Citation Managers at UMass

Which tool is right for you?

The UMass Libraries support Zotero, and Mendeley. Which tool is right for you?

Tool:	Zotero	Mendeley
Best if...	You are citing a variety of formats, including web pages: the browser plugin is very adept at detecting source information on the page. You want to use the Google Docs plugin for collaboration with co-authors.	You want to share PDFs with collaborators: built in PDF reader enables easy annotation and sharing. You want to be notified of suggested articles in your research area. You don't use Google Docs for writing.
Type	Web and desktop components, synced. Browser add-on to add sources (Zotero Connector) for Firefox, Chrome, and Safari.	Web and desktop components, synced. Browser plugin to add sources (Mendeley Web Importer) for Firefox and Chrome
Cost	Free 300 MB personal storage; counts citation files and PDFs saved online. Members of Zotero groups can also use Zotero Storage at no additional charge. Group file storage always draws from the storage account of the group owner. $20/year 2 GB $60/year 6 GB $120.00/year unlimited storage https://www.zotero.org/support/groups	Free 2GB personal storage for personal documents; counts citation files and PDFs saved online. Purchase more personal storage by upgrading your account. $4.99/month or $55/yr 5GB $9.99/month or $110/yr 10GB $14.99/month or $165/yr unlimited storage
Share with colleagues?	To share, must create a Group. Choose Public anyone may view or join, Public to view but invitation only to join, or Private, invitation only to join or view. Invite Group members by email. Limits to number of members and file storage amount in free account.	To share, must create a Private Group. Public Groups were discontinued in February 2021.
Move library to another tool?	Yes	Yes
Word processing software integration?	- Word - Apache LibreOffice - Google Docs Third Party plugins available for LaTeX, TeX, and Plain Text editors See website for other options.	Mendeley Cite is compatible with Microsoft Office 365, Word Online, Microsoft Word versions 2016 and above and with the Microsoft Word app for iPad^®.
Back-ups?	Backup file to external hard drive recommended: see step-by-step directions	Sync cloud storage serves as backup.
Mobile site or app?	Desktop program that runs on your computer. Mobile app available.	Desktop program runs on your computer. (MacOS Sierra and High Sierra supported by Mendeley Desktop Mendeley web library syncs with Desktop. On the Mendeley website you can edit your profile and search for papers, groups or people. You can also access Mendeley's social features.
Library Contact	Melanie Radik Anne Graham	Anne Graham Rebecca Reznik-Zellan
Vendor help docs	Zotero support	Mendeley support
Owner	Open source project of the Corporation for Digital Scholarship and the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media	Elsevier