Citation Managers

Learn more about EndNote, Mendeley and Zotero

Notice

The HS/HSL’s subscription to RefWorks ended on June 30, 2019. Please contact refworks@hshsl.umaryland.edu with any questions. If you need your citations retrieved from your RefWorks account, you can submit a request directly to RefWorks.

Overview
EndNote
Mendeley
Zotero

With the variety of citation management options available, it's important to choose the tool that is right for you. This page lists some alternatives to using RefWorks.

	EndNote	Mendeley	Zotero
Cost	$75 per license	Free for basic version (2GB of storage)	Free
Web/desktop	Desktop and web versions	Desktop and web versions	Desktop and web versions
Importing	From databases	From databases and webpages	From databases and webpages
PDFs	Allows highlighting and note taking	Allows highlighting and note taking	PDF files management and organization; can sync with third-party annotation software
Sharing and Collaborating	Can share with up to 100 collaborators	Several types of groups available. Users with free accounts can only create one group with three members.	Can sync group libraries
Learning Curve	Not as user-friendly as other options.	Quick to install and easy to learn; user-friendly interface	Easy to learn, simple design

UMB faculty, staff and students can purchase EndNote at a reduced rate through the Center for Information Technology Services.

Purchase EndNote
Purchase EndNote through campus IT.
Learn more about EndNote
Learn to use EndNote
Tips for getting started and links to video tutorials.

Mendeley is free to use and simple to install. Both desktop and web versions are available and you can seamlessly sync data between both versions. Desktop installation is recommended as it provides a more robust version of the tool; it is also required in order to use certain features, such as the citation plugin.

Install Mendeley Reference Manager
Mendeley Web Importer
Import papers, web pages and other documents directly into your reference library from search engines and academic databases. Mendeley Web Importer is available for all major web browsers.
Citation Plugin
This cite as you write tool is fully compatible with Microsoft Word and easy to install.
Share and Collaborate
Groups in Mendeley allow you to share and collaborate with other researchers with Mendeley accounts.
Learn to use Mendeley
Guide to the basics of using Mendeley.

Zotero is a free tool to help you collect, organize and cite references and share research. It is available for Mac, PC and Linux.

In addition to downloading Zotero, you will want to install the Zotero Connector for whichever browser(s) you use regularly. This allows you to save to Zotero from your browser. Connectors are available for Chrome, Firefox and Safari.

Download Zotero
Installation Instructions
Zotero Quick Start Guide
Zotero Groups
Share your work and collaborate with colleagues or classmates.

Key differences

EndNote:

Has the most storage included - "unlimited" reference and attachment storage included in EndNote x9. Note that this program lives on your hard drive, so it will be limited by that.

Mendeley:

Connects with social media platforms and facilitates connections between users
Has an associated Android and iOS compatible app, which works well on mobile devices

Zotero:

Is compatible with Google Docs

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Citation Managers

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Key differences

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