Best EndNote Alternatives in 2025

Looking for alternatives to EndNote? In this comparison, we take a closer look at EndNote alongside similar software solutions including EndNote, Citavi, Mendeley Desktop, Up Endnote X Mac and Zotero.

Our detailed comparison table highlights key features, pricing, and performance of these leading solutions, empowering you to make an informed decision. Whether you're seeking robust functionality, user-friendly design, or cost-effective alternatives, explore how EndNote, Citavi, Mendeley Desktop, Up Endnote X Mac and Zotero stack up to find the perfect software for your goals.

	License Type	Citation Styles Supported	Platform Compatibility	Collaboration Features	Special Features
EndNote	Perpetual license, paid software	Hundreds of various citation styles including APA, Chicago, Harvard, MLA, Turabian	Certain operating systems with desktop and mobile apps available	Online collaboration feature and library sharing	Advanced search and filtering options; integration with Microsoft Word; extensive support resources
Citavi	Perpetual license, both free and paid versions available	Over 9,000 citation styles including APA, Chicago, Harvard, MLA, Turabian	Windows and Mac OS with desktop and mobile app versions	Team collaboration features with shared projects and group tasks	Knowledge organization program with academic writing assistant; task planning features; supports virtualization software
Mendeley Desktop	Free basic version with paid subscription for additional features	8,000 citation styles including APA, Chicago, Harvard, MLA	Windows, Mac OS, Linux with mobile apps and cross-platform syncing	Social collaboration via groups; private or public sharing of documents	Built-in PDF annotation and organization; automatic citation feature; integration with multiple word processors including Google Docs and LibreOffice Writer
Up Endnote X Mac	Perpetual license, paid software	Over 5,000 citation styles including APA, Chicago, Harvard, MLA, Turabian	Mac OS with online and offline capabilities and mobile supports	Network sharing and group functionality for collaboration	Automatic formatting of citations and bibliographies; attachment handling; compatibility with Microsoft Word and Excel; automatic updates
Zotero	Free and open-source software	Over 10,000 citation styles covering a wide variety	Windows, Mac OS X/macOS, Linux with web browser plugin and cloud syncing	Sharing libraries and research sources among multiple users via cloud-based syncing	Powerful search and tagging; easy collection of research materials through browser plugins; extensive customization options; free accessibility resources

License Type

EndNote	Perpetual license, paid software
Citavi	Perpetual license, both free and paid versions available
Mendeley Desktop	Free basic version with paid subscription for additional features
Up Endnote X Mac	Perpetual license, paid software
Zotero	Free and open-source software

Citation Styles Supported

EndNote	Hundreds of various citation styles including APA, Chicago, Harvard, MLA, Turabian
Citavi	Over 9,000 citation styles including APA, Chicago, Harvard, MLA, Turabian
Mendeley Desktop	8,000 citation styles including APA, Chicago, Harvard, MLA
Up Endnote X Mac	Over 5,000 citation styles including APA, Chicago, Harvard, MLA, Turabian
Zotero	Over 10,000 citation styles covering a wide variety

Platform Compatibility

EndNote	Certain operating systems with desktop and mobile apps available
Citavi	Windows and Mac OS with desktop and mobile app versions
Mendeley Desktop	Windows, Mac OS, Linux with mobile apps and cross-platform syncing
Up Endnote X Mac	Mac OS with online and offline capabilities and mobile supports
Zotero	Windows, Mac OS X/macOS, Linux with web browser plugin and cloud syncing

Collaboration Features

EndNote	Online collaboration feature and library sharing
Citavi	Team collaboration features with shared projects and group tasks
Mendeley Desktop	Social collaboration via groups; private or public sharing of documents
Up Endnote X Mac	Network sharing and group functionality for collaboration
Zotero	Sharing libraries and research sources among multiple users via cloud-based syncing

Special Features

EndNote	Advanced search and filtering options; integration with Microsoft Word; extensive support resources
Citavi	Knowledge organization program with academic writing assistant; task planning features; supports virtualization software
Mendeley Desktop	Built-in PDF annotation and organization; automatic citation feature; integration with multiple word processors including Google Docs and LibreOffice Writer
Up Endnote X Mac	Automatic formatting of citations and bibliographies; attachment handling; compatibility with Microsoft Word and Excel; automatic updates
Zotero	Powerful search and tagging; easy collection of research materials through browser plugins; extensive customization options; free accessibility resources

Choosing the right software isn’t just about features. Size, license type, user ratings, and popularity also matter.

This quick comparison shows how EndNote stacks up against EndNote, Citavi, Mendeley Desktop, Up Endnote X Mac and Zotero in these key areas—helping you find the best alternative for your needs.

	Size	License	Popularity
EndNote		Commercial	2%
Citavi	138.3MB	Commercial	0%
Mendeley Desktop		Commercial	40%
Up Endnote X Mac		Commercial	0%
Zotero	48.6MB	Freeware	100%

Size

EndNote
Citavi	138.3MB
Mendeley Desktop
Up Endnote X Mac
Zotero	48.6MB

License

EndNote	Commercial
Citavi	Commercial
Mendeley Desktop	Commercial
Up Endnote X Mac	Commercial
Zotero	Freeware

Rating

EndNote
Citavi
Mendeley Desktop
Up Endnote X Mac
Zotero

Popularity

EndNote	2%
Citavi	0%
Mendeley Desktop	40%
Up Endnote X Mac	0%
Zotero	100%