Source-backed analysis10
Review basis
The AppDuo team prepared this review by analysing product features, official documentation and user feedback to help you understand its strengths, limitations and suitability for your needs.
10 reference sourcesInformation updated Nov 10, 2026
How we review
By AppDuo Editorial Team · Updated
- Web
- iOS
- Android
On this page
Decide at a glance
Our verdict
Fandom hosts detailed wikis for a huge range of games, shows and films, so it is often where a specific fictional world is documented. The trade-offs: heavy advertising for logged-out readers, many data types used for tracking per the App Store label, and repeated layoffs at the company.
Best for: Fans who need to look up characters, plot, or items in a specific franchise
Skip it if: Readers who want an ad-free experience without logging in or editing
Pros
- The Google Play description cites 40 million+ pages on what it calls the world's largest fan wiki platform
- Wiki text is mostly under CC BY-SA, so it can be reused with attribution
- iOS app rated 4.7/5 from 25.6K ratings, latest update September 15, 2026
Cons
- Heavy ads for logged-out readers; logged-in non-editors only get an ad-light experience (since November 25, 2025), not an ad-free one
- The App Store label lists seven data types used to track you, including location
All pros and cons · Who is it for?
Pros
- Android app rated 4.5/5 from 63.1K ratings, covering both news and wikis
Cons
- Sitejabber rates it 2.1/5, though from only 24 reviews
Best for
- People who want to start or contribute to a wiki for their own community
Skip it if
- Anyone needing encyclopedia-grade sourcing; each wiki is run by its own community with different rules
Experience & key features
Fandom hosts many fan-written wikis on games, TV, film and pop culture. According to Wikipedia the project began on October 18, 2004 as Wikicities, founded by Jimmy Wales and Angela Beesley Starling, was renamed Wikia in 2006 and Fandom in 2016, and moved to fandom.com in February 2019.
The Google Play description says the app lets you pick topics for a feed, read news, reviews and features, and search over 40 million wiki pages. Wiki text is mostly under CC BY-SA 3.0, with a few wikis using non-commercial licences; images and video are not automatically covered.
Fandom is ad-funded. A technical update dated November 17, 2025 announced that from November 25 active editors see little to no ads, while other logged-in users get an ad-light experience with no video ads or pop-ups. The support center confirms fandom.com wikis currently have no paid subscription.
Compared with Wikipedia, Fandom focuses on pop culture and does not apply encyclopedic standards; compared with Reddit, content is organized as wiki pages rather than discussion threads. Points to weigh are the ads, data collection for tracking, and the repeated layoffs since 2023 noted by Wikipedia.
Screenshots
Plans & pricing
Prices last verified Nov 10, 2026
Free
Free
Reading and editing wikis is free, with ads. Since November 25, 2025, logged-in users get an ad-light experience with no video ads or pop-ups, and active editors see little to no ads.
- Free plan limits
- Per Fandom's support center, fandom.com wikis currently have no paid subscription; fewer ads come from logging in or editing, not from paying.
- Free trial
- No free trial
Cancellation & refunds
Not applicable, as there is no paid plan for wikis.
Privacy
Fandom's privacy policy and opt-out pages blocked automated access, so this summary relies on the store privacy labels. The App Store label lists location, contact info, user content, search history, identifiers, usage data and diagnostics as data used to track you, and links location, identifiers and usage data to you for third-party advertising. Google Play's data-safety section says the Android app may collect approximate location, email address, user IDs, app activity and device IDs, and shares device IDs, app activity and approximate location for analytics; data is encrypted in transit and users can request deletion. The web wikis are ad-funded, and logged-out readers see the most ads.
Fandom alternatives
8.1/10Wikipedia
The free, ad-free encyclopedia written and maintained by volunteers
7.0/10Discord
Server-based voice, video and text chat that grew out of gaming communities
Frequently asked questions
Is Fandom free?
Yes. Reading and editing wikis is free, with ads. Per the support center, fandom.com wikis currently have no paid subscription.
How can I see fewer ads on Fandom?
Log in for an ad-light experience. If you edit regularly, ads mostly disappear; posting in Discussions does not count as editing.
Can I reuse Fandom wiki content?
Text on most wikis is under CC BY-SA 3.0, so it can be reused with attribution and the same licence; some wikis use non-commercial licences, and images and videos need separate checking.
Has Fandom had other names?
Yes. It started as Wikicities (2004), became Wikia on March 27, 2006, and was rebranded Fandom in 2016, per Wikipedia.
Review evidence & sources10
Scores
- Ease of use
- 7.0
- Features
- 7.5
- Value for money
- 7.0
- Performance
- 7.0
- Support
- 6.0
- Privacy & security
- 4.5
Why this score
Wikis are easy to find and read and the app scores 4.7/5 on the App Store; ads make the web pages cluttered.
Why this score
A broad wiki library plus news, video, discussions and wiki-creation tools; quality varies by wiki.
Why this score
Free, paid for with ads; no paid plan exists to remove them, only logging in or editing.
Why this score
Android app at 4.5/5 from 63.1K ratings and iOS app at 4.7/5, last updated September 15, 2026; no independent speed data.
Why this score
A support center, Community Central help pages and forums; no chat or phone found.
Why this score
The App Store label lists seven data types used for tracking, with location and identifiers linked to you for third-party ads; Google Play offers data deletion. The policy itself could not be read to check opt-outs.
What users say
- Google Play4.5/5 · 63,100
- App Store (US)4.7/5 · 25,580
- Sitejabber2.1/5 · 24
Sources
- Vendor-providedFandom Community Central: Technical Updates, November 17, 2025Nov 10, 2026
- Vendor-providedFandom Community Central: Help:Create an account (ad experience)Nov 10, 2026
- Vendor-providedFandom Community Central: Help:LicensingNov 10, 2026
- Vendor-providedFandom support: I want to cancel my paid subscription!Nov 10, 2026
- Vendor-providedFandom support: I want to reuse text or images from a Fandom wikiNov 10, 2026
- storeGoogle Play listingNov 10, 2026
- storeGoogle Play data safetyNov 10, 2026
- storeApp Store listingNov 10, 2026
- review-siteSitejabber reviews of fandom.comNov 10, 2026
- Community-reportedWikipedia: Fandom (website)Nov 10, 2026
Specs & compatibility
- Developer
- Fandom, Inc.
- Headquarters
- United States
- Launched
- 2004
- Category
- CommunityEntertainment
Capabilities
- Mobile app
- Real-time collaboration
Platforms
- Web
- iOS
- Android
Interface languages
- English
- French
- German
- Japanese
- Portuguese
- Russian
- Chinese
- Spanish
Support
- Help center
- Community forum
Change history
- Company.Jay Sullivan is named CEO after Perkins Miller resigned in October 2025.
- Update.Fandom's new logged-in ad policy takes effect: active editors see little to no ads, other logged-in users an ad-light experience (announced November 17, 2025).
- Company.Fandom acquires GameSpot, Metacritic, TV Guide, GameFAQs, Giant Bomb and Comic Vine from Red Ventures.
Full change history (8)
- Company.Fandom acquires Curse Media, including Gamepedia (Wikipedia gives December 2018).
- Company.Jon Miller, backed by TPG Capital, acquires Fandom (Wikipedia gives February 2018, no exact day).
- Update.The platform is rebranded "Fandom powered by Wikia".
- Update.Wikicities is renamed Wikia.
- Launch.Jimmy Wales and Angela Beesley Starling launch the project as Wikicities.