websites to visit everyday

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The 45 Most Useful Sites on the Web

Incredible sites you might not have known about

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Reading and writing, entertainment and video, shopping and travel, web applications and tools, music and multimedia, news and information, fun and games, productivity and new media.

There are millions upon millions of websites, but the ones we visit are probably the same ones we always visit. However, there are many amazingly useful sites that you might not know about that could soon become your new favorites.

These sites exist to save time and money, to help us search more effectively, to drill down into reference materials, and so much more.

• Wikibooks : A giant collection of online textbooks that anyone can edit.
• HyperHistory : A visual timeline of 3,000 years of world history. Select a link to be taken to a whole new panorama of information.
• TinEye : A reverse image search engine that lets you see where an image is being used on the web by running a visual search against a database of billions of images.
• Digital History : For anyone who wants more information on U.S. history, this is the place to look. It has primary sources, quizzes, and more, all print-friendly.
• Wayback Machine : Visit an archived version of a web page to access the page as it was when it was archived, even if things have changed since then.
• Project Gutenberg : A huge database of tens of thousands of free downloadable books (you can read them online, too).
• ManyBooks : Tons of free Kindle books and books in other formats (and in dozens of languages) for your computer or eReader.
• Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) : A fantastic array of hundreds of free resources for improving your writing. Includes an updated MLA style guide.
• LibraryThing : Share what you're reading with millions of other users, and connect with people that read similar books.
• Hemingway Editor : Have you ever been curious if your writing is too hard to read or could improve? Paste the text into this site to see the readability score and suggested edits.
• Freevee : Did you know Amazon Prime Video also has free, ad-supported movies? All you need is an Amazon account.
• JustWatch : Ever wondered where a movie or TV show can be streamed the cheapest, or even free? Check out this site before you decide to purchase or rent a movie; you might be surprised where else it's available.
• Zamzar : A file converter where you can upload any media file format and change it into another format absolutely free of charge and without installing any software.
• Internet Movie Poster Awards : Get the first look at the very latest movie posters. Archives go back to 1912.
• Animoto : Make a video using your own images and music, with professional looking effects.
• Internet Movie Script Database : If you're looking for a movie script, IMSDb is where you need to be. It's a great way to get another point of view on your favorite film.
• Woot : One of the best places to find deals on the web; everything from home and kitchen items to gadgets and technology-related products.
• RetailMeNot : A coupon website that has coupons for both online and in-store products.
• FlightAware : A free live flight tracker where you can view and track the activity of any private or commercial flight, as well as get printable airport information.
• TrustedHouseSitters : Quit paying nightly rates when you need somewhere to stay during trips. This site lets you apply to stay in an unlimited number of homes all over the world for an affordable yearly fee, in exchange for watching the owner's home and oftentimes their animals.
• Mint : Free and automatic money management. Mint is a great way to be on top of your finances and is one of the best money management apps .
• Tripit : Forward confirmation emails to a special email address to automatically create a master itinerary for your trips.
• Saltify.io : Share sensitive information through unique, password-protected and encrypted links that automatically expire after a set time.
• amCharts : Free and customizable JavaScript charts, maps, and timelines. There are some delightful images here to use for your presentations or projects.
• DWService : Run this remote access tool on a computer to access it from any web browser.
• Mutual Backup : Keep your important files encrypted and backed up on a friend's computer for free.
• Wormhole : Share large files and folders through your web browser with end-to-end encryption.
• iHeart : Find free streaming radio stations across the U.S. of any music you're interested in.
• HypeMachine : Listen to the music that people are talking about on the web.
• Gnoosic : Discover new music that you didn't even know you liked.
• Miro : Free, open source video player that works with a huge variety of video file formats. Also lets you use torrents, convert files, and share files over your network.
• Magnatune : A unique website of free streaming music , most of which is unique to this site.
• Upstract : This is the mother of news aggregators . Previously called Popurls, it's an awesome way to get quick information from a variety of popular online sources. On a single page are listings from Reddit, Google News, X (formerly Twitter), Digg, Vice, Medium, CNN, YouTube, and other sites.
• BoingBoing : An exceedingly eclectic array of information gathered from all over the web.
• Techmeme : One of the best places to get breaking technology news.
• Drudge Report : Find news that's off the beaten track. It's usually one of the first places to break really big news items.
• Paper Toys : Hundreds of free custom-designed paper models that you can print out and fold yourself.
• Web Sudoku : Play Sudoku for free with literally thousands of different combinations.
• Miniclip : Tons of cute animated games for kids and adults.
• Wordle : Can you guess the five-letter word in six tries?
• Escape Team : Experience escape rooms at home with these printable escape room games that are paired with a mobile app.
• Focusmate : Connect with other people over video who need an accountability partner to get something done.
• Artful Agenda : An online calendar inspired by paper planners.
• X : A mini-blogging application that you can use to journal your thoughts and ideas.
• Netvibes : A start page for the web ; you can personalize your Netvibes to your unique preferences.

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• Helldivers 2
• Dragon’s Dogma 2
• Wuthering Waves
• Genshin Impact
• Counter Strike 2
• Honkai Star Rail
• Lego Fortnite
• Stardew Valley
• NYT Strands
• NYT Connections
• Apple Watch
• Crunchyroll
• Prime Video
• Jujutsu Kaisen
• Demon Slayer
• Chainsaw Man
• Solo Leveling
• Beebom Gadgets

30 Cool And Interesting Websites to Kill Time

1. Wayback Machine

ChatGPT has taken the internet by storm unless you’re living under a rock. The AI chatbot developed by OpenAI is set to revolutionize how we use the internet. ChatGPT is one of the best websites to kill time in 2024. You can ask the AI chatbot about anything and be ready to be surprised by the answers. If you are unsure about what to ask, you can give these ChatGPT prompts a try and have your mind blown.

Visit Website

7. Zoom Quilt

If you are a keen Netizen, you may have seen those trippy videos of artists where they zoom into a painting revealing multiple things, looping in to reveal another painting, and it’s never-ending. Zoom Quilt is a similar website that zooms in through multiple pictures and never ends, or does it? Only one way to find out.

8. This Person Does Not Exist

9. Little Alchemy 2

10. the oatmeal, 11. the useless web, 12. nautilus.

A great place to read informative and impeccably written articles dealing with a multitude of topics that can be broadly divided into science, history, psychology, and autobiography. If you are looking to learn while passing time, there’s no better place.

13. Forgotify

14. the onion, 15. i waste so much time, 16. gravity points.

17. Open Puppies

The website shows you GIFs and small videos of puppies and dogs which are just adorable. All the content is shown in full-screen high-quality mode. If you love puppies, you will love it here.

18. 100,000 Stars

19. every noise at once, 20. hotspot 3d.

21. ncase.me

22. how stuff works.

As the name suggests, the website focuses on detailing how stuff works. From soda fountains to tornados, you will find everything here. Everything is written in a short and easy-to-understand language. You will have fun and also learn a lot here.

23. Pixel Thoughts

24. orb.farm.

25. Lego Videos

26. supercook, 27. neal.fun.

Rounding off this list with a fun website that will keep you engaged for hours. Neal.fun is a collection of funny websites with some exciting games to play. Asteroid Launcher and Draw a Perfect Circle are our favorite games to kill time.

28. A Soft Murmur

29. OCEARCH Shark Tracker

30. ancient history encyclopedia.

Abubakar Mohammed

Abubakar covers Tech on Beebom. Hailing from a Computer Science background, the start of his love for Tech dates back to 2011, when he was gifted a Dell Inspiron 5100. When he's not covering Tech, you'll find him binge-watching anime and Tech content on YouTube, hunting heads in competitive FPS games, or exploring Teyvat in Genshin Impact. He has previously worked for leading publications such as Fossbytes, How-To Geek, and Android Police.

more people should know about littlerbooks.com. added a lot of links to my bookmarks thanks to this list though!

Amazing article, Give this type of content more!!!

Great article with a great list! Will try to write similar one for my own toptenhub!

Careful. Some of these can exacerbate existential anxiety.

Another hidden gem is Littler Books. It has good summaries of a lot of popular nonfiction books.

It’s truly a nice and helpful piece of information. I’m happy that you just shared this useful info with us. Please stay us up to date like this. Thank you for sharing.

itsyourmap.com is very cool website too. You can create and customize world map as you wish or you can publicly open to users.

This is a nice list. Since Lego videos are mentioned, how about ‘domino falling’ videos (strangely relaxing) and ‘marble running’ videos?

These are so helpful i liked them so much , thank you for the recommendations

We have good news for you. And the good news is that foreign students who need to optimize their finances to study in Canada have various options to consider, such as student loans. So, let us read this blog by All Assignment Help to understand all the aspects of an Expensive Canadian University when it comes to studying in Canada.

Women <3

Saya mau bermain

Some very cool sites. My personal favorite is dropicon.com

Wow! Thanks so much.

Hey i think this is a great list but beebom missed a gem. I would like to add blissfulnoises.com to this list to make it fully complete. It is an ambient sound generator website which you can use to relax or stud.

I went to the Lego one. But didn’t find the videos.

There are 3 icons in the top left corner, and one says “Videos”

anyone else notice there were to 36

There’s 50 on the list I’m seeing

Oh, a 2020 list! the list: You might like the Akinator game.

yea akinator was already there before i looked at this

really nice and amazing and cool and etc.,

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100 Websites You Should Know and Use (updated!)

In the spring of 2007, Julius Wiedemann, editor in charge at Taschen GmbH , gave a legendary TED University talk: an ultra-fast-moving ride through the “100 websites you should know and use.” Six years later, it remains one of the most viewed TED blog posts ever. Time for an update? We think so. Below, the 2013 edition of the 100 websites to put on your radar and in your browser.

To see the original list, click here . While most of these sites are still going strong and remain wonderful resources, we’ve crossed out any that are no longer functioning. And because there are so many amazing resources out there, please add your own ideas in the comments. Happy surfing!

BUSINESS + E-COMMERCE

• blogs.hbr.org
• fastcompany.com
• entrepreneur.com
• dealbook.nytimes.com
• thebillfold.com
• kickstarter.com
• indiegogo.com
• rockethub.com
• marginalrevolution.com
• learnvest.com
• getrichslowly.org/blog
• ritholtz.com/blog
• consumerist.com
• npr.org/blogs/money
• blog.priceonomics.com
• freakonomics.com/blog

AUDIO + VISUAL

• thisiscolossal.com
• creativetimereports.org
• designobserver.com
• hyperallergic.com
• transom.org
• atavist.com
• thirdcoastfestival.org
• nfb.ca/interactive
• woostercollective.com
• c-monster.net
• artfagcity.com
• pitchfork.com
• blog.largeheartedboy.com

L ITERATURE, MEDIA + CULTURE

• theparisreview.org/blog
• lareviewofbooks.org
• themillions.com
• therumpus.net
• grantland.com
• vulture.com
• themorningnews.org
• longreads.com
• goodreads.com
• thefrisky.com
• rookiemag.com
• mediamatters.org
• jimromenesko.com
• poynter.org
• niemanlab.org
• google.com/trends
• youtube-trends.blogspot.com
• onthemedia.org/blogs
• journalism.org
• bookslut.com/blog/
• brainpickings.org
• buzzfeed.com

POLITICS, NEWS + GLOBAL ISSUES

• pewresearch.org
• politico.com
• thinkprogress.org
• brookings.edu
• aljazeera.com
• fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com
• www.propublica.org
• alternet.org
• dish.andrewsullivan.com
• dissentmagazine.org
• edsurge.com
• khanacademy.org
• coursera.org
• udacity.com
• generalassemb.ly
• nces.ed.gov
• greatschools.org

SCIENCE + TECHNOLOGY

• blogs.smithsonianmag.com/smartnews
• blogs.scientificamerican.com
• onearth.org
• scienceseeker.org
• lastwordonnothing.com
• scilogs.com
• pandasthumb.org
• realclimate.org
• incubator.rockefeller.edu
• blogs.plos.org
• doublexscience.org
• australianscience.com.au
• guardian.co.uk/science
• lifeslittlemysteries.com
• allthingsd.com
• techcrunch.com
• mashable.com

And now, the original list from 2007, created by Julius Wiedemann, editor in charge at Taschen GmbH. While most of these remaining thriving websites, we’ve crossed out defunct websites and added notes when possible:

CURIOSITY & KNOWLEDGE

• reuters.com
• research.philips.com
• readme.cc.png
• podtropolis.com
• papertoys.com
• new7wonders.com
• thomasedison.org
• beelinetv.com
• submarinechannel.com/titlesequences
• visual-literacy.org
• cartype.com
• captology.stanford.edu
• bannerblog.com_au
• curiosityshoppeonline.com
• creativecommons.org
• lawsofsimplicity.com

GRAPHICS, MUSIC & ARTS

• vincent-vella.com
• tutorialblog.org/free-vector-downloads
• tate.org.uk
• squidfingers.com/patterns
• sohodolls.co.uk
• radioblogclub.com
• photogravure.com
• netdiver.net/illustration [redirects to featuredby.com/illustration ]
• mine-control.com
• matthewmahon.com
• marcelod2.com.br
• magwerk.com
• kraftwerk.blocmedia.net
• headbangers.tv *
• grupow.com/circulo
• creaturesinmyhead.com
• bernhardwolff.com
• arturofuentes.com
• alennox.net

E-COMMERCE EXPERIENCE

• imaginemusicstore.com
• coft1.com [redirects to blackbeltmonkey.com ]
• heftyrecords.com [splash page; “full website coming soon”]
• freddyandma.com
• nikeid.nike.com
• feelthepower.biz
• shopcomposition.com
• agentprovocateur.com

SEARCHING & FINDING

• trendwatching.com
• springwise.com
• scholar.google.com
• podcasts.yahoo.com
• msdewey.com
• maps.live.com
• books.google.com

ONLINE RESOURCES

• infopresse.com/prixboomerang
• rjnet.com.br/2velocimetro_php
• vixy.net [redirects to jaksta.com/vixy-download-youtube-videos-free/ ]
• kuler.adobe.com
• wikitravel.org
• thinkingwithtype.com
• dominiopublico.gov.br
• madehow.com
• howstuffworks.com
• dictionary.reference.com
• gutenberg.org
• nationmaster.com
• en.proverbia.net
• del.icio.us
• touchgraph.com

TOP INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE CREATORS

• 2advanced.com
• almapbbdo.com.br
• artless.gr.jp
• bigspaceship.com
• d-o-e-s.com
• domanistudios.com
• eurorscg4d.com [redirects to havasworldwidedigital.com/ ]
• firstbornmultimedia.com
• group94.com
• heiwa-alpha.co.jp
• lowetesch.com
• northkingdom.com
• soleilnoir.com
• Subscribe to TED Blog by email

The 15 Websites You Should Visit Daily

15 Valuable Online Resources You Need to Bookmark

PeopleImages / Getty Images

• Money Management
• Bargain Shopping
• Household Savings
• Do-It-Yourself
• Grocery Savings
• Food Savings
• Beauty & Health Care
• Fine Arts & Crafts
• Card Games & Gambling
• Cars & Motorcycles
• Playing Music

Paul Suggett has over 20 years of experience as a copywriter and creative director in advertising.

• DeMontfort University

There's no doubt about it; the industry has gone digital. And as the traditional media choices disappear, making way for digital equivalents, so too do our news and information sources. We can no longer rely on magazines and other periodicals; by the time we get them, the news contained is already out of date.

Therefore, as a good advertising professional, you should dedicate a small portion of your day (or week, if you have very little free time) perusing great websites that contain a flurry of information. Not just news sites, but social media, content aggregators and more. Here's a list of 15 websites that you should check out daily, be it through bookmarking the sites or following them on social media.

1: The Egotist Network

If you live in a major advertising city, there will be an Egotist for you. It all started with The Denver Egotist, but now has branches in New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, and even Dubai. This is a great resource for local and national news. Very few advertising blogs do the local scene well, this is the top of the bunch. It's also anonymous, meaning you get some very strong opinions on there. Bookmark your local Egotist today.

For anyone in the industry, this is a great source of information. Updated daily, sometimes hourly, it'll give you the lowdown on the latest campaigns, movers and shakers, new technologies and a lot more.

3: Buzzfeed

For the latest news and gossip, entertainment stories, videos, politics and everything else you can think of, Buzzfeed collects it all in one handy place. It's not as user-centric as Reddit, but it's still a reliable and constantly updated resource.

4: Wallpaper

Back in the day, Wallpaper* magazine was required reading in the ad agencies I worked at in London. The * referred to *stuff that refines you. And yes, it is. It's filled with the latest architecture trends, design, art, fashion, travel and lifestyle. If you want to know what the next big thing will be, you'll find it within the pages of Wallpaper.com.

5: The Verge

Just a few years old, The Verge "covers the intersection of technology, science, art, and culture." If you know anything about the direction in which our industry is heading, you'll know how applicable that statement it. Covering the latest on web & social, gaming, mobile, science, pop culture and even law, this is a "must visit daily" site.

Very few names conjure up the vision of cutting edge news and insights. Wired is one of them. This is the place to go for your tech news, business, design, entertainment, science, and predictions for the future of, well, all of the above.

7: Ads Of The World

Every day, Ads Of The World shows dozens of new campaigns from agencies all around the world. Admittedly, I find a lot of the work very formulaic, designed to win awards. But there are still hundreds and hundreds of great ideas on there, that can leave you feeling inspired. Check it out daily.

8: Adverblog

Now over ten years old, and probably the most read advertising blog in the world, Adverblog is a one-stop-shop for all the latest digital advertising and marketing. And they are insistent that they serve up "only the best ideas worldwide." Having been a regular reader from their inception, I agree.

Published by veteran advertising guru Steve Hall, AdRants promises a "no holds barred" approach to ad blogging. You get searing opinions, funny reviews , plus serious coverage of trends, strategies, viral campaigns, buzz and even industry research. This one is definitely a favorite of the ad community.

Anything and everything that's popular on the web will make its way to the front page of Reddit.com. The site, separated by many different categories, gives readers karma points for submitting and commenting. They tag NSFW links, and topics range from movies and music to the really bizarre. If you want your finger on the pulse of pop culture, it should be placed right here.

The go-to website for everyone in the advertising, marketing, PR, and design industries. Ad Age is updated hourly with the latest news about the business, and provides in-depth articles and coverage of the most important stories surrounding advertising. Some content does cost you money to access, but it's well worth it. The AdAge journalists keep you up-to-date on all the info. 

A massive repository of the latest and greatest ads, both national and international, in one handy place. AdLand has been going since 1996 and boasts the largest collection of Super Bowl ads anywhere online. If you want to feed your inner ad geek, this is the place to be. 

13: The Inspiration Room

Looking for ideas, news, trending topics, and a place that inspires you to do better work? Then head on over to The Inspiration Room. You'll get to see a lot of work not usually highlighted by the big boys (AdFreak, AdAge), and it covers everything from film and print, to interactive and audio. Bookmark this one right now. 

Political advertising. Media trends. Ad people. Editorials. AdPulp has it all, and is not only a great read, but a daily reminder of why you got into advertising. Covering new work, content, and creative campaigns from around the world, it's a slick site with a lot to offer anyone in advertising, marketing, and design. 

15: DigiDay

Let's face it; advertising has gone digital. Or at least, it's now a massive chunk of the industry. If you want to be on top of the latest digital trends, campaigns, movers and shakers, and all things new media, you need to check in with DigiDay at least once a day. A fantastic and insightful destination. 

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13 Interesting and Intellectual Websites to Feed Your Brain

Whether you’re looking to learn something new or see something from a new perspective, there is a wide variety of interesting websites filled with thought-provoking content. Pick your favorites and add them to your favorite RSS reader or subscribe to their email newsletters.

1. Farnam Street

2. the marginalian (formerly brain pickings), 3. ted talks.

• 4. Harper's Magazine

7. Wait But Why

8. open culture, 9. thoughtco., 10. nautilus, 11. information is beautiful, 12. longreads, 13. jstor daily, frequently asked questions.

Also read: 5 of the Best Websites to Learn Morse Code Online for Free

Helping you make the most out of your brain to learn faster and smarter.

• Articles are organized by topic for quick access
• Subscribe to a free weekly newsletter
• Has an interesting podcast as well
• Some content and features are only for paying members
• Site itself is very minimal design-wise

Farnam Street is well-known for content designed to help you learn faster, think better, improve decision making, and teach you how to use your brain better. For instance, learn from some of the biggest intellectual giants, such as Richard Feynman or Peter Bevelin . You can also pick up how to learn and recall things faster and easier than before or how to get more out of every reading session.

Make sure you don’t miss The Knowledge Podcast with incredible interviews, lessons, and amazing insights. You can get early episodes, no ads, extra content, book summaries, and more by becoming a member for $20/month or $100/year.

Also read: 7 of the Best Apps to Learn New Languages

Insightful content designed to give you a deeper meaning of life.

• Long-form content on a variety of insightful topics
• Completely ad-free
• Two different newsletters (weekly digest and random archive posts)
• Topics may sometimes feel random (though they do fit the overall theme of broadening the mind and heart)

The Marginalian , formerly known as “Brain Pickings,” is the brain child of Maria Popova. Since the site began in 2006, Popova has written millions of pages worth of content examining art, science, philosophy, history, and much more. Gain inspiration through the stories of others, such as Resolutions for a Life Worth Living , or understand how witchcraft, our universe, and science fiction relate in How Kepler Invented Science Fiction and Defended His Mother in a Witchcraft Trial While Revolutionizing Our Understanding of the Universe .

Since the site is ad-free, Popova does kindly ask that you consider donating once or even monthly to help offset the costs of running the site, but it’s not required.

Learn from thought-leaders on almost any topic through engaging talks.

• Talks are from experts and thought leaders in their fields
• Content is always engaging and sometimes even entertaining
• Each talk is designed to educate or help broaden your mind
• Some content is only for members ($5/month or $50/year)

TED Talks is one of the most interesting websites to visit. There are numerous topics, such as ancient worlds, encryption, language, music, philosophy, vulnerability, and everything in between. Talks are usually less than 20 minutes, making them ideal to listen to on the way to work. There are also transcripts available.

You can also check out podcasts via the TED Audio Collective or read the insightful Ideas blog . While you can search by topic or get recommendations, a few great talks to get you started include Tim Urban: Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator , Jon Ronson: When Online Shaming Goes Too Far , and Andrew Solomon: Depression, the Secret We Share.

Also read: 7 of the Best Android Apps for Mental Health Improvement

4. Harper’s Magazine

Long-form journalism at its best as the magazine examines culture, politics, society, and the environment.

• Founded in 1850 and even featured Theodore Roosevelt, Tom Wolfe and Winston Churchill
• Original and innovative thinking is the premise
• Covers politics, society, the environment, and more through a thorough journalistic approach, along with fiction and engaging essays
• Some content is only for print/digital subscribers ($23.99 for one year or $33.99 for two years)

Harper’s Magazine started in print in 1850 to encourage new and well-known voices to talk about the issues of the day. It’s still going strong today. If you prize well-researched long-form content with interviews, facts, and new perspectives, this might just be one of the most intellectual sites to visit.

Find the month’s latest statistics in the Harper’s Magazine Index or thoughtful articles on current issues, such as February’s feature Free Country on extremist gun rights. While some posts are behind a paywall, subscriptions give you access to Harper’s Magazine’s full 171-year archive. Or you could try to bypass the paywall at your own risk.

The ad-free place for serious thinkers; discover the world from new perspectives.

• Completely ad-free and no paywall (donations are welcome)
• Covers a wide range of topics from history to technology
• Includes text and video content, including an entire section specifically from experts
• May feel too psychological for some readers

Aeon is a unique place on the Internet filled with thought-provoking ideas from a wide range of voices. The site includes essays, videos, and audio content on philosophy, science, psychology, society, and culture. You’ll find interesting essays about animals, such as Becoming a Centaur , and details about ancient worlds, such as this piece on Uncovering Sparta .

The Ideas section of the site provides in-depth content created by experts in their fields. Psychologists, philosophers, and more come together to explain human nature. Subscribe to the free newsletter so that you never miss a thing. Also check out Aeon’s partner site, Psyche , for more about the human condition.

Also read: Top 9 Mental Health Podcasts to Add to Your Playlist

Read and even write about any topic imaginable, helping you learn something new every day.

• Almost any topic imaginable is available on Medium
• Editors hand-pick front page content in each category
• You can contribute your own thought-provoking content
• Anyone can contribute, which means some content won’t be as great as others
• Only some content is free, with the rest requiring a $5/month subscription to help pay writers

Medium is a unique entry on this list, but it’s equally one of the most interesting and weird websites to feed your brain. Since it’s a blogging platform, you never know what you might find. However, that’s part of the appeal. Long-form, well-written content typically rises to the top. To make it easier to find the best content, editors hand-pick what to feature.

You can also find individual publications on specific topics, where content is carefully chosen. For instance, Personal Growth and Better Humans both help you learn how to live better, while Start It Up helps you grow your ideas.

Answering the world’s most burning questions with some light-hearted humor and visuals.

• Looks like a comic site, but you’ll always leave with new knowledge
• Explains complex topics in layman’s terms with plenty of visuals
• Learn and laugh at the same time
• Content is uploaded very sporadically
• Might feel too cartoony for some (but that’s also what makes it great)

Wait But Why is easily one of the most interesting websites to visit to learn something new or just to procrastinate when you’re bored. Think of it as a mix between webcomics and a deep dive into human nature, science, and even culture. It may seem weird at first, then you realize it’s just a cool website that really can do it all.

Mailbag posts are some of the best, as Tim Urban tries to answer reader questions with a mix of humor and well-researched facts. You’ll even find the occasional series about society in general.

Also read: 12 of the Best Websites to Read Manga Online

Culture and education blend into a platform filled with free brain food resources.

• Free educational resources, including courses, audiobooks, textbooks, and more
• Long-form cultural content, both text and video
• Content on numerous topics
• All the resource lists can feel overwhelming

Open Culture is the place to go if you’re looking for educational resources, such as academic courses, free textbooks, and language lessons. You’ll also find lists of movies, lectures, favorite books of famous individuals, and more. In addition to all the free resources, there are also regular posts on a variety of topics, such as The Amazing Engineering of the James Webb Telescope (astronomy), Sci-Fi Pioneer Hugo Gernsback Predicts Telemedicine in 1925 (health), and Behold the Photographs of John Thomson, the First Western Photographer to Travel Widely Through China (1870s) (travel & history).

Easily find content by filtering by topic. Otherwise, just scroll and enjoy the latest posts.

Thoughtful and educational content designed to further your learning throughout your life.

• All content written by experts in their fields
• Focused on expanding your education no matter your age
• Includes language-learning resources (including ESL)
• Doesn’t feature any opinion or perspective-style pieces
• Content doesn’t have much personality

ThoughtCo. is a premiere educational resource for both kids and adults. It focuses heavily on science, technology, and math, but also includes humanities and languages. All writers have degrees and a professional background in the fields they write about.

For adult learners, there’s guidance on how to continue your education and potential paths in different fields. Or anyone of any age can just browse and learn something new every day. Find out more about Martin Luther King, Jr. , learn why math is considered a language , or discover the relationship between culture and nature .

Also read: 10 Useful YouTube Channels That Teach You How to Code

Learning how science connects the world with deep dives and engaging content.

• Deep dives into various science topics
• Features different themes monthly
• Offers narrated stories to listen to
• Only focuses on science
• Must subscribe for some content (offers three different plans)

Nautilus is a popular print science magazine that’s also available online. You can read most of the current issue’s content for free on the website, but there are ads. Each month, there’s a new theme that uses science to explain how the world’s connected, including combining science with culture, humanity, and nature.

A subscription to the print magazine or a Nautilus Prime subscription gives you full access to the current issue ad-free, along with past editions.

A beautifully visual look into the most important news and statistics in the world.

• Absorb content quickly with graphics
• Ideal for brain food snacks
• Covers a variety of topics
• No long-form content
• Content is random

Information Is Beautiful is unlike any other site on this list. Still, it’s one of the most interesting websites and incredibly fun to use. Instead of long-form content, everything is presented in graphical form, such as charts, mind-maps, and infographics. You’ll find everything from COVID-19 stats to rhetological fallacies .

If you’re on the search for brain food, consider this site the appetizer or a quick snack when you have a few free minutes. However, the amount of facts you can learn is immense, making it a worthy addition to this list.

Also read: 10 of the Best Mobile Apps to Help You Stay Healthy

Discover new perspectives on culture, business, current events, and much more with long-form journalism and essays.

• Long-form content on science, business, art, books, and more
• Get unique perspectives through personal essays
• Find must-read books designed to feed your brain
• Much of the content is curated or submitted from other sites but still carefully chosen by editors to fit the site
• Supported by ads unless you buy a membership (one-time contribution, $5/month, or $50/year)

Longreads helps fund voices eager to share their thoughts, research, and investigative reporting. All content is long-form, giving you far more detail and depth to stories about local businesses, current events, cultural issues, and even the best food. Learn more about well-known lesser known figures changing the world through Longreads profiles. Try the 2021 best-of roundup to get started.

Personal essays are designed to inform, inspire, and educate, such as Debt Demands a Body . You’ll also find voices from unapologetic women, such as in the piece Inking Against Invisibility .

Also read: 10 of the Best Brain-Training Apps for Android and iOS

The place where scholars provide in-depth background on how today’s events came to be.

• All content is backed by linked research
• Content is provided by scholars and experts
• Access to academic journals, images, books, and other research materials in 75 disciplines
• Some content and resources are only for educational institutions and research organizations
• Free researcher accounts are limited to six premium posts/resources per month (premium accounts cost $19.50/month or $199/year)

JSTOR Daily takes a different approach to the news. Instead of just reporting what’s going on, scholars and experts look to the past to explain how things are different and the history of what led to today. For instance, Politics and Power in the United States looks at what led to the January 6th, 2021 insurrection. The Gruesome Truth at the Heart of Squid Game analyzes the dark undertones behind the popular series.

Topics include business, politics, culture, history, education, and more. All content is backed by research from supporting academic and/or scientific journals, which are linked to and free to read for any user. Research groups, including educational institutions, can subscribe (fees vary by type of membership and organization) to access the same research materials that JSTOR Daily writers use.

Also read: 10 of the Best Ebook Readers for Windows, macOS, and Mobile

1. Do I have to pay to use these sites?

Many of the sites above do have some sort of premium model in addition to free content. However, you can choose to only read the free content and still have more than enough brain food to keep you full of thought-provoking content.

Premium models, including donation-only models, are there to help support the hard work of the writers, marketing, and the cost of running the site itself.

2. How can I get content from all these sites in one place?

The easiest way is to use an RSS reader. These gather posts into one feed or allows you to organize content into different feeds/topics. Then, instead of having to visit each site every day or week, you just open your RSS reader.

Web-based RSS readers tend to be the easiest to use since you can log in from anywhere. However, there are also RSS readers for macOS and Windows .

3. Is all the content on the above sites completely factual?

This depends solely on the website. These are all interesting websites, but there are no guarantees that all content is factually accurate. This is especially true of any opinion and essay content. If you doubt any of the content, consider performing additional research.

Our latest tutorials delivered straight to your inbox

Crystal Crowder has spent over 15 years working in the tech industry, first as an IT technician and then as a writer. She works to help teach others how to get the most from their devices, systems, and apps. She stays on top of the latest trends and is always finding solutions to common tech problems.

PCMag editors select and review products independently . If you buy through affiliate links, we may earn commissions, which help support our testing .

10 Sites You Have to Check Every Day

Once you arrive at the office, how do you start your morning? You probably don't dig right into your work. (If you do, you deserve a raise.) More realistically, you hit the coffee machine and then peruse your favorite websites to catch up on the news you missed while logging your virtuous eight hours of dreamtime.

Even here at PCMag.com our browsers aren't always tuned to our own site. In fact, many of our must-read sites aren't even tech-related. Shocking, right? But it's our duty to be up on all the news that's fit to tweet. Besides, those Facebook friend requests aren't going to confirm themselves.

Remember, visiting these sites is important information gathering, not woolgathering. That way, later at the water cooler (read: on IMs to people in the same cavernous room at the office), you can show off your command of popular culture (read: who died on Game Of Thrones last night).

We've polled the masses here at PCMag and come up with a list of sites we just can't live without. So before you dive into your morning workload, be sure to check these 10 essential websites.

1. Facebook Not that you need our encouragement—it's the most popular site on the Internet, according to Alexa traffic rankings . There are more than a billion people active on Facebook per month and for some of them, Facebook is the Internet. It's where kids and adults both go to check in with friends and family around their campus, city, country, and the world; organize events; share pictures and video; and more.

2. Reuters If you're looking for sober, unbiased news coverage that's less infotainment, less political activism, and more pure journalism, then the international news agency with 160 years of history as the world's most respected wire service is probably your best choice. Established in London in 1851 to provide financial market data, Reuters built a reputation as the first to report international news scoops, including news of Abraham Lincoln's assassination. Reuters online is multi-lingual, employs thousands of reporters, and hits all the highlights without the fluff. It's like normal news, except for grownups.

3. Pinterest Pinterest is a bit like Hotel California: "you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave"—it's that consuming. On the social pinboard site you "pin" images from around the Web to your categorized boards, and others can then repin your pics. It's a way to collect your thoughts, bookmark recipes and tips, or just get inspired. If you're not already pinning, check out how you can get started .

4. Lifehacker Your life needs some hacking and this Gawker site has the low-down on how to do it. While there's a lot of emphasis on improving your digital well-being, there are also plenty of other worthwhile tips and tricks to be found for bettering your life overall, in areas such as food, creativity, work, and travel, to name a few.

5. The Verge Former Engadget Editor-in-Chief Joshua Topolsky launched The Verge to be an accessible technology site, but one with longer, in-depth features and reviews where the design is as important as the writing. Mission accomplished. The Verge may not have the most traffic among gadget blogs (yet) but it's definitely got the buzz; it even won five Webby Awards last year. The site now also features The Verge Video, with regular video updates about the gadget world.

6. Slate.com One of the very first online magazines alongside Salon , Slate's come a long way from the days when it was owned by Microsoft. In its 17 years the online magazine has covered or argued about everything you can imagine in politics, tech, business, art, and life. It couldn't make paid subscriptions work but succeeded in podcasts, and became an award winner at the National Magazine Awards in 2011.

7. CollegeHumor Perhaps you wish you could relive your college glory days—the good times when everything was a riot. Luckily there's plenty of that fun to be had at this comedy site, home of some of the most consistently hilarious sketches and series of today. Most of the time they are NSFW (not safe for work), so check it out before the boss gets in.

8. Twitter There was a time when only a handful of the PCMag staffers had Twitter accounts. Now Twitter is a full-time companion for just about everyone here, and you're probably no exception. Even if you don't tweet anything yourself, it's the best place to read breaking news from media outlets, pithy comments from celebs and comics, and some solid lunch longreads. In fact, if you follow your favorite sites on Twitter you probably don't need to store them in your bookmarks bar.

9. Consumerist When a tech product is flawed or an online service doesn't work like it should, you'll read about it in PCMag's review. But when customer service reps refuse to listen to your cable troubles or restaurants are overcharging for their meals, you'll read about it on The Consumerist. Now owned by Consumer Reports , it's updated throughout the day and is chock-full of useful shopper information.

10. Grub Street If you're a foodie and want to keep up with restaurant and industry news, keep an eye on Grub Street and its local editions for New York, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and San Francisco. The short blurbs on this New York magazine blog are repurposed from just about everywhere. If it concerns a food law, a restaurant, a chef, or even a chain of gas station supermarkets, it'll show up here.

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• 13 Things to Know About Amazon Prime
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About Eric Griffith

I've been writing about computers, the internet, and technology professionally for over 30 years, more than half of that time with PCMag. I run several special projects including the Readers' Choice and Business Choice surveys, and yearly coverage of the Best ISPs and Best Gaming ISPs, plus Best Products of the Year and Best Brands. I work from my home, and did it long before pandemics made it cool.

More From Eric Griffith

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21 Super Interesting And Fun Websites To Get You Through Weeks Of Social Distancing

Stave off boredom.

BuzzFeed Staff

1. MapCrunch

Go on an adventure without leaving your home — because you can't! This site plops you down in a random location on the globe, and all that's left to do is explore.

2. Paper Toilet

Just because stores are sold out of toilet paper doesn't mean you have to live without. This site features some interactive TP that you can roll up or down.

3. News of Future

This site was made in 2012 to predict what headlines might look like in the future. The idea was fun enough back then, but now that we're actually in the future, it's way more interesting.

4. Bees! Bees! Bees!

It's literally just that video someone made of Oprah releasing bees , but it fills the whole screen and repeats on loop. Personally, I'm glad that this website exists — it's brought me a surprising amount of joy.

5. Scream Into the Void

Take your outrage about our current situation (or any problem in your life) and throw it into the void. Just type out your feels and then click the "Scream" button, which does exactly what you think it does.

6. The Wayback Machine

Check out how your favorite websites looked before they got all ~sleek~. Type in a URL, choose a date, and the Wayback Machine will show you a screenshot of the site from that particular day in history.

7. Star Atlas

If you live in a place with light pollution, it's probably been a sec since you've seen a constellation. Thankfully, Star Atlas has come through with a digital view of the night sky at your location.

This website lets you play a game called 2048, which is kinda like Tetris but with addition. Use your arrow keys to try to combine numbers until you reach 2048, or go ~beyond~ and try to reach 4096.

9. Zoom Quilt

If you're looking to be hypnotized, then check out this site, which is basically a picture that infinitely zooms in to reveal new pictures.

10. Freerice

For every correct answer you get on this vocab quiz, "sponsors donate the cash equivalent of 10 grains of rice" to the United Nations World Food Programme . It's charitable procrastination.

11. MuscleWiki

MuscleWiki provides an interactive diagram of all the muscles you aren't moving now that you're confined to your apartment. Just click on a muscle, and the site will suggest ways to exercise it.

12. Internet Live Stats

"Everyone's on the internet" is a common expression, but this site will tell you — in real time — exactly how many people are actually on the internet. Spoiler alert: It's everyone.

13. This Is Sand

You know those colorful sand art jars that we had as kids? This site just reinvented them for the digital age. Click and drag your mouse to make designs out of a rainbow of sands.

14. Radio Garden

Take a trip 'round the world's airwaves! Just pick a city — literally any city — and Radio Garden will play you whatever its local radio station is broadcasting. BRB, listening to Turkish pop.

15. Radiooooo

Radio Garden walked so Radiooooo could run. This site adds a timeline function so you can listen to radio from not just anywhere, but any when . Get down to those 1910s Russian bops!

16. The Passive-Aggressive Password Machine

Type a password (real or fake) into this site and it'll shade you for how much it sucks.

17. HuffPost Weird News

HuffPost dedicates an entire section of their site to "weird news," aka headlines that makes you do a double take to ensure they're not satire. Needless to say, there's no shortage of content.

This interactive site lets you color what looks to be a map of the cosmos, but I'm honestly not sure. Whatever it is, it's mesmerizing.

19. My Fridge Food

At this point, your fridge probs has, like, three random items in it, and you're starting to panic about meal options. Enter My Fridge Food, which inputs everything you have in your kitchen and outputs a recipe. Bless.

20. OMFGDOGS

Careful with this one — if you're prone to seizures, don't click. This site is a daydream/nightmare of dogs running across a rainbow background that reads "DOGS" over and over. Why, you ask? More like why not .

21. Dildo Generator

Welcome, good citizens of the web, to my favorite site of all time. It's right in the name: You can generate a custom dildo by length, width, base, contours, and so many more variables. Things get wild pretty fast.

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The 24 Best Websites to Cure Your Boredom in 2023

Published: July 06, 2022

There's a lot of content out there about productivity - everything from hacks to shortcuts to tips and tricks for how to get more done in less time.

But what about those times when you're bored? Well, there is no shortage of websites to cure your boredom.

Here's a shortlist of the most wonderfully entertaining places to waste time on the internet outside of email and social media.

Best Websites to Cure Boredom

• Know Your Meme
• The Oatmeal
• OCEARCH Shark Tracker
• The Oregon Trail
• Wayback Machine
• Apartment Therapy
• Gravity Points
• Mental Floss
• HowStuffWorks

Fun Websites

In early 2022, people’s timelines on social media – particularly Twitter – started filling with green, yellow, and black squares.

It seemed like everyone was playing a game called Wordle – a game where you have six chances to guess the five-letter word of the day.

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If you love the concept of Wordle but wish there was a musical version, you’re in luck.

Heardle emerged shortly after Wordle blew up for music lovers and connoisseurs alike. It works by playing a short snippet of a song and giving you six tries to guess the right song.

It’s another great game to play when you have some extra time on your hands.

3. GeoGuesser

Ever wish you could take a trip around the world in a day or less? With GeoGuesser, you can.

This fun game tests your geography by showing you a randomized place around the world and having you guess where it is.

The Oatmeal is another one of my absolute favorite places to spend time online. It's a huge library of awesome content – specifically graphics. Even if you've read everything already, it's the kind of stuff you can read over and over again.

Some of my favorite posts include:

• Babies vs. Cats
• Ten Words You Need to Stop Misspelling

6. Supercook

If you want to surf the internet in a semi-productive way – but not so productive that you actually have to leave the house – then check out Supercook.

Here's how it works: You tell it which ingredients you have in stock in your home, and it'll give you a big list of recipes you can make using just those ingredients.

It's a fun way to stay thrifty, clean out the fridge, and make sure food doesn't go to waste.

7. OCEARCH Shark Tracker

When you need to find the perfect GIF, you can't just stop at the first result you get for "dancing" or "awkward" or "animals being jerks."

I could spend (... and have spent) hours on Giphy looking for juuust the right GIF.

10 . Wayback Machine

Feeling nostalgic? Check out what websites have looked like over the years via Internet Archive's famous Wayback Machine. It lets you pick a date and see exactly what any website looked like at that time. (For a real trip, compare how Facebook looked back in the 2000s to today. Remember the wall-to-wall?)

If you just want to take a quick peek, check out this roundup of what nine famous websites used to look like.

All the images in that post were taken from the Wayback Machine.

Cool Websites

11. apartment therapy.

Plus, they have a whole lot of helpful articles giving tips on everything from how to redo your stairs to ideas for using that awkward space above your fridge. There's no shortage of useful and fun information on here, making it prime for endless browsing.

One of our own was recently featured on ApartmentTherapy too -- check out INBOUND Elijah's adorable spot here .

Imgur collects the most viral images of the week and collects them all in one place for your mindless scrolling and enjoyment.

What I like about Imgur is it's usually more timely than Twitter or Instagram — more popular sharing networks where funny pictures and memes might appear a week or two later.

Use Imgur to waste time and introduce your friends to the funniest stuff on the internet first.

13. Gravity Points

The more gravity centers you plot, the more these forces will start to compete, making your screen all the more chaotic. And yes, your gravity points can absorb one another to create a black hole.

It's outer space right there on your computer screen.

14. Pottermore

If you're into great (and hilarious) fiction writing, then you'll definitely want to bookmark this site. Every day, writers Nicole Cliffe and Mallory Ortberg publish a post on "everything from literary characters that never were to female pickpockets of Gold Rush-era San Francisco," reads their About page .

To get an idea of whether it's up your alley, start with their post, " A Day in the Life of Seth MacFarlane, Human Male (Definitely Not a Swarm of Hyper-Alert Bees and a Metal Jaw.) "

It's just so good.

16. The Onion

If you haven't spent some quality time reading the online satirical newspaper The Onion, then you're seriously missing out on a good laugh.

The publication started in 1988 and they've managed to successfully maintain a high standard for humor and writing ever since.

Their headlines are laugh-out-loud funny in and of themselves — from " Free-Thinking Cat Sh**s Outside the Box " to " Archaeological Dig Uncovers Ancient Race of Skeleton People " to " Buyer Of $450 Million Da Vinci Painting Sort Of Assumed It Would Come With Frame ."

This awesome episode of NPR's This American Life gives you a really cool peek into The Onion 's editorial process.

17. Cracked

Mental Floss is a super addicting online magazine with articles covering a really wide range of topics. Their articles are really well written and researched, and usually on topics that don't get a lot of airtime.

For example, in their "Big Questions" section, they tackle weirdly intriguing questions like why shells sound like the ocean and why yawns are contagious . Readers can even submit their own big questions.

19. HowStuffWorks

This website is dedicated entirely to —you guessed it — how things work. And by "things," they mean everything: from airbags to regenerative medicine to velocipede carousels.

They've covered so much on this website, it'll be hard to run out of things to read about.

Plus, they have a whole bunch of really cool podcasts that have branched off the main site over the years and are worth checking out.

My favorites are " Stuff You Should Know ," " BrainStuff ," and " Stuff Mom Never Told You ."

20. Lifehacker

Lifehacker is a hub of productivity tips, tricks, and downloads. It's basically an archive of all the information it would be incredibly useful to know, but nobody ever really teaches you.

Aside from productivity, they also cover topics such as money-saving tips, clever uses for household items, and so on.

For example, did you know there are four lengths of naps that'll benefit you in different, very specific ways? Along with the fun articles, they have some pretty awesome, in-depth articles, like this one on how to plant ideas in someone's mind , as well as helpful listicles like the top ten obscure Google Search tricks .

There's so much content on there that it can be hard to find posts on specific topics. Use the Lifehacker Index for an introduction to their top-performing posts and tips on how to find posts on any topic on the website.

22. Space.com

It's fun to check out real estate in areas you might want to live -- and it's just as fun to check it out in places you'll probably never live, but would love to in a dream world.

Go ahead and explore what's out there.

You can set up saved searches (some more realistic than others) to relive your discoveries later.

24. Wikipedia

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The 100+ Most Useful Websites For (Almost) Anyone And Everyone

Google search, Bing search, or Yahoo search. But have you ever tried the DuckDuckGo search?  It’s a search engine that doesn’t track you and has everything (like suggestions, image search, video search, etc.) you expect from a search engine.

There’s a very good chance that we end up using only the most popular websites on the web because they are just everywhere. However, it doesn’t really mean that they’re the best websites on the Internet.

Needless to say, “popular” isn’t necessarily the best. And that’s how I decided to come up with a list of extremely useful (and probably less-known) websites on the web.

Don’t Miss:  The Fantastic Ten Tools (Free) To Skyrocket Your Productivity

The Fantastic Hundred Websites

Whether you’re a student, a professional, or a homemaker, I have hand-picked one hundred most useful websites for you — to get things done, or to spend time with, or to find something interesting. And no, it doesn’t include the Facebooks and Amazons of the world.

• 500px — Get inspired with incredible photos from diverse styles and genres around the world.
• About.me  — Create your free, one-page website in just a few minutes.
• Airbnb  — Rent unique accommodations from local hosts in 191+ countries.
• Alexa   — See the top 500 websites on the web.
• Allrecipes   — Find and share everyday cooking inspiration on Allrecipes.
• AlternativeTo   —  AlternativeTo lets you find apps and software by recommending alternatives to apps you already know.
• Archive.today — Take a ‘snapshot’ of a webpage that will always be online even if the original page disappears.
• Asana — Manage your team’s work, projects, and tasks online.
• AutoDraw — AutoDraw pairs machine learning with drawings from talented artists to help you draw stuff fast.
• Awesome Screenshot   — Screen capture for all or part of any web page. Add annotations, comments, blur sensitive info, and share with one-click uploads.
• Bitly — A URL shortener and link management service.
• BlaBlaCar   — BlaBlaCar is the world’s leading long distance carpooling service, connecting drivers with empty seats to people travelling the same way.
• BugMeNot  — Access and share logins for websites that require you to register in order to view content.
• Calm   — Relax with Calm, a simple mindfulness meditation app that brings clarity and peace of mind into your life.
• Canva   — Create designs for Web or print: blog graphics, presentations, Facebook covers, flyers, posters, invitations and so much more.
• Cheatography — Over 4,000 free cheat sheets, revision aids and quick references.
• Clarity   — Clarity is a service that helps you find, schedule and pay for expert advice over the phone to help you be more productive and grow your business.
• Clip Converter   — Clip Converter is a free online media conversion application, which allows you to record, convert and download nearly any audio or video URL (from YouTube, Vimeo, etc.) to common formats.
• Coolors.co  — Create the perfect palette or get inspired by thousands of beautiful color schemes.
• CopyPasteCharacter   — Copy paste characters (emojis, graphic shapes, numerals, symbols, currencies, arrows, etc.).
• Couchsurfing   — Couchsurfers share their homes, cities and lives in profound in meaningful ways, making travel anywhere in the world a truly social experience.
• Dailymotion   — Dailymotion is a video-sharing website where you can upload, watch, and share videos.
• Diigo   — Diigo is a powerful research tool and a knowledge-sharing community.
• Down For Everyone Or Just Me   — Check if a website is down or up.
• Dropbox Paper   — Dropbox Paper is the best way for teams to collaborate — share ideas, give feedback on your files, and track tasks all in the same doc.
• DuckDuckGo   — A superior search experience with smarter answers, less clutter and real privacy.
• E.gg Timer   — E.ggTimer.com is a simple countdown timer, or egg timer.
• Evernote   — Collect, nurture, and share ideas across desktop and mobile platforms with Evernote.
• Fake Name Generator   — Generate a random name with full address and personal details.
• Fax Zero   — Send faxes for free to anywhere in the U.S. and Canada.
• Feedly   — A single place to easily read all the news you rely on to think, learn, and keep ahead.
• Fiverr   — Fiverr is the world’s largest marketplace for digital services — buy & sell small services starting at $5.
• FollowUpThen   — Free easy email reminders.
• FutureMe  — Write a letter to the future: set goals for yourself, make a prediction about the world.
• The Freecycle Network   — The Freecycle Network is a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (and getting) stuff for free in their own towns.
• Ge.tt   — Ge.tt is an instant, real-time file publishing and sharing service.
• Goodreads   — Discover and share books you love on Goodreads, the world’s largest site for readers and book recommendations.
• Grammarly   — Online proofreading tool that checks text for grammar, punctuation, and style, and features a contextual spelling checker and plagiarism detector.
• Groupon   — Discover and save on 1000s of great deals at nearby restaurants, spas, things to do, shopping, travel and more.
• Guerrilla Mail   — Guerrilla Mail gives you a disposable email address. Also try,  10 Minute Mail .
• Hide My Ass   — Try Hide My Ass free proxy to surf anonymously and protect your online identity.
• Hulu   — Hulu brings you instant access to all of your favorite TV shows, the hottest new series and great films, all in one place.
• Iconfinder — Iconfinder is the world’s largest marketplace for vector and raster icons in SVG and PNG formats.
• IFTTT  — IFTTT lets you connect the apps and devices you use every day, such as Amazon Alexa, Facebook, Twitter, Fitbit, Slack, and more. Also try,  Zapier .
• iLovePDF  — Every tool you need to work with PDFs in one place.
• IMDb   —  IMD is the world’s most popular and authoritative source for movie, TV and celebrity content.
• Imgur   — Imgur is the best place to share and enjoy the most awesome images on the Internet.
• InstaCalc   — Get answers as you type numbers using natural language.
• Investing.com   — Investing.com offers free real time quotes, portfolio, streaming charts, financial news, live stock market data and more.
• Join.me — Collaborate instantly with free screen sharing, unlimited audio, and simple video conferencing.
• JustWatch  — Get personal recommendations for movies and TV shows available on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hotstar and many more.
• Kaspersky Secure Password Checker   — Test your password.
• Khan Academy   — Khan Academy is a nonprofit with the mission of providing a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere.
• Last.fm   — Online music catalog with free music streaming, videos, photos, lyrics, charts, artist biographies, concerts and internet radio.
• LastPass   — LastPass remembers your passwords so that you can focus on the more important things in life. Also try,  LastPass Password Generator .
• Listly   — Make cool lists and fun listicles on Listly, share them on Facebook and Twitter, and embed them on your blog or website.
• LiveJournal   — A service for journals and blogs, that also offers privacy controls, photo storage, publishing tools, style templates, and online communities for many interests.
• Lyft — Request a ride with the tap of a button, and get picked up by a nearby community driver who’ll take you to your destination within minutes. Also try,  Uber .
• Medium   — Medium is a publishing platform to read, write, and interact with the stories that matter most to you.
• Meetup   — Meetup brings people together in thousands of cities to do more of what they want to do in life.
• Mint   — Manage your money, pay your bills and track your credit score with Mint.
• Namechk   — Use Namechk to search for an available username or domain and secure your brand across the web.
• Natural Readers  — Upload text and documents or convert to mp3 to listen to anywhere anytime.
• Netflix   — Watch Netflix movies & TV shows online or stream right to your smart TV, game console, PC, Mac, mobile, tablet and more.
• Office.com   — Collaborate for free with an online version of Microsoft Office suite.
• Pablo   — Design engaging images for your social media posts in under 30 seconds.
• Pandora   — Pandora is free, personalized radio that plays music you’ll love.
• Pastebin   — Pastebin lets you store text online for a set period of time.
• PayPal   — PayPal is the faster, safer way to send money, make an online payment, receive money or set up a merchant account.
• Periscope   — Periscope lets you broadcast and explore the world through live video.
• Pixlr — An online photo editor that lets you edit photos and create great designs right in your browser.
• Pocket   — Pocket is your place to quickly save, discover, and recommend the stories that interest you.
• Popurls   — Popurls encapsulates headlines from the most popular websites on a single page.
• Print Friendly & PDF   — Make a Printer Friendly & PDF version of any webpage. Also try,  PrintWhatYouLike .
• Quora   — Quora is a place where you can ask questions you care about and get answers that are amazing.
• Rainy Mood   — Rainy Mood is the world’s most popular rain simulator.
• Random   — Generate true random numbers.
• Reddit   — Reddit is a social news aggregation, web content rating, and discussion website where your votes shape what the world is talking about.
• Remove.bg — Remove image background in 5 seconds for free with just one-click.
• Robinhood — Robinhood is a stock brokerage that allows customers to buy and sell U.S. listed stocks and ETFs with $0 commission.
• Screenfly   — Test a website on any screen size including desktops, tablets, televisions, and mobile phones.
• Scribd   — A digital documents library that allows users to publish, discover and discuss original writings and documents in various languages.
• Shazam   — Identify music that’s playing and see what others are discovering.
• SlideShare   — Offers users the ability to upload and share publicly or privately PowerPoint presentations, Word documents and Adobe PDF Portfolios.
• Similar Sites   — Similar Sites helps you find related sites and topics similar to the ones you love.
• SoundCloud   — SoundCloud is an audio platform that lets you listen to what you love and share the sounds you create.
• Speedtest   — An interactive broadband speed test.
• Splitwise — It’s a free tool that lets you track bills and share expenses with your friends and family, so that everyone gets paid back.
• Spotify   — Spotify is a digital music service that gives you access to millions of songs.
• Stack Exchange   — Stack Exchange is a network of 100+ question and answer communities on everything from software programming to cooking, photography, and gaming.
• StumbleUpon   — StumbleUpon is the easiest way to discover new and interesting web pages, photos and videos across the Web.
• Supercook   — Supercook is a recipe search engine that lets you search by ingredients you have at home.
• Techmeme — Techmeme is a one-page technology news aggregator.
• TED   — TED Talks are influential videos from expert speakers on education, business, science, tech and creativity, with subtitles in 100+ languages.
• Time And Date   —World clock, time zones, calendar, weather, timer, stopwatch, countdown to any date, date calculators, and more.
• TuneFind   — TuneFind contains an index of music and songs appearing in popular television shows and movies.
• Trading Economics   — Get free economic indicators, Historical Data, Charts, News and Forecasts for 196 countries.
• Trello   — Trello gives you perspective over all your projects, at work and at home.
• Truecaller   — Truecaller helps identify unknown incoming calls, warns against unwanted calls through a community based spam list.
• Tumblr   — Post anything (from anywhere!), customize everything, and find and follow what you love.
• TypeRacer   — Test your typing speed and learn to type faster.
• Udemy   — Udemy is an online learning and teaching marketplace with over 40000 courses and 12 million students.
• Unsplash   — Beautiful, high-resolution, free images and photos that you can download and use for any project.
• Upwork   — Find freelancers and freelance jobs.
• Vimeo   — Watch, upload and share HD and 4k videos with no ads.
• Wattpad  — Wattpad is a community for readers and writers where you can discover user-generated stories from almost all genres.
• Wayback Machine   — Explore more than 273 billion web pages saved over time.
• WeTransfer   — WeTransfer is a free service to send big or small files from A to B.
• WindowSwap — Open a new window somewhere in the world.
• Wolfram|Alpha   — Wolfram|Alpha gives you access to the world’s facts and data and calculates answers across a range of topics, including science, nutrition, history, geography, engineering, mathematics, linguistics, sports, finance, music, etc.
• Yelp   — Yelp connects people with great local businesses.

Don’t Miss:  Over 101 Blogging Resources (Tools & Apps) I Can’t Live Without

Closing Thoughts

It’s very well possible that you already know a lot of websites that are listed here. However, I shortlisted the above websites as those are the ones that I often visit and I want others to explore these too.

Additionally, you can probe into:

• Blogging Tools 101 
• Productivity Tools 101
• Social Media Tools 101

…for a ton of useful websites on the Internet — organized by categories and subcategories.

If you know any other (less known) useful websites that’s missing in this list then do let me know as a comment below and I will add it to the list. Also, let me know if you think I must replace a website with its better alternative.

Happy Web Browsing! 🙂

First Published: October 27, 2016; Last Updated: Wednesday, February 2, 2021.

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50+ Useful Websites To Level Up Your Knowledge

Tuesday, 15 August, 2017 Updated on Tuesday, 10 August, 2021 by Eton Digital team

The amount of knowledge and information we gather every day from all kinds of knowledge websites is constantly growing. But when you do choose to learn something, it’s different. You have to motivate yourself to gain new knowledge.

Although a round 75 GB worth of data is downloaded into your brain, every single day, t he problem is that we don’t use 99% of this information. But there is a solution. Find your preferred learning style by choosing one of the 3 ways of learning to increase your knowledge and dive into the best knowledge websites that can help you improve skills and learn something new. 

Best knowledge resources for reading and writing learners

Are you a reader? Read to get new ideas, new skills and knowledge.

#1 Hackaday

Hackaday is a knowledge website with a goal to educate those who are just learning the art of Hack. Join the free and open exchange of ideas and information for engineers and engineering enthusiasts. 

#2 Productivityist

We are always searching for new ways to be more productive or stay productive. Productivityist offers you content, podcasts and programs on how to start “being” productive through developing practical and tactical approaches to your work and life.

#3 The Free Dictionary

We can probably describe this website as a general knowledge website – to a certain point – because when you are improving your vocabulary, you are also learning new things. Free dictionary website provides you with daily grammar lessons, but also creates interesting content about grammar, vocabulary and words – even if you think you know everything, there are always some interesting facts that you can pick up.

#4 MindTools

One of the most effective ways to quickly increase your knowledge about communication and leadership skills, project and time management and similar career related topics is to test MindTools . The website is packed with knowledge that can help you boost your management skills and shape your career. Subscribe to the their newsletter to receive interesting content, read their blog or join The MindTools Club. 

#5 Guides.co

Guides.co is more than a knowledge website – it is a knowledge website and a knowledge network where you can create your guides and share with others, create a hub to work together with your team or stakeholders, read live, dynamic documents about every interest imaginable and access the biggest shared library. Simply choose your topic and enjoy learning.

#6 LitLovers

Are you in love with movies and books? LitLovers is the most engaging knowledge website for book lovers. Share your love with others – join a LitLover book club or course.

#7  Zidbits

The greatest collections of peculiar and bizarre stories and news! Visit Zidbits if you are looking for weird, uncommon knowledge and less known science facts. You will be happy to find a huge collection of fun facts or weird news on Zidbits.

#8 Scitable

Are you a science freak? Scitable is ‘a collaborative learning space for science’. Find interesting news about genetics, the study of evolution and other scientific topics. 

#9 Highbrow

As the name suggests, Highbrow is a place for people who have intellectual and bookish taste and wish to learn something new every day in a quick and easy way. The website provides you with a 5-minute video lesson delivered to your inbox every morning. But, if interested in teaching and sharing your knowledge, you can also host your own course.

#10 Saylor Academy 

Since 2008, Saylor Academy has been offering free online courses and programs in cooperation with faculties and universities to empower the education industry. You can take a free open course and study whatever you are passionate about. Get 100 full-length courses and professional levels at the college.

#11 Wikipedia’s Daily Article List

Whether you are searching for general knowledge or looking into a specific topic, Wikipedia is a great knowledge source. If you like how they provide information, the writing style and coverage, you can subscribe to Wikipedia to receive an article a day in your inbox. This is a quick way to pick up some interesting things on different subjects.  

#12 Investopedia

Want to learn more about finance, trading stocks, market analysis, and free trading simulators? Investopedia is your ultimate knowledge resource. 

#13 Web fundamentals (former HTML5 Rocks)

HTML5 rocks was probably one of the best known websites about HTML and it still is, although they relaunched as Web Fundamentals . Visit the site to stay up to date with the latest news, tools and resources.

These 5 Books Will Boost Your Development Skills

#14 smithsonian magazine.

Read about science, history, art, popular culture and innovation, be the first to know about the newest research and Smithsonian events and exhibitions subscribing to the Smithsonian Magazine .

#15 MIT blog

If you want to take a break from MIT coding course and read about interesting facts, MIT blog is the right place for you.

Best knowledge websites for auditory learners

Are you an auditory learner? Do you prefer learning by hearing and listening? Browse the collection of the best websites that provide podcasts, talks and live programs for knowledge hungry people!

#16 The New Yorker podcast

Enjoy the radio show or a podcast while you’re driving or just walking through the street. Radio is still in! Although by far the priciest subscription, it’s worth every penny. Browse interesting poetry, politics, fiction podcasts and more. 

#17 OverDrive

With OverDrive , You can enjoy thousands of books from you local school or library on any device – mobile, PC or tablet – just relax and listen. You can even change a speed of a speaker.

#18 BBC In Our Time podcasts

BBC In Our Time episodes could teach you more about world history, culture, philosophy or science than most museums. Your teacher is Melvyn Bragg and he always has great guests. 

#19 TED Talks

TED Talks need no special introduction. Get your daily dose of motivation and knowledge from great people and amazing speakers. It will inspire you to do more every day and it will help you grow your skills by listening to other people’s experience and work. 

#20 Sodajerker

If you are a music freak, Sodajerker podcasts might attract your attention and interest – it’s about a process of writing a song, old and new bands, genres etc. You will enjoy smart talks with entertaining guests and the world most famous songwriters. 

Watch live free shows every day of the week – news, commentary, how-tos and perspective on the latest trends in digital tech. Bookmark TWiT to enjoy top-ranked technology podcast.

#22 Open Culture

Listen to free educational podcasts whenever and wherever you are and learn new and interesting things. Choose a topic or select your preferred language and enjoy this high-quality cultural & educational media.

#23 Developer Tea

Level up in your career – listen to the podcasts designed to fit inside your tea break.

#24 Curiosity

If you love science, every episode of Curiosity is different and authentic. You will hear stories about our planet, science, animal IQ, art and many other interesting topics.

#25 Changelong

Listen to the developer-centric stories that get to the heart of the matter. Visit Changelog and find episodes about JavaScript, social network website , security or enjoy meaningful conversations with real people in the community.

#26 The Happiness Project

Are you happy? This podcast and book will help you think about yourself rather than escape your problems.

Best knowledge websites for visual learners

Are you a visual type of learner? Find the best websites to watch videos and live streaming programs and boost your knowledge and skills. 

From art to chemistry or marketing – earn a certificate, get a master’s degree from one of the best universities, or just learn more about the topics you like.

Business, software, technology and creative skills – choose a topic and learn from this leading online learning platform. Tutorials are in five languages!

#30 Big Think

Find videos and articles that can change the way you think or act – be the big thinker!

#31  CreativeLive

Do you want to boost your creativity? Watch live courses or read interesting articles on this site.

#32  Platzi

Learn useful tech skills online and boost your career.

#33 Craftsy

Do you want to learn creative practical things – from cooking to painting? According to Craftsy giving the time and love to create something by hand, you make the world a little bit better.

#34 Lifehacker

Tips, hacks, how-to or stories – enjoy interesting content – learn new skills and get practical knowledge from Lifehacker .

#35 Udacity

As they say – jobs of tomorrow start at Udacity . So you can earn a Nanodegree recognised by industry leaders. Register, explore and join free courses of interest – you might be surprised what things or subjects can attract your attention.

#36 MIT open courseware

Find materials from 2400 courses, mostly about coding .

#37 WonderHowTo

From gadget hacks and tech problems to food and mad science, WonderHowTo help you understand the process behind making and engineering, or simply the explanation behind natural process. Read about the things that you couldn’t even imagine you could do or resolve.

#38 FutureLearn

Courses designed according to the principles of effective learning. If you choose to upgrade a course, you can get a certificate.

#39  One Month

Learn hard, but only for a month. You won’t become an expert in such a short period, but you will have great progress if you learn every day. So, are you ready to commit to learning?

#40  Academic Earth

Get an online degree from Berkeley, Stanford or another university. Learn more about each field available, take your chances and go for it!

Are you a practical type? Increase knowledge and be proactive

#41 duolinguo.

One of the best ways to learn a language is through exercise, and you can do it for free on Duolinguo – download the mobile app or improve your language skills on PC.

#42 Codecademy

Wanna learn to code? Learn Java, PHP, Python, and more for free on Codecademy.

#43 iTunes U

Get knowledge from your iPad: the top universities share documents, worksheets, web links, photos, and videos, all in one lecture.

#44  Khan Academy

Practical exercises, instructional videos, and a personalized learning dashboard – join the global classroom and learn math, algebra, science, art or anything you’re into.

#45 Yousician

Bring music back into your life – learn to play piano, guitar or bass. You will get tutorials, feedback on your work, but you can also track your progress.

#46 Spreeder

Did you know that you can learn to read three times faster? If not – Spreeder will give you your money back. Enjoy your favourite activity with better progress.

#47  Memrise

Choose one of the 200 languages and start learning it. You can even compete with your friends and make learning more fun.

#48 Cook Smarts

Learn everything about food and implement that knowledge in your kitchen. Cook Smart articles, videos, and infographics will definitely help you with that.

#49  DataMonkey

Learn-by-doing – choose the best approach to improve knowledge and learn SQL and Excel for Data Analysis.

#50 Surface Languages

Are you traveling soon? Learn language basics by doing crosswords and other games, or read an interesting article about languages.

#51 Maker Fair

Solve everyday problems with a little help from maker around the world. The Maker Movement believes that it’s important that people can participate in making things and that they acquire the tools and expertise to make their ideas become reality.

#52 Thinkful

Boost your career and become developed by learning with 1-on-1 mentorship. It’s proven that students learn faster and retain knowledge better with this technique.

#53  Free Code Camp

Yes, you have a chance to learn to code for free, thousands of people have gotten software developer jobs after joining these courses.

#54  DataCamp

Great knowledge site for beginners to learn by doing: pick up R, Python or Data Visualisation skills and advance your career.

How to increase knowledge every day?

The idea is not as important as execution – only when you implement your idea, it’s worth something. So, do you have a plan? What are you going to do with your knowledge?

If you know the answer, your motivation is bigger.

If you don’t, you need a plan.

#Set up a curriculum

Imagine that you are in school or college and your teacher gave you a curriculum. Build the spreadsheet and make these columns: “URL”, “Name”, “Date” and “Done?”. Make a list of lectures or articles that you want to go through in the next month.

Every time you pass your goal you can write a comment in the spreadsheet – it will definitely boost your creativity.

If you like this method, challenge yourself every month. Find new things to learn every month – even if it’s something small and fast like revising web development terms .

Be persistent, there are so many things in this world that we have a chance to learn, so start learning proactively now!

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Need a Pick-Me-Up? Here Are 13 of the Happiest Sites on the Web

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No matter the time of the year, life can sometimes be overwhelming. With the rhythm of work, exercise, appointments, family, friends, and personal obligations, it can almost feel like there's no time or space for yourself.

Reading, painting, and playing games are all activities that will help ease your anxiety. Unfortunately, these activities also take up a lot of your time. Thankfully, there are other options.

Here are the happiest sites on the web that will instantly cheer you up.

1. 100,000 Stars

Sometimes—when everything else in life feels like it's going wrong—you just need some perspective to understand that your bad day is not the end of the world. Fortunately, there's no better way to find perspective than zooming across the galaxy to see how big it is.

100,000 Stars is a visual, interactive website that catalogs the known stars in our "stellar neighborhood." Through this website, you can click on individual stars to see how they appear up close. Additionally, you can collect information on these stars, including their naming conventions, color, size, distance to Earth, age, and temperature.

2. Looking at Something

Looking for happy places on the internet that can give you a soothing background screen? Try Looking at Something, a dead-simple webpage where you look at rain falling. By moving your cursor around the page, you can change the "time of day" for the rain, the direction, and the intensity.

Warning: This website has flashing graphics.

3. Recommend Me a Book

Recommend Me a Book is a perfect website for when you're feeling antsy for something to read.

Choosing the right reading material is important, and Recommend Me a Book helps with this process by letting your browse through the first pages of published novels. The aim: to find a style of writing or genre that suits your mood.

There is no author listed at the bottom to influence your decision; no recommendations by other users, or GoodReads reviews. Just you and the first page.

If you like the book, you can click on the button at the bottom of the page to find out the title and author of the book, then buy it. You can also press the Next Book button at the top of the screen to select a new one.

If you're looking for other ways to find something to read, here are the best sites for finding your next read .

4. Rainy Mood

Looking for an easy-to-use website that will immediately calm you down? Visit Rainy Mood.

To operate it, simply press the play button in the center. Instantly, you'll be assuaged with soothing rain sounds and distant thunderstorms. It plays on a loop while you rest, relax, or focus on your current task. It's also available as an app.

Download: Rainy Mood for Android | iOS ($2.99)

5. The Quiet Place

The Quiet Place website is perfect for meditation exercises. Indeed, like the intro says, "emails can wait."

The Quiet Place was originally part of a larger platform with four different rooms, each of which was devoted to a specific function. It's all-time favorites---The Thoughts Room and The Dawn Room---no longer seem to be functional. However, a version The Quiet Place Project is still in operation. It offers you 90 second meditation exercises.

For additional peace of mind, check out these mediation channels on YouTube .

6. A Soft Murmur

Whether you're a relaxation guru, or someone who finds it hard to stop and think, A Soft Murmur helps you strike meditation gold.

On the website, simply pick your noise effects and mix them. Choose the right volume, then press play.

Instantly, you'll hear ambient sounds that will help you focus, calm you down, or let you feel peaceful. You can create different tracks for relaxation, sustained focus, or restful sleep.

Even better? A Soft Murmur is now available on Android and iOS.

Download: A Soft Murmur for Android | iOS (Free, in-app purchases available)

7. Do Nothing for 2 Minutes

Looking for websites like The Quiet Place Project? Do Nothing for 2 Minutes is similar, as it's designed for a short meditation break. The webpage consists of a counter in the center that rolls back the clock to zero, and not much else.

While that timer is counting down, the website encourages you to let your thoughts wander. There's no browsing and no scrolling allowed; if you touch your mouse or keyboard before the timer is up, it automatically resets.

8. Reasons to be Cheerful

Need some time away from the negative coverage by news channels and depressing social media posts? Visit Reasons to be Cheerful.

This site publishes positive news. You can read uplifting stories even on topics like climate, justice, culture, economy, and health. All the pieces are well-researched and quite informative. It's a great way to learn something new while taking a break from the daily routine.

If you find the site helpful, you can chip in a few bucks to support this non-profit. Like Reasons to be Cheerful, there are some other positive news sites that provide a daily dose of optimism.

Silk is another universal website that will help you train your imagination, find inspiration, and do some art. It's perfect for thoughtless, soothing drawing.

When you open the website, simply click and drag your cursor across the screen to create a pattern. Needless to say, this platform's stylish interface combined with its interactive, neon lines is more than pleasing to the eye. Best of all, Silk is also available for iOS.

Download: Silk for iOS ($2.99)

Want to try another website that will instantly fascinate you? Click on Biomes, an interface that will allow you to create 3D, alien-like landscapes by adjusting a set of values along an axis.

Through Biomes, you can change the colors on your grid, experiment with different wave combinations, and download your creation once you're done with it. It's simple, efficient, and beautiful.

11. Ribbons

What if you need an interactive wallpaper for your desktop, especially if you want to look at something soothing while cleaning the office?

Try Ribbons, an interactive experiment where "colors and geometry are procedurally generated." Through it, the website creates beautiful, abstract art that floats across your screen. Once you open Ribbons, just click on the OK button to get things started.

12. BlahTherapy

BlahTherapy is perfect for when you need to find someone to talk to, but you don't know where to reach out.

If there's something on your mind that you don't feel like sharing with someone you know, this site will assign you to a random person. You can also choose to be a listener to help someone else out.

Best of all, chatting to strangers on the website is completely free. BlahTherapy also offers professional counseling services for a fee.

13. Pinterest

Last on the list, we're going to include a social media heavyweight that we're pretty sure most of you have at least heard of. If you want to get lost in a world of beautiful pictures and amazing landscapes, try Pinterest.

By clicking on individual images through your home page, or by searching for specific subjects, you can continue down an endless rabbit hole of amazing imagery. It will make you long for cakes, comfortable reading spaces, virtual travel, and the great outdoors.

Visit These Happy Places on the Internet

Even when you're feeling perfectly fine, it's nice to know that there are tons of stress-free websites out there that you can turn to whenever you're feeling sad or lonely. Hopefully, one of these places will become a refuge against the negative thoughts that can build up during a daily routine.

If you're looking for other ways to relax, check out our list of the most relaxing movies on Netflix.

• Mental Health