Wikipedia Apps

Overview

Wikipedia is a powerful and free online encyclopedia that is maintained by its giant community, so updated information is always readily available as long as you have the proper tools to access it. The App Store contains tons of different Wikipedia apps that are able to access this wealth of information, but some are able to do it more effectively than others. Let's find out which is the best to bring knowledge straight to your fingertips.

Essential Apps

• $4.99

  Wikipanion Plus

  by Robert Chin

  The go-to app for any argument that needs settling. Wikipanion Plus features the most simple and iPhone-friendly interface of any Wikipedia app, which makes navigating articles a breeze in both portrait and landscape modes. The screen can be locked as well so it doesn't flip on you while lying down or sideways. Entire pages can be bookmarked, or you can just bookmark specific sections within an article. What sets Wikipanion Plus apart from its free and equally fantastic counterpart is the ability to mark pages for later viewing in queue mode and save entire pages for later viewing in literally seconds.

• $1.99

  Simplepedia — Simple Wikipedia Reader

  by realazy

  One of the more flashy and feature-rich Wikipedia apps available in the App Store, and one of the most recent to enter the fray. Handy Wiki sports many of the same features the other paid Wikipedia apps contain, such as offline viewing, iPhone-optimized screen sizes, and powerful search tools, but it also adds quite a bit more to the mix. Handy Wiki has a neat page curl effect to view your table of contents without leaving your current page, and the ability to download entire articles to your device while also giving you the choice to include or not to include images in order to save bandwidth.

Notable Apps

• $1.99

  iWiki

  by Comoki Software

  It takes a lot to make a free service worthy of being paid for, but iWiki accomplishes that with ease. With easy to read formatting in both portrait and landscape mode, and the ability to view images with captions, you won't miss a thing. It also features the ability to search for text within articles; and like many other paid Wikipedia apps, allows you to save articles for offline viewing. The only major downside is the interface, which is cluttered with buttons at the top and bottom which should be placed within menus to make everything more streamlined.

• Free

  Wikipanion

  by Robert Chin

  The only deserving free Wikipedia app to be included in this category because it contains all of the features from its plus counterpart, except for queue mode and offline browsing, without bringing any ads into the mix.

Decent Apps

• Free

  Wikiamo

  by Satoshi Nakagawa

  Sure, it lacks some of the features included in many of the paid Wikipedia apps out there, but it is fast and clean without bothering you with any ads. Plus, it contains the ability to bookmark entire pages, call up your recent history, change font sizes, and it even caches your last view page.

• Free

  Wiki Tap

  by Veveo Inc.

  Wiki Tap allows you to search for information in Wikipedia along with the ability to search for word definitions in the dictionary, and even pronounce them, making it doubly as useful. WIki Tap also allows you to view and add media contained within any Wikipedia article. Its major drawbacks, however, are the lack of bookmarks, and a relatively rough and basic interface.

Location-based Wikipedia

• $0.99

  WikiMe

  by Supportware

  Displays article based on your current tagged location or by postal code if you are unwilling to send off your location. Features both portrait and landscape for articles and maps.

• Free

  Wikihood

  by NextAroundYou

  Wikihood gives you easy access to information that is relevant to your location by displaying multiple them as pushpins on a map that can be tapped on to reveal even more data.

Wikipedia Meets Augmented Reality

• $1.99

  NearestWiki

  by acrossair

  Hold your iPhone vertically to display a small amount of information for points of interest around you. Just tap on a place you wish to learn more about and NearestWiki will give you a more in-depth look along with images.

• $1.99

  Cyclopedia

  by Chemical Wedding

  Get information in an augmented reality view with ease while also being able to gather information from areas within your current radius. Cyclopedia is also a fully capable of searching the entire Wikipedia database.

• Free

  Wikitude

  by Wikitude GmbH

  The once acclaimed Android app is now available for the iPhone 3GS. Get brief text bubbles for nearby points of interest and simply tap on the bubbles to expand your knowledge.

Wikipedia Offline

• $8.99

  Encyclopedia

  by Steam Heavy Industries

  Able to download the entire Wikipedia database onto your iPhone or iPod touch, allowing you to do your searching without an Internet connection. The app is ridiculously overpriced for what it does and lacks a lot of basic features, but could be a handy companion for iPod touch owners with a lot of extra space.

Other Apps