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Citation and Reference Management

What is Reference Management Software?

Reference management software can be very useful if you need to use a lot of information sources for your research. This type of software allows you to:

  • collect, store, and organize references from library databases and websites
  • format references automatically in your chosen citation style
  • automatically generate in-text citations and a reference list as you write a paper
  • save or link to full-text documents (e.g., PDFs)
  • annotate PDFs
  • share references with others
  • sync references across multiple devices

Choosing Reference Management Software

The University of Alberta Library does not recommend or endorse any particular product, but we have gathered information on some of the most popular options for reference management software: EndNote, Mendeley, and Zotero.

Use the following comparison tables to help you decide which one might work best for you. Software features change regularly, so if you find additional or conflicting information, please contact us.

Summary of Best Features and Drawbacks

  EndNote 20 EndNote Basic Mendeley  Zotero
Best features

Can store 10,000+ references and PDFs

Deduplicates large numbers of references

Many reference types (helpful for accurate citation)

Highly customizable

Ability to work offline

Free

Cloud-based

Many reference types (helpful for accurate citation)

Free (up to 2GB of online storage) 

User-friendly interface

Ability to work offline

Free (up to 300 MB online storage)

Open source

User-friendly interface

Imports accurate metadata for a wide variety of source types

Ability to work offline 

Integration with multiple word processors

Drawbacks

Price (~$140)

License tied to one device

Steeper learning curve than other options

No Google Docs integration (only MS Word and LibreOffice)

Limited storage capacity

Limited citation styles and no custom style editing

No PDF annotation

No Google Docs integration (only MS Word and LibreOffice)

Small number of reference types

Limited group sharing for free accounts

No Google Docs integration (only MS Word)

Limited free cloud-based storage

Works best with one primary workstation

Access, Cost, and Support

  EndNote 20 EndNote Basic Mendeley  Zotero
Vendor Clarivate Clarivate Elsevier open source
Where to get it UAlberta IST OnTheHub EndNote Online Mendeley download Zotero download
Price

$139.99 via UAlberta OnTheHub (one-time cost)

Free

Free (cost to upgrade storage)

Free (cost to upgrade storage)

Operating system

Windows 10 or later

​​​​​macOS 10.14 or later

Windows 7 or later

​​​​​macOS 

Linux

Windows 7 or later

​​​​​macOS 10.10 or later

Linux (64 bit)

Windows 7 or later

​​​​​macOS 10.11 or later, including Ventura

Linux

Main access (web/cloud or desktop/laptop)

Mainly single desktop/laptop

Can sync to cloud through EndNote Online/Basic

Web/cloud only

Desktop/laptop and web/cloud

Can sync with multiple computers

Desktop/laptop and web/cloud

Can sync with multiple computers

Mobile version (phone/tablet) Yes (iOS only) Yes (iOS only) No Yes (iOS and 3rd party Android options)
Registration/account required? Only for cloud sync and collaboration Yes Yes Only for cloud sync and collaboration
Support options

Email, chat, or phone

Community forum

Email, chat, or phone

Community forum

Email or chat User forums
Accessibility ADA Compliance ADA Compliance Accessibility Accessibility forum posts

Reference Management Features

  EndNote 20 EndNote Basic Mendeley  Zotero
Reference and file storage Unlimited 50,000 references or 2GB Unlimited on local computer, 2GB in cloud (can pay to upgrade) Unlimited on local computer, 300MB in cloud (can pay to upgrade)
Reference import methods

Manual

RIS or BibTeX file

Direct from many databases

Manual

RIS file

Direct from many databases

Manual

RIS or BibTeX file

Direct from some Elsevier databases

PDF drag & drop

Identifier (e.g., DOI)

Manual

RIS or BibTeX file

PDF drag & drop

Identifier (e.g., DOI, ISBN)

Browser import plugin

Capture Reference Tool (Chrome, Firefox, Safari)

Capture Reference Tool (Chrome, Firefox, Safari)

Mendeley Web Importer (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)

Zotero Connector (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)

Reference types 48 48 20 34
Customize metadata fields Yes No No No
Tags/Keywords Yes Yes Yes Yes
Notes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Detect duplicate records Yes Yes Yes Yes
Search within own records  Simple and advanced Simple search only Simple and advanced Simple and advanced
Search external catalogues or databases Yes (7000+) Yes (5) Yes (cloud version only; the details are unclear) No
Annotate PDFs Yes No Yes Yes
Collaborate Share full library with up to 100 users Private groups (references only; attachments are not shared)

Private groups (references and attachments)

Free accounts can own up to 5 groups with maximum 25 members each

Private or public groups (references and attachments)
Export records Yes (without attachments) Yes (without attachments) Yes (without attachments) Yes (without attachments)

Citation Generation Features

  EndNote 20 EndNote Basic Mendeley  Zotero
Word processor integration

MS Word

LibreOffice

MS Word

LibreOffice

MS Word

MS Word

LibreOffice

Google Docs

Citation styles 7,000+ predefined Top 21 most commonly used 10,000+ pre-defined 10,000+ pre-defined
Custom style editing Yes No Yes Yes