Best Academic Research Databases in 2026
Updated
34 academic research databases ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
34ranked
1free plans on this page
8 Oct 2026last checked
Academic Research Databases, ranked on how quickly a newcomer can get going. 1 of the 9 on this page can be tried for free.
- 26 Academic Search Ultimate
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 27 FSTA
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 28 neotoma2
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 29 open-MaStR
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 30 ATLA Religion Database
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 31 MLA International Bibliography
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 32 MathSciNet
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 33 HeinOnline
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 34 ScopusFree plan
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: not on record
Compare all 9 in a table
| # | Platform | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Full-text access | Advanced search |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | Academic Search Ultimate | 5.7 | No | — | No | — | Yes | Yes |
| 27 | FSTA | 5.7 | No | — | No | — | Yes | Yes |
| 28 | neotoma2 | 5.7 | No | — | Yes | — | No | Yes |
| 29 | open-MaStR | 5.7 | No | — | Yes | — | No | — |
| 30 | ATLA Religion Database | 5.6 | No | — | No | — | No | Yes |
| 31 | MLA International Bibliography | 5.6 | No | — | No | — | No | Yes |
| 32 | MathSciNet | 5.5 | No | — | No | — | — | Yes |
| 33 | HeinOnline | 5.3 | No | — | — | — | — | — |
| 34 | Scopus | 5.3 | Free plan | Free | No | — | — | — |
More in Learning & Education
All learning & education listsLearning Management Systems 110Meditation apps 102AI Study Tools 95Physics Simulation Software 91Early Childhood Education Software 86Math Solver Apps 69School Management Software 50Reading Apps 47Learning Gamification Software 46Student Response Systems 45Learning Experience Platforms 42Study Timer Apps 42