shouldiuse.io

VERDICT

Should I use Web of Science?

Not disclosed - webofscience.com

Depends. Buy through your institution if you need rigorous citation tracking for bibliometrics, systematic reviews, or tenure files — nothing free matches its curated citation data. Individual researchers cannot subscribe at all, and Google Scholar covers most casual needs for nothing.

Confidence

Medium. Based on 30+ public sources; no public pricing or security findings were available, so cost-fit leans on university cancellation reports and G2/forum signals.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of useNo reliable evidence found
  • Feature depth
  • Support qualityNo reliable evidence found
  • Security postureNo findings in reviewed sources

Pricing

Custom quote (not public)

Institutional subscription

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierNo

Best for

  • University libraries
  • Bibliometrics researchers
  • Systematic review teams
  • Tenure and grant committees

Not for

  • Individual researchers without institutional access
  • Startups or businesses needing quick literature lookups
  • Anyone fine with free Google Scholar
  • Small libraries that cannot absorb price hikes

Gotchas - check before you buy

high

Licences get cut: Twente ended access Dec 2025, Jyväskylä Jan 2026, both citing cost

medium

Quote-only pricing means procurement friction; there is no self-serve way to buy

medium

What you can search depends on your institution's subscription band; confirm coverage first

medium

Access ends with institutional affiliation — alumni and independent researchers lose it

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Deepest curated citation index for tracking research influence
  • 4.9/5 G2 rating
  • Free, verified peer-review recognition records for reviewers
  • Grants Index ties funding data to publications for proposals
  • Cited-reference searching traces an idea's scholarly lineage

Cons

  • No individual plan; institutional subscription only
  • Costly enough that universities cancel over budget pressure
  • Your library can lose access abruptly
  • Opaque quote-only pricing; no self-serve signup
  • Narrower coverage than free Google Scholar

Sources & method

Analyzed 9/21/2026 - 12 sources - No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

official x3review x4security x2news x3

Key stats

  • Value for money: 2/5

    Rating

  • Not disclosed

    Starting price

  • 12

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 2/5. Universities cancelling subscriptions over cost
  • Ease of use. No reliable evidence found
  • Feature depth: 5/5. Deepest citation index plus grants and reviewer data
  • Support quality. No reliable evidence found
  • Security posture. No findings in reviewed sources
  • 4.9/5 G2 rating Only 11 reviews
  • Custom quote Pricing No public prices; institutional only
  • No Free tier Database is subscription-only
  • 2 universities Recent cancellations Twente (2025), Jyväskylä (2026), cost-driven

Pricing

Institutional subscription

Not disclosed

  • Core Collection and citation database for campus
  • Free individual Researcher Profile included
  • Reviewer recognition records verified via journals

Security

No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

What users say

Forums debate whether its recognition and citation features justify the cost versus Scopus and free Google Scholar, and G2 shows 4.9/5 but from just 11 reviews.

“Is getting recognition for a review on Web of science worth it?”
Reddit, r/academia
“Which is better: Scopus or Web of Science?”
Reddit, r/academia
“Web of Science & ProQuest - why do they exist?”
Reddit, r/Libraries

Companies that use it

  • University College London
  • University of St. Gallen
  • Temple University
  • University of Toledo
  • University of Arkansas
Full analysis

Based on 30+ public sources; no public pricing or security findings were available, so cost-fit leans on university cancellation reports and G2/forum signals.

Institution-only citation database: superb if your library pays, unavailable to individuals. Free Google Scholar covers casual needs.

Methodology

Based on 30+ public sources; no public pricing or security findings were available, so cost-fit leans on university cancellation reports and G2/forum signals.

Sources

  1. Web of Science Reviews 2026: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2g2.com
    review
  2. Which is better: Scopus or Web of Science? : r/academiareddit.com
    review
  3. Web of Science & ProQuest - why do they exist? : r/Librariesreddit.com
    review
  4. Open Science Alternatives to Scopus and the Web of Sciencemdpi.com
    review
  5. Web of Science Platform | Clarivateclarivate.com
    official
  6. Web of Science Core Collection | Clarivateclarivate.com
    official
  7. Web of Science Coverage Detailswebofscience.zendesk.com
    official
  8. Web of Science licence will end on 31 December 2025 (Univ. of Twente)utwente.nl
    news
  9. The subscription to the Web of Science database will end on January 1, 2026 (Univ. of Jyväskylä)jyu.fi
    news
  10. Web of Science gets cut, educators aim to adapt - The Equinoxkscequinox.com
    news
  11. Security compliance - Clarivate Trust Centerclarivate.com
    security
  12. Clarivate Security Rating, Vendor Risk Report - UpGuardupguard.com
    security

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