Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Stack Overflow VS Quora

Compare Stack Overflow VS Quora and see what are their differences

Stack Overflow logo Stack Overflow

Community-based Q&A part of the Stack Exchange platform.

Quora logo Quora

Quora is a place to gain and share knowledge. It's a platform to ask questions and connect with people who contribute unique insights and quality answers.
  • Stack Overflow Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-26
  • Quora Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-08-04

Stack Overflow features and specs

  • Vast Knowledge Base
    Stack Overflow has an extensive repository of questions and answers, covering a wide range of programming topics and technologies. Users can find solutions to common and uncommon problems alike.
  • Community Support
    The platform has a large, active community of developers who are willing to help by answering questions, providing solutions, and sharing their expertise.
  • Reputation System
    Stack Overflow's reputation system encourages quality contributions. Users earn points and badges for their participation, which incentivizes high-quality answers and well-formulated questions.
  • Search Optimization
    The site is well-indexed by search engines, making it easy for users to find relevant answers through a simple web search, even without directly visiting Stack Overflow.
  • Diverse Topics
    Stack Overflow covers a multitude of programming languages, frameworks, and tools, making it a valuable resource for developers working on diverse projects.

Possible disadvantages of Stack Overflow

  • Strict Guidelines
    The platform enforces strict guidelines and quality standards, which can be intimidating for new users. Questions and answers can be downvoted or closed if they do not meet the criteria.
  • Information Overload
    Given the vast amount of content, it can sometimes be challenging to find the most relevant or up-to-date answer amidst a plethora of responses.
  • Tendency Toward Elitism
    There is a perception among some users that the community can be elitist or dismissive, particularly towards beginners or those asking basic questions.
  • Duplicate Content
    Despite efforts to manage duplicates, users can still encounter multiple versions of the same question, which can dilute the quality of information.
  • Limited for Non-Programming Questions
    Although primarily designed for programming questions, Stack Overflow is less effective for queries related to broader topics in computer science or software engineering practices.

Quora features and specs

  • Knowledge Sharing
    Quora allows users to share knowledge across a wide range of topics, fostering a learning environment.
  • Expert Access
    Many answers come from experts in their fields, providing high-quality and reliable information.
  • Community Engagement
    Quora promotes interaction between users through questions, answers, and comments, encouraging community engagement.
  • Personalization
    Users receive personalized feeds based on their interests and the people they follow.
  • Diverse Perspectives
    The platform hosts contributors from all over the world, offering diverse viewpoints on various issues.

Possible disadvantages of Quora

  • Quality Control
    The quality of answers can vary significantly, with some responses being less reliable or poorly researched.
  • Self-Promotion
    Some users may use the platform for self-promotion, which can clutter feeds and reduce the content's overall quality.
  • Time Sink
    Users can spend a considerable amount of time browsing through content, which can be distracting.
  • Echo Chambers
    The personalized nature of Quora can lead to echo chambers where users are mostly exposed to viewpoints similar to their own.
  • Privacy Concerns
    Sharing personal experiences and opinions publicly can sometimes lead to privacy issues or unwanted attention.

Stack Overflow videos

Episode 002 - Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2019 Review

Quora videos

I Got BANNED FROM QUORA! 3 Lessons Learned From Quora Marketing

More videos:

  • Tutorial - How to Use Quora
  • Tutorial - How to earn money from Quora India? | What is Quora in Hindi? | Quora Partner Program | 2019

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Stack Overflow and Quora)
Developers
100 100%
0% 0
Social Networks
0 0%
100% 100
Forums
62 62%
38% 38
Knowledge Sharing
43 43%
57% 57

User comments

Share your experience with using Stack Overflow and Quora. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Stack Overflow and Quora

Stack Overflow Reviews

Best Forums for Developers to Join in 2025
Simply put, Stack Overflow and the other forums in this suite are the best ways to reach out to fellow coders for help. They are powerful resources for any new or old coder to learn more about coding and connect with fellow developers on various topics.
Source: www.notchup.com
Top 5 Best Alternatives to Quora
A notable mention within the StackExchange network, Stack Overflow specifically targets programming and development professionals. It’s widely regarded as the go-to resource for coding and software-related queries. Users vote on answers, with the best responses rising to the top based on community feedback. The platform is heavily used by developers to solve coding problems...
Source: 51links.com
Top 10 Developer Communities You Should Explore
The gamified reputation system on Stack Overflow encourages users to provide high-quality answers, making it a reliable source for troubleshooting and learning. Beyond asking and answering questions, developers can explore topics, participate in community-driven initiatives, and stay informed about the latest industry trends.
Source: www.qodo.ai
Great Products for Finding Startup Jobs
Stack Overflow — Engineering-heavy job board with job listings from around the world that integrates nicely with Stack Overflow’s broader ecosystem.
Source: medium.com

Quora Reviews

Top 10 Best Quora Alternatives 2025
As it is known, Quora.com is a well-known website that most of us prefer to visit when we have a question in mind. As it is free and offers good content, competitors try to match its level. Even if you do not find a question similar to that of yours, you can still post a question and wait for the answer. It is also a way to get known for answering questions and helping...
Top 5 Best Alternatives to Quora
Quora has been a reliable Q&A guide over the past decade, establishing a foothold at the top of popularity charts. But are there any other reputable options you can trust for free advice outside of Quora?
Source: 51links.com
25+ Medium Alternative Platforms for Publishing Articles
If you are looking for a Medium alternative platform, Quora might be what you are looking for. One of our favorite things about Quora is that it provides both long-form articles and questions.
Source: forgefusion.io
15 Best Reddit Alternatives in 2024: Find Your New Online Community
Generally, these alternatives have smaller user bases compared to Reddit. However, platforms like Discord and Quora have large, active communities. The size and activity level can vary significantly between different alternatives.
Alternatives to Deferendum
Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, and Quora: While these social media platforms provide opportunities for discussion and debate, Deferendum offers a more structured approach to group decision-making. Deferendum allows members to focus on specific problems and solutions, and provides a transparent process for voting and decision-making.
Source: deferendum.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Stack Overflow seems to be a lot more popular than Quora. While we know about 890 links to Stack Overflow, we've tracked only 76 mentions of Quora. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Stack Overflow mentions (890)

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Quora mentions (76)

  • My attempt of Valve timeline
    I did a little research and then according Mitchell Brown on quora.com, it's stated that the intro of Portal 2 suggests that it takes place far in the future, but many have speculated it takes place around the time of Half Life 2. That would mean between approximately 2020 and 2029, give or take. The Black Mesa incident occurred in the year “200-”, according to canon sources. This means it could have happened at... Source: almost 2 years ago
  • School blocks Nordvpn
    My school gives me a laptop that is very restricted, most settings cannot be changed without admin, everything is logged, cmd blocked, websites blocked, etc. My laptop with Zorin OS (linux) does not have that issue so I always keep it in my bag. I would like to connect to the school wifi, however they still block certain web requests like quora.com, and nordvpn.com to name a few. For some reason my phone has no... Source: about 2 years ago
  • Freelance writing?
    Consider substack, too. I subscribe to four substack blogs, ranging from $3 to $10 a month. This is split between author and substack. Also check out medium.com and quora.com If you don't make money now, you'll at least pack your writing resume. Source: about 2 years ago
  • i feel like Reddit should have a feature where if you block someone then you cant see their stuff
    I have a Space on quora.com that I administer and its fairly good sized. I'm not trying to one up anyone. It was mentioned if only to pointing to emphasize my view, action, and responsibility. Source: about 2 years ago
  • How do you advertise your yoga classes?
    If you want to teach globally, use quora.com or other Q&A like askyogaexpert.org to answer questions on yoga to make your good online identity. Source: about 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Stack Overflow and Quora, you can also consider the following products

GitHub - Originally founded as a project to simplify sharing code, GitHub has grown into an application used by over a million people to store over two million code repositories, making GitHub the largest code host in the world.

Reddit - Reddit gives you the best of the internet in one place. Get a constantly updating feed of breaking news, fun stories, pics, memes, and videos just for you.

Stack Exchange - Stack Exchange is a fast-growing network of 84 [and counting] question and answer sites on diverse...

X (Twitter) - Connect with your friends and other fascinating people. Get in-the-moment updates on the things that interest you. And watch events unfold, in real time, from every angle.

Question2Answer - A Q&A site helps an online community to share knowledge.

Tumblr - A feature rich and free blog hosting platform offering professional and fully customizable templates, bookmarklets, photos, mobile apps, and social network integration.