Literature Review
11 Best Mendeley Alternatives For Reference Management
Discover top Mendeley alternatives for effective reference management. Explore the 11 best tools to simplify your research.
Aug 20, 2024
You just found the perfect article for your research paper. It’s informative, up-to-date, and precisely addresses your thesis. But as you begin reading, you realize you can’t use it without first getting permission from the author. Welcome to the frustrating world of academic writing, where the only thing worse than reading dull articles is writing your own.
Academic literature is filled with boring jargon, and many articles that could help you with your research are behind paywalls. The good news is that there’s a better way to complete your following research paper. This guide will explore several Mendeley alternatives that can help you with literature searches, including AI tools that make it easier to find the sources you need to write efficient research papers and get amazing study material.
One tool that can help you write your following paper is Otio’s AI research and writing partner. This program streamlines the literature search process by summarizing academic articles and helping you organize your research so you can focus on writing your paper.
Table Of Contents
What Is Mendeley?
Mendeley is a tool for managing references that is particularly handy for academic writing. This software lets you collect references for various sources, including journal articles, books, government documents, websites, and more. Mendeley can integrate with Microsoft Word so that you can easily insert your references and automatically generate a bibliography in any style you need. Mendeley also offers a web-based version that helps researchers collaborate more effectively with their peers.
Automatically Generate Bibliographies
One of the most time-consuming tasks involved in academic writing is creating bibliographies. Mendeley makes this process easy. The software automatically generates bibliographies in various styles, including APA, MLA, and Chicago, so you can select the one you need and move on with your writing.
Collaborate Easily with Other Researchers Online
Mendeley offers several features to help researchers collaborate both locally and remotely. You can set up private or public groups where you and your collaborators can share files, leave notes and comments, and track your progress. This way, even if your research team isn't in the exact location, you can still work together as if you were in the same room.
Easily Import Papers from Other Research Software
If you switch from another reference management program to Mendeley, the transition will be smooth. Mendeley lets you quickly import your existing papers and references from various other software, including Endnote, Zotero, and RefWorks.
Find Relevant Papers Based on What You're Reading
Another helpful feature of Mendeley is its ability to recommend relevant literature based on your current reading. This can help you quickly identify other sources that can aid your research and improve the overall quality of your writing.
Access Your Papers from Anywhere Online
Mendeley exists both as downloadable software and a web-based program. The web-based version allows you to access your papers and references online and offline from any computer or device with an internet connection.
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Is Mendeley Free?
Mendeley Reference Manager is a free web and desktop reference management application that simplifies your workflow so you can focus on achieving your goals.
With Mendeley Reference Manager, you can:
Store, organize, and search for all your references from just one library.
Smoothly insert references and bibliographies into your Microsoft® Word documents using Mendeley Cite.
Read, highlight, and annotate PDFs, and keep all your thoughts across multiple documents in one place.
Collaborate with others by sharing references and ideas.
The storage space limit for free users is 2GB. This can be increased by purchasing a Storage Plan. Purchasing a Team Plan can also significantly increase your group's storage allowance.
Features Of Mendeley
Import and Create References in Multiple Ways
Mendeley allows users to import references from various common sources, including online databases and citation files, and create new references manually. You can import references into Mendeley in several ways, including:
Online Import
Mendeley’s online import bookmark works with virtually any browser. When you find a reference in your web search, click the import button to add it directly to Mendeley.
Drag and Drop
You can also drag and drop files or folders into Mendeley’s desktop interface. In addition, you can auto-add files through watched folders.
PDF Import
Mendeley will automatically extract information from any added PDFs.
Search Options
The software provides multiple search options, including Google Scholar, PubMed, and DOI, to automatically fill in empty citation fields.
Manual Entry
You can manually add a variety of materials.
Organize and Annotate PDFs with Unique Features
Mendeley offers unique options for organizing and annotating PDFs. For example:
Auto-Renaming Feature
Mendeley will automatically rename PDFs by Author, Journal Title, Year, and more and organize them into multiple folders.
Preferences Settings
You can set preferences to automatically rename and save PDFs from a watched folder into an organized PDF library.
PDF Viewer
Open PDFs within Mendeley to easily save and search highlights and sticky note-like annotations.
Tags and Keywords
You can add tags and keywords or search the full text of most PDFs.
Cite While You Write with Multiple Integrations
Mendeley integrates with Word, OpenOffice, and BibTeX. The software lets you insert Mendeley library citations into new documents, including in-text citations, endnotes, and footnotes. Mendeley’s built-in support for over 1000 citation styles includes many journal citation styles.
Sync and Collaborate with Other Users and Across Devices
Mendeley offers options to sync and collaborate across multiple computers and with multiple people. A sync button allows users to integrate the desktop and online versions of the Mendeley library. Up to 1 GB of free online library storage is available, with options to upgrade to more for a fee (e.g., $55/year for 2 GB). Mendeley also lets you create "groups" between multiple Mendeley users that share items through a separate communal library.
Discover Research by Connecting with Other Mendeley Users
You can connect with other users and discover research through Mendeley's online interface. For example, you can join groups or start a new one to connect with other Mendeley users with similar interests. You can also browse discipline-specific papers or search Mendeley's extensive citation library.
Create a Profile to Track Your Research’s Impact
You can create a Mendeley profile and add published research to collect statistics on downloads, citations, etc.
11 Best Mendeley Alternatives For Reference Management
1. Otio: Your AI Research and Writing Partner
Otio is an AI-driven workspace designed to help researchers deal with the increasing content overload. You can start with a reading list from anywhere on the web, and Otio helps you go from collecting data to creating drafts faster. Otio’s top features include AI-generated notes on all collected materials, a chat feature for talking to individual bookmarks or entire collections, and AI-assisted writing.
2. Zotero: Your Research Assistant
Zotero (pronounced "zoh-TAIR-oh") is an open-access, easy-to-use reference management tool that serves as your personal research assistant and helps you collect, organize, cite, and share your research sources.
Zotero allows you to
Save references from library catalogs, research databases, and the Web.
Add PDFs, images, audio and video files, snapshots of web pages, and more.
Write annotations and attach them to citations.
Create bibliographies using most major citation styles.
Pros
Relatively easy to learn. All features come with the free version, and all software upgrades are free—collaborative group libraries. Add citations with one click with the Zotero Connector—import citations to Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and LibreOffice with plugins.
Cons
It requires a desktop or laptop application to use all features. There is only 300 MB of free cloud storage. There is no first-party mobile app for Android. There is no professional customer support services.
Pricing
Free with paid storage.
3. Qiqqa: A Free Reference Manager for Research
Qiqqa is a free research and reference manager. It allows you to search for, read, and annotate PDFs. Then, you can review your work, write up, and create bibliographies instantly.
Pricing
Free, Premium at $6.67, and Premium+ at $41.67
Pros
Libraries are helpful.
Copying to other PCs is reasonably easy with the backup function.
Free & open-sourced.
You can analyze your literature with this software.
Cons
A few bugs arise regularly.
No cloud functionality.
The duplicate finder is weak and only based on the references, not the document, which is not helpful.
4. RefWorks: A Citation Management Tool for Academic Institutions
RefWorks is a citation management tool UC Library subscribes to through ProQuest, an academic publisher that also provides us with a sizable number of the databases we subscribe to.
Pros
Many databases include direct exporting features to it.
Good tech support.
Cons
Metadata may need to be cleaned up.
Platforms can be unstable.
Pricing
Free
5. MyBib: A New Tool to Create Accurate Citations
MyBib is a brand-new, free tool that creates accurate citations to copy and paste directly into your academic papers and assignments. It has over 9,000 citation styles, including APA 6, APA 7, Chicago, Harvard, and MLA 8, and can be used to prepare web pages, books, journals, PDFs, and 30 other sources.
Even your school-specific styles are available on MyBib. Alternatively, you can add the produced citations to your bibliography and use them later. They can be instantly printed, exported into other citation managers like Mendeley or Zotero, or kept in your Google Drive. Autocitation of books, journals, web pages, and videos is one of the special features.
You can also share your work with others, work on projects with a team, and organize citations into projects and folders. Your structured bibliography/works cited page is available for download, printing, copying, emailing, and export. You can also store it to your Google Drive and add the Chrome extension for one-click internet citing. MyBib features no adverts and is completely free to use.
Price
Free
Pros
My Bib is free of charge.
The service offers citations in more than 7,000 citation styles.
You can export your references in Microsoft Word and in BibTex.
The website offers tools and tips to make creating references easier.
Cons
The MyBib citation generators contain multiple flaws, including in the most straightforward cases: the erroneous indication of page range for books in APA, the incorrect indication of the 1st edition number or incorrect indication of page range in Chicago Style, and other errors.
The MyBib generator does not allow correct citation of some basic source types, such as a volume in a multivolume edition.
There are no popular source types, such as preprint or archival documents.
6. JabRef: The Open Source Bibliography Reference Manager
JabRef is the real open-source bibliography reference manager. It uses BibTeX as its native format. It is an excellent editor for BibTeX files, allowing you to perform several actions when dealing with such data.
Pricing
Free
Pros
Straightforward to use and does not require much experience to get results.
Enables linking PDF files.
Enables structuring/classifying papers in a tree of keywords/concepts.
Cons
It's not a collaborative tool.
Difficult to find answers to specific problems if they arise.
Bibliographies may not appear if specific packages are loaded simultaneously on LaTeX.
7. Citationsy: Cloud-Based Citation Management Software
Citationsy software is a platform used to manage citation data in the cloud. Create citations and organize your references, and can export your bibliography in 9000 styles like APA citation, Harvard citation, MLA, DIN, Chicago, and more. Collaborate with your team and share projects to get feedback from people, as well as export files for Word, Apple Pages, RTF, EndNote, BibTeX, RefWorks, or CSL. Professionals in small and medium companies make use of the software.
Pricing
Monthly $9.99/month, for students $4.99/month
Pros
Includes student plan.
Has collaboration tools.
Cons
Paid.
Difficult to use.
8. Paperpile: Clean and Simple Reference Management for the Web
Sync your library to all your devices, and read and annotate like on paper on your iPad, iPhone, or Android device. You can also cite your papers in Google Docs and Microsoft Word.
Pricing
Academic plan at $2.99/month, Business plan at $9.99/month
Pros
I love the Chrome extension and the Add to Paperpile button. The customer support is fantastic, unlike that of other free apps.
I enjoy the easy-to-use interface and capacity for eating. I like the ease with which I can add papers/documents to the program.
I love that the interface is simple and clean. I can easily access the website on any device and read or look up my references.
Terrific software for compiling references and papers. Good for collaboration.
Cons
My biggest complaint is that you cannot search for the text of the papers.
The main issue is organizing citations because users cannot upload a paper directly into a folder, so there is a risk of misplacing it.
It is difficult to troubleshoot why the format is incorrect.
The annotation feature is glitchy and limited.
9. Turnitin: An Antiplagiarism Tool for Students and Instructors
Turnitin's machine learning algorithm understands what elements of the paper should be excluded from submission and dynamically removes them from the Similarity Report. Users don't need to specify a specific bibliography section of their paper; they do it for you.
Turnitin will look for standard in-line citation methods using our machine learning algorithm and remove them from the Similarity Report. Both the citation and associated text will be excluded. Anything inside the quotes will be filtered out of the Similarity Report for quoted text. For unquoted citations, the associated sentence will be filtered.
Price
$3/student annually
Pros
Studies in PDS recognize Turnitin as a tool that saves time, deters plagiarism, and promotes ethical writing. Moreover, these studies have also concluded that teachers can save time by cross-referencing students’ submissions with cited and uncited portions of their works. The system helps students be more careful about citations than just copying and pasting any information they find.
Cons
However, Turnitin lacks available databases of works, articles, and journals. The system may not cross-reference some parts, and students may plagiarize because the sources have not yet been added to the databases. Turnitin is also very expensive.
10. iThenticate: A Plagiarism Checker for Researchers
iThenticate software design by Turnitin is an online plagiarism checker explicitly built for researchers, academic institutions, and publishers. This tool can identify the similarities in the written content compared to other online sources and top-specified journals. It helps users publish rich quality content as per their requirements. iThenticate software comprises tools to select and upload documents to compare the content document for attribution and plagiarism.
It quickly reviews the results of unattributed sources, text, and matched content. This tool supports file upload in several formats, including PDF, DOC, and DOCX. Documents can also be uploaded as a compressed zip file or a single file for larger uploads. In addition, this software provides collaborative tools to help researchers share the documents with other project shareholders.
Overall, iThenticate is ideal for comparing a document to a vast database. It is a pro for checking imitative content and offers detailed plagiarism summaries. It further checks the document for grammatical or spelling errors. iThenticate offers a one-time license and follows a quotation-based pricing strategy.
Price
Single at $125, Multiple at $300
Pros
Acceptable plagiarism detection quality results.
Possible to scan large files.
Cons
Costly.
Limited services.
11. EndNote: A Reference Management Software
EndNote is reference management software that helps you save time, stay organized, collaborate with colleagues, and, ultimately, get published. You can focus on what matters most: your ideas. EndNote is compatible with both Windows and Mac computers. EndNote also offers training and support and provides short video tutorials.
Pros
Copes well with a very large library.
A large number of citation styles.
iPad and iPhone App.
Cons
Not compatible with Linux.
Limited upgrades and resources with the free version.
It is not as user-friendly, unable to save webpage snapshots, and is complex to learn.
Pricing
Endnote Basic: Free, Endnote Paid: $125 license.
Pros and Cons Of Mendeley
Pros of Using Mendeley: A Modern Alternative to Organizing Your Research
Mendeley is a contemporary tool for managing and organizing research with intriguing features.
1. The Interface is Modern and User-Friendly
Mendeley has a sleek and appealing user interface. Its design is straightforward and accessible, making it an appealing option for people who aren’t as tech-savvy.
2. Mendeley Has a Strong Online Presence
Mendeley exists in various forms, including a desktop application, a mobile app, a web version, a Chrome extension, and bookmarklets for other browsers. This allows you to access your research from nearly any device, anywhere.
3. Smart Search Features
Mendeley has search tools that allow you to find relevant articles based on what you already have in your existing citation library. This can help you locate the material you need to finish your research project more quickly.
4. Free Cloud Storage
With Mendeley, you get a generous 2 GB of free cloud storage, saving nearly 700 articles. This is a nice perk; it helps you organize and access your research from anywhere.
The Cons of Mendeley: Why You Should Keep Looking for a Good Alternative to Mendeley
No research management software is perfect, and Mendeley has some notable drawbacks, including:
1. Citation Errors
Mendeley does not accurately cite government publications, which may throw off your research project if you rely on this software to cite your sources.
2. Limited Compatibility
Mendeley is not compatible with Google Docs, which is a significant limitation as many researchers use Google Docs to write and collaborate on papers.
3. Annotations Do Not Export
If you annotate PDF files in Mendeley, the notes won’t export with your documents when you share or download the files. This can be an annoying setback if you’re trying to organize and share your research with others.
4. Accessibility Issues
Mendeley has no inherent accessibility features, which may make the software difficult for individuals with disabilities. Although it does allow users to utilize system ease-of-access features like magnification and high-contrast text, it is not an ideal option for those who rely on screen readers.
Is Zotero Better Than Mendeley
Mendeley and Zotero are the frontrunners when choosing the right reference manager to streamline your academic workflow. While both tools will allow you to collect, organize, and create bibliographies for your research, they have distinct differences that may make one more appealing to you than the other.
Why Choose Mendeley?
Mendeley has a user-friendly interface that is easy to navigate. It also offers several features to support collaborative research projects. Mendeley has an integrated PDF viewer and can create citation records using the browser extension if your research content is primarily in PDF files. Mendeley has the strongest website and community platform.
Why Choose Zotero?
Zotero is an open-source software that helps you collect, organize, cite, and share your research. If your research content is diverse, Zotero is the easiest method to gather citation records for non-PDF content.
Zotero's single-click capture works with more databases, catalogs, and websites than Mendeley's browser extension. You can also enable the retrieval of PDF metadata, which allows you to create citation records by dragging a PDF into Zotero. Zotero is open-source and cannot be acquired by a company.
Let Otio be your AI research and writing partner — try Otio for free today!
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Supercharge Your Researching Ability With Otio — Try Otio for Free Today
Research can be a daunting process. Whether you are a student, a professor, or a professional researcher, scouring through countless articles, books, videos, and other sources to find relevant information is overwhelming. To make matters worse, each source can present information in different formats and styles, and they often don’t contain the specific answers you’re looking for.
This means there’s a good chance that you’ll need to extract and organize information from each of these sources before you can move forward with your research or writing project. Unfortunately, this can lead to a tedious and repetitive cycle of reading, note-taking, organizing, and writing that can take the joy out of research and slow your productivity to a crawl. Otio simplifies research workflows so that you can get back to what matters: your research.
Collecting Data Just Got Easier
Otio helps researchers break the cycle of tedious research tasks by streamlining the process of collecting and organizing data. The app offers one central place to gather a wide range of data sources, from bookmarks, tweets, and extensive books to YouTube videos to help you kickstart your workflow. Instead of scattering your research across multiple platforms, you can collect all your relevant data in one place to help you extract critical takeaways and move forward faster.
Extract Key Takeaways With AI-Assisted Features
Once you’ve collected your data, Otio helps you quickly extract key information to proceed with your writing projects. The platform generates detailed AI notes on all the bookmarks you collect, whether they are articles, PDFs, YouTube videos, or others. This means you can read these notes instead of the sources to help you identify what is helpful for your work.
You can even use Otio’s source-grounded Q&A chat to help you quickly find specific information. This feature lets you chat with individual links or entire knowledge bases like ChatGPT. With Otio, you can go from the reading list to the first draft faster. Along with this, Otio also helps you write research papers and essays faster.
Get the Writing Help You Need To Move Forward
When you are finally ready to write, Otio can help you, too! The app’s AI-assisted writing features can get you started with drafting your research papers or essays using the sources you’ve collected.
Let Otio be your AI research and writing partner — try Otio for free Today!
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