branched on April 27, 2026 and version 1.47 planned for November 2026.Read 14 Oct 2026 · mediawiki.org
Reliability
The Foundation says it prioritizes keeping Wikipedia fast, reliable, and available, including through traffic spikes.Read 29 Sep 2026 · wikimediafoundation.org
SDK or client libraries
The REST API documentation links to a Rust client library and example applications for search, history and media reuse.Read 14 Oct 2026 · mediawiki.org
Search
The iOS app supports searching across about 300 languages and provides a personalized feed for trending and breaking topics.Read 14 Oct 2026 · apps.apple.com
Security and transparency
The Wikimedia Foundation says it publishes transparency reports twice yearly and has its financial statements independently audited annually.Read 14 Oct 2026 · wikimediafoundation.org
Self-hosting
MediaWiki can be downloaded and installed on a user-controlled server, with hosting services and software appliances offered as alternatives.Read 14 Oct 2026 · mediawiki.org
System requirements
A MediaWiki installation requires a web server, PHP and a database server; command-line access is needed for maintenance scripts.Read 14 Oct 2026 · mediawiki.org
Transparency
The Foundation says it publishes a transparency report twice a year and has its financial statements independently audited annually.Read 29 Sep 2026 · wikimediafoundation.org
Visual editing
VisualEditor is a browser-based rich-text editor available as a MediaWiki extension and enabled by default on many Wikimedia wikis.Read 14 Oct 2026 · mediawiki.org

Plans and prices

Free Wikipedia access Free Free of charge, forever Ad-free · volunteer-written encyclopedia · 300+ languages · offline reading in mobile apps Read 14 Oct 2026 · apps.apple.com
Wikipedia Free Free encyclopedia · free to access · no advertising or paywalls Read 29 Sep 2026 · wikipedia.org

Every Wikipedia plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Editions in hundreds of languages
  • Available without advertising or paywalls
  • Android app supports offline reading lists
  • MediaWiki provides a REST API

Limits

  • Content is created and moderated by volunteer editors
  • Offline reading-list support is listed for Android

Who it suits

Wikipedia suits readers looking for an encyclopedia with multilingual editions and free access without advertising or paywalls. Its Android app and MediaWiki REST API also serve mobile readers and developers interacting with MediaWiki installations.

Wikipedia in depth

Read the full write-up

Wikipedia is a multilingual encyclopedia built and maintained by volunteers. It suits readers who want broad reference access without a subscription. Its reach and free access are compelling; its volunteer-led editorial model is not a substitute for a centrally controlled publication.

Overview

The Wikimedia Foundation, a nonprofit based in San Francisco, hosts and protects Wikipedia, which was founded in 2001. Volunteer editors create and revise its text-and-image articles, check facts, add citations, debate changes, and moderate content. The Foundation says it does not make editorial decisions; those rest with volunteers.

Wikipedia connects readers to editions in hundreds of languages, including some with more than one million articles. Continuous updates and citation tools make it useful for following a subject across languages and checking an article’s references. Educator resources and institutional access also extend its use beyond individual lookups.

The Foundation says Wikipedia has no advertising or paywalls and is funded mainly by donations, not subscriptions or the sale of users’ personal data. That keeps reference access open, while leaving editorial judgment in the hands of a volunteer community.

Key features

Reading and editorial process

Articles pair text with images and are updated continuously. Volunteer fact-checking, citation, discussion, and moderation give readers a visible basis for evaluating claims, but the Foundation does not control content decisions. Readers who need a centrally managed reference standard may prefer a publication with a different editorial structure.

Android app and developer access

The official Android app supports article search, language switching, saved reading lists for offline use, themes, and text-size adjustment. Its listing says the app contains no ads, does not track or collect data, and encrypts data in transit. The listing provides [email protected] for support. Developers can interact with Wikipedia and other MediaWiki installations through the MediaWiki REST API.

Operations and accountability

The Foundation says it prioritizes keeping Wikipedia fast, reliable, and available, including during traffic spikes. It publishes a transparency report twice a year and has its financial statements independently audited annually. Those measures offer operational and financial accountability, though they do not make the Foundation the arbiter of article content.

Pricing

Wikipedia — free. The free encyclopedia is accessible without advertising or paywalls, with no free trial. Readers get access without a subscription tier to weigh against a paid plan; the model is sustained mainly by donations.

Platforms

Wikipedia is available on the web, Android, and iOS, and offers an API. The Android app’s offline reading lists are useful when a reader wants saved material without a connection; the REST API serves developers working with MediaWiki installations.

Who it's for

Wikipedia is a strong fit for readers seeking free, multilingual reference material, especially those who value citations, continuous updates, and mobile offline lists. Educators and institutions can also draw on its resources and access. It is less suitable when a reader requires a single institutional editorial authority or a paid, centrally curated reference work.

Pros and cons

Pros: Free access without ads or paywalls removes cost and interruption as barriers to reading.

Pros: Hundreds of language editions, continuous updates, and citation tools support broad and ongoing reference use.

Pros: The Android app combines offline reading lists with adjustable text size and states that it collects no data and does not track data.

Cons: Volunteers, rather than the Foundation, make content decisions, which may not suit readers seeking centralized editorial control.

Cons: The documented offline reading-list feature is specific to the Android app; readers on other platforms should not assume the same capability.

Alternatives

Online Encyclopedias is a directory for comparing reference options. Choose Treccani if ad-free browsing across devices is the priority: it offers a selectable duration in its app and up to six months free. Choose Encyclopedia of Arkansas for a free web encyclopedia. Store norske leksikon is another free reference work, with web, iOS, and API platforms.

Encyclopedia.com may suit readers seeking a free web reference with over 300,000 entries and more than 50,000 topic summaries. Nationalencyklopedin is an alternative for readers willing to pay for a reference and dictionary bundle: its NE Utforska monthly plan is SEK 59 a month and includes several dictionaries and tools alongside the encyclopedia. Infoplease, Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand, and The Canadian Encyclopedia are also alternatives; the last is a free online resource in English and French.

Verdict

Choose Wikipedia for free, multilingual reference with broad access, continuous updates, and useful mobile reading features. Its main advantage is that anyone can consult it without ads or a paywall; look elsewhere if your choice depends on centralized editorial control rather than volunteer decisions.

Verdict

Wikipedia combines multilingual reference content with free access and a volunteer-led editorial process. Readers can use the Android app for offline reading lists, while developers can interact with installations through the MediaWiki REST API.

Where Specifiction places it

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