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Choosing a Citation Manager: Zotero, Mendeley, EndNote
The following popular citation managers provide the same basic features and functionality with some exceptions. Below are a few scenarios that might be helpful when choosing a citation manager. Once you have narrowed down the choices, the rest is personal preference. Some tips: Consult the comparison chart below for specific features. Talk to people in your department – some disciplines tend to use one tool more than others. Consult your subject librarian for a recommendation. For a more complete list of citation management options see this Comparison of reference management software article.
Download a printable PDF of the citation tools comparison chart.
| I Need to: | Use: | Why: |
|---|---|---|
| …work from multiple computers or locations. | Zotero Mendeley |
Zotero saves your citation library to your local computer, but syncs with multiple computers so you can work from home, work, or school. Mendeley is a program that lives on your local computer, but syncs with a web account. |
| …work without an Internet connection. | Zotero Mendeley EndNote |
Zotero, Mendeley and EndNote store your citation libraries locally on your computer. |
| …archive web pages and import citations from sites such as Amazon, Flickr, and ArtSTOR. | Zotero | Zotero allows you to easily save snapshots of web pages and annotate them within your citation library. It is a great tool for scraping citation information from web-based publications and some commercial and social networking sites. |
| …work on a group project or share my citations with others. | Zotero Mendeley |
Zotero allows you to share your citations through shared folders -- you can give individuals or groups permissions to add and edit the citations in the shared folder. Mendeley allows you to share citations and documents with a group of up to 2 other users, or create a public reading list that is open to all. |
| Criteria | Zotero | Mendeley | EndNote | EndNote Web |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Web based? | Yes, works with Firefox browser and can sync with online account; connectors for Chrome and Safari available |
Not primarily, but can sync with an online account which is editable | No, but can transfer library to EndNote Web | Yes |
| Must be online? | No | No | No | Yes |
| Cost | Free for basic account, some cost for more online storage space | Free for basic account, some cost for more online storage space | $$, Student discount through computer store | Free to Penn State users |
| Word-processor compatibility | MS Word, Open Office, Google Docs | MS Word, Open Office, LaTex | MS Office, Open Office, iWork Pages | MS Word |
| Import from databases | Yes | Yes | Direct export from specific databases | Yes |
| Import citation info from web pages | Yes, also archives the page and you can add annotations | Yes, with a bookmark for a limited number of sites (mostly publishers or databases) | Yes, with Web Capture tool and EndNote Web account | Yes, with Web Capture tool |
| Storage capacity | Unlimited local storage and data syncing; 100MB free Zotero file syncing (larger syncing plans available for purchase); or can use WebDav | Unlimited local storage and data syncing; 1GB personal and 100MB shared online space (larger online storage plans available for purchase) | Unlimited local storage | Limited to 10,000 citations |
| Attach associated files (PDFs, etc.) | Yes, with option to attach automatically | Yes, and can highlight and annotate PDFs | Yes, and can highlight and annotate PDFs | No |
| Search full text of PDFs | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Create group or shared libraries | Yes | Yes, free for up to 3 group members (larger group plans available for purchase) |
Yes, with EndNote Web account | Yes |
| Create bibliography with different styles | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Automatic citation extraction from PDFs | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Other features | Sync library with multiple computers Use tags to organize/search |
Sync library with multiple computers Sync with Zotero library |
Insert figures and charts using word processor integration |
Last updated August, 2012
For additional help contact the University Libraries’ Citation Tools Help team at: UL-CIT-TOOLS-HELP@lists.psu.edu
