Citation Management Comparison Chart
Refworks/Zotero/EndNote Features Comparison
Choosing which citation management tool can be overwhelming, but identifying which features are most important for you can help make the process more straightforward. Use the chart below to compare tools, and don't be afraid to test multiple options before making your decision. See Wikipedia's Comparison of Reference Management Software for an exhaustive list of software.
|
|
RefWorks |
Zotero |
EndNote |
EndNote Web |
|
Strengths |
RSS feed reader;Direct database exports |
Open source; Firefox, Chrome, Safari; extension; user forum |
Flexible organization tools; sharing capabilities | Intuitive web interface; can be used on any computer |
|
Cost |
Free for Texas State University students, staff, faculty until December 31, 2020. Not available for individual purchase. |
Basic service free; more features & storage for a fee |
Free for Texas State University students, staff, faculty | Free for Texas State University students, staff, faculty |
|
Formats/Access Points |
web, mobile site |
web, desktop, mobile apps, Firefox extension |
desktop (synced to online account), mobile |
web, mobile |
|
Mobile |
website is mobile-friendly; no mobile app |
iPhone and Android apps |
iOS app | iOS app |
|
MS Word Integration |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes | Yes |
|
PDF Annotation |
No |
Not Quite. |
Yes | No |
|
Full Text PDF search |
No |
Yes |
Yes | No |
|
Bookmarklets/Importing from Databases |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes | Yes |
|
Tagging |
Yes | Yes | No | No |
|
Social Networking |
No |
Yes | No | No |
|
Groups & Collaboration |
Users can share folders or databases with databases | Free accounts allowed private groups and public groups | EndNote Desktop users can share Groups and Libraries with others | EndNote Web users can share Groups with others |
|
Store PDFs in Personal “Library” |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes | Yes |
|
Storage |
Unlimited |
100 MB free web space |
Unlimited | Unlimited (when synced with EndNote Desktop) |
|
RSS Feeds |
Yes; Feed Reader & RefShare Feed capabilities |
Yes |
No | No |
|
Open source or Proprietary? |
Proprietary; ProQuest |
Open Source |
Proprietary; Clarivate | Proprietary; Clarivate |
