Citation Manager Comparison

by Matthew Conner – February 26, 2020

The four products discussed–EndNote, Mendeley, Zotero, and F1000–are very similar, and each can support extensive research. The products fall on a spectrum with EndNote being somewhat more complicated but powerful and Zotero being simpler but more limited with Mendeley falling in the middle.  For the downloadable desktop versions, EndNote is the only one that requires a fee.  The campus deal for a discount has expired, and an individual license costs $249.95.  Negotiations are underway for another campus license.  (For information about how to purchase individual licenses contact librarian Matt Conner.)  The other three products are free, but Zotero and Mendeley charge annual fees for optional increases in storage and groups.  Among these options, F1000 stands out for several reasons.  By virtue of the library subscription to the F1000 Prime science database, all UC Davis campus members are eligible for a free account.  F1000 is entirely cloud-based and has all the essential features of the other products, and it is the only one besides EndNote which has dedicated technical support.