Baidu Baike vs Encyclopaedia Britannica
Baidu Baike
baike.baidu.comEncyclopaedia Britannica
britannica.comSide by side
| Figure | Baidu Baike | Encyclopaedia Britannica |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 5 |
| Spec score · Online Encyclopedias | 8.3 (#5) | 8.8 (#2) |
| Founded | 2000 | 1768 |
| Headquarters | Beijing, China | Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Support | The privacy policy directs users to Baidu's personal information feedback channel and says it generally replies within 15 working days. | Customer support is available by phone, Monday through Friday, with listed hours varying by support inquiry. |
Plans
Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Free accessFree
- Free accessFree
- Britannica Education institutional subscriptionPriced on request
- Britannica PremiumPriced on request
- Encyclopaedia Britannica PremiumPriced on request
In their own words
Baidu Baike
Baidu Baike is a free web knowledge platform focused on Chinese-language information across many fields. Its homepage provides a search field for encyclopedia entries, recommended articles, and trending searches. Readers can also browse video and visual sections such as V百科, 图解百科, and 秒懂百科, along with museum entries in the 百科博物馆计划. Baidu describes the service as a wiki with expert-compiled content, columns, and videos for people seeking knowledge. Its examples of columns include the Encyclopedia of Intangible Cultural Heritage, Digital Museum, and Recorder of History.
Users can create entries and edit existing ones to correct or expand content. The guidance calls for concise, objective Chinese prose, structured with first- and second-level headings, and supported by reliable publicly published references. Submitted versions pass system filtering and may become current after basic checks. New entries should be proper names of public interest and must not duplicate an existing full name, abbreviation, or alias. Editing does not require payment, though submissions must comply with inclusion rules. Baidu was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Beijing, China.
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica is a web-based encyclopedia and reference service, with limited digital content available to visitors without a premium membership. Premium membership unlocks unlimited, ad-free access to more than 130,000 fact-checked articles, along with more than 60,000 images and videos, maps, infographics, and illustrations. Learning materials include biographies, quizzes, games, topic roundups, and homework help. Members also receive limited-run newsletters, e-books, and digital access to content from Britannica’s first edition. Britannica lists citation tools, educator resources, institutional access, and multimedia and interactive formats. Kids content requires a premium membership. A free access plan is listed at free. Premium pricing is available on request; Britannica also offers monthly memberships and academic and corporate subscriptions. Monthly members can cancel at any time. Customer support is available by phone on weekdays, with hours varying by inquiry. Founded in 1768, Britannica is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.