Direct comparison
Scopus vs Web of Science — what is the difference?
Scopus and Web of Science are the two main commercial abstract-and-citation databases used for literature search and bibliometrics. They are owned by different companies, index overlapping but distinct sets of journals, and produce different citation counts and author metrics for the same researcher.
Side-by-side comparison
| Dimension | Scopus | Web of Science |
|---|---|---|
| Owner | Elsevier | Clarivate |
| Launched | 2004 | 1964 (as Science Citation Index; online "Web of Science" from 1997) |
| Scope | Single large index of peer-reviewed titles | Core Collection plus a wider platform of regional and specialist indexes |
| Title coverage | Larger — tens of thousands of active titles | More selective Core Collection; broader via the full multi-index platform |
| Signature journal metric | CiteScore (and SNIP, SJR) | Journal Impact Factor, via Journal Citation Reports |
| Author identifier | Scopus Author ID (with ORCID linking) | ResearcherID / Web of Science Researcher Profile (with ORCID linking) |
| Subject emphasis | Strong across STEM, health, and social sciences | Strong in sciences; long historical depth via the citation indexes |
| Citation counts | Reflects Scopus-indexed sources only | Reflects Web of Science-indexed sources only |
| Access | Subscription | Subscription |
Common questions
FAQ
Why do my citation counts differ between Scopus and Web of Science?+
Each database only counts citations from the sources it indexes, and the two index different sets of journals, books, and proceedings. A citing work indexed in one but not the other contributes to one count and not the other, so the same article will usually show different totals in each.
Which database has wider coverage?+
Scopus generally indexes a larger number of active titles, while Web of Science's flagship Core Collection is more selective. Web of Science also offers a wider platform of additional regional and specialist indexes beyond the Core Collection, so "wider" depends on exactly what you are comparing.
Which one produces the Journal Impact Factor?+
The Journal Impact Factor is a Clarivate metric, published in Journal Citation Reports from Web of Science data. Scopus publishes its own journal metrics instead — CiteScore, SNIP, and SJR.
Should I use one or both for a systematic search?+
For comprehensive evidence searches, many guidelines recommend searching both, plus subject databases, because neither covers everything. For routine bibliometrics, pick one and report which you used, since results are not directly comparable across databases.
