Quick Comparison
If you're looking for a political compass alternative or trying to decide between quizzes, here's how the major options stack up:
| Feature | Political DNA | WSPQ | Political Compass | 8values | iSideWith |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Questions | 32 | 10 | 62 | 70 | ~80+ |
| Time to complete | ~5 min | ~2 min | ~10 min | ~12 min | ~15 min |
| Dimensions measured | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | Issue-based |
| Result types | 32 archetypes | 5 regions | 4 quadrants | ~15 ideologies | Party/candidate % |
| Named archetype | ✓ Specific | ~ General | ✗ Quadrant only | ~ Generic | ✗ No |
| Paradox detection | ✓ Yes | ✗ No | ✗ No | ✗ No | ✗ No |
| Comparison feature | ✓ Yes | ✗ No | ✗ No | ✗ No | ~ Limited |
| Candidate matching | ✗ No | ✗ No | ✗ No | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Total users | New | 30M+ | Millions | Millions | 80M+ |
| Last updated | 2025 | 2024 | 2000s | 2017 | Ongoing |
Detailed Breakdown
Political DNA
Our QuizPolitical DNA maps your beliefs across four dimensions (Authority-Liberty, Markets-Collective, National-Global, Traditional-Progressive) and matches you to one of 32 specific political archetypes. Unlike other quizzes, it identifies paradoxes in your thinking and includes a feature to compare your results with friends and family.
Strengths
- Memorable archetype names
- Paradox detection reveals nuance
- Comparison with friends/family
- Modern, updated questions
- Quick (5 minutes)
Limitations
- No candidate matching
- US-centric framing
- Newer, less established
World's Smallest Political Quiz
Created in 1987 by the Advocates for Self-Government, the World's Smallest Political Quiz uses the Nolan Chart to place you in one of five regions: Libertarian, Liberal, Conservative, Authoritarian, or Centrist. With over 30 million quiz-takers, it's designed for speed and accessibility rather than granular detail.
Strengths
- Fastest quiz (2 minutes)
- 30+ million users
- Simple, accessible
- Great for beginners
- Based on Nolan Chart
Limitations
- Only 10 questions
- Limited granularity
- Only 5 result types
- No paradox detection
Political Compass
The original political compass test from the early 2000s. Uses two axes (economic left-right, social authoritarian-libertarian) to place you in one of four quadrants. Has significant brand recognition and spawned an entire meme culture (r/PoliticalCompassMemes).
Strengths
- Most well-known format
- Simple to understand
- Large community/meme culture
- Historical politician placements
Limitations
- Outdated questions
- Only 2 dimensions
- Criticized methodology
- Skews libertarian-left
- No specific archetype
8values
An open-source quiz that measures eight values across four axes: Economic (Equality-Markets), Diplomatic (Nation-Globe), Civil (Liberty-Authority), and Societal (Tradition-Progress). Gives percentage scores for each value and attempts to match you to a political ideology.
Strengths
- 4 dimensions (more nuanced)
- Open source
- Detailed percentage scores
- Modern interface
Limitations
- Generic ideology labels
- Longer (70 questions)
- Results less memorable
- No comparison feature
iSideWith
A voting guide that matches you to political candidates and parties based on specific policy positions. Updated regularly for elections. Great for practical voting decisions, less useful for understanding your underlying political identity.
Strengths
- Candidate matching
- Updated for elections
- Practical for voting
- Issue importance weighting
Limitations
- No political identity result
- Longest quiz
- US election focused
- Less useful between elections
Which Quiz Should You Take?
Our Recommendation
For a memorable political identity: Take Political DNA. You'll get a specific archetype (like "Classical Liberal" or "Democratic Socialist") that you can actually remember and share, plus insights into the contradictions in your thinking.
For the fastest result: Take the World's Smallest Political Quiz. At just 10 questions, it takes 2 minutes and gives you a basic placement on the Nolan Chart — great for beginners or quick conversations.
For detailed percentage breakdowns: Take 8values. You'll see exactly where you fall on each of 8 values, though the results are harder to summarize.
For voting decisions: Take iSideWith before elections. It's the best tool for matching your positions to actual candidates.
For meme culture participation: Take the Political Compass. It's the lingua franca of political identity online, even if the methodology is dated.
Many people take multiple quizzes to compare results. If you're going to take just one, Political DNA gives you the most memorable, shareable result in the shortest time — and the comparison feature makes it actually useful for understanding the people around you.
Methodology Differences
The Problem with 2 Axes
The original Political Compass uses only two dimensions: economic (left-right) and social (authoritarian-libertarian). This creates problems. Someone who supports gun rights and drug legalization gets lumped together with someone who supports open borders and abolishing police — they're both "libertarian" but for completely different reasons.
Why 4 Dimensions Work Better
Both Political DNA and 8values use four independent dimensions. This allows for much more nuanced results. You can be economically conservative but socially progressive. You can be nationalist on immigration but globalist on trade. Four dimensions capture these combinations; two dimensions cannot.
The Archetype Advantage
8values gives you percentages. Political Compass gives you coordinates. But Political DNA gives you a name. "I'm a Traditional Libertarian" is something you can remember and explain. "I'm 67% Markets, 43% Liberty, 82% Nation, 31% Progress" is not.
Ready to Discover Your Political DNA?
Find out which of 32 political archetypes matches your beliefs.
Take the Quiz →Frequently Asked Questions
The best Political Compass alternative depends on what you want to learn. For a memorable political identity with a specific archetype name, Political DNA offers 32 distinct types. For raw dimensional scores across 8 values, 8values is popular. For matching with political candidates before elections, iSideWith is most practical.
The Political Compass has been criticized for outdated questions and a methodology that tends to place most people in the libertarian-left quadrant. Its 2-axis model oversimplifies political beliefs. Newer tests like 8values and Political DNA use 4+ dimensions for more nuanced results.
Political Compass uses 2 axes with 62 questions. 8values uses 4 axes with 70 questions and gives percentage scores for 8 different values. 8values provides more granular results but doesn't give you a memorable political identity or archetype name.
Political DNA differs in three key ways: (1) It assigns you one of 32 specific archetype names rather than just coordinates, (2) It identifies political paradoxes — contradictions in your beliefs that reveal nuanced thinking, (3) It includes a comparison feature to see your compatibility with friends and family.
If you want a quick, memorable result you can share, start with Political DNA (5 minutes). If you want detailed percentage breakdowns, try 8values (12 minutes). If you're preparing to vote, use iSideWith. Many people take multiple quizzes to compare results.