These websites charge a fee for people to access their data. Sometimes, one may instead access these same websites for free at a public library which has already purchased a subscription.
Ancestry.com features digital searching of US federal census records. It also has draft registrations, passenger ship and immigration records, and other digital files.
HeritageQuest has a collection of genealogical & historical sources including U.S. Federal Censuses, books, bank records, and more.
The companies that own these sites offer library Editions to libraries. These editions may or may not contain all of the "products" that the companies offer for sale. This LibGuide by ProQuest explains how to use Ancestry Library edition.
