Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

BibDesk VS EndNote

Compare BibDesk VS EndNote and see what are their differences

BibDesk logo BibDesk

BibDesk is an organizational software created to help you edit and manage your bibliography. It keeps track of your bibliographic information as well as said information's associated web links and files. Read more about BibDesk.

EndNote logo EndNote

Accelerate Your Research. Save time, stay organized, collaborate with colleagues and get published with EndNote 20.
  • BibDesk Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-08-02
  • EndNote Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-29

BibDesk features and specs

  • Open Source
    BibDesk is free to use and its source code is available for anyone to inspect, modify, and distribute. This contributes to a transparent and community-driven development process.
  • Integration with LaTeX
    BibDesk integrates seamlessly with LaTeX, making it easy to manage references for scientific documents and academic papers written using this typesetting system.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    The application offers an intuitive and clean interface that makes it easy for users to manage and organize their bibliographic data.
  • Customizable
    BibDesk features customizable templates and offers scripting capabilities with AppleScript, allowing advanced users to tailor the software to fit their needs.
  • Search and Import
    BibDesk allows users to search external databases and import citations directly, facilitating easy addition of new references.

Possible disadvantages of BibDesk

  • Mac-Only
    BibDesk is exclusively available for macOS, which limits its accessibility to users on other operating systems like Windows and Linux.
  • Steep Learning Curve
    Although the interface is user-friendly, new users may find the extensive array of features and customizability options overwhelming, requiring a learning period.
  • Limited Support
    As an open-source project, BibDesk may lack the extensive customer support options that come with commercial software, leaving users reliant on community forums and documentation for help.
  • No Cloud Integration
    BibDesk lacks built-in cloud storage integration, which can make it difficult for users to sync their bibliographies across different devices.
  • No Mobile App
    There is no mobile app version of BibDesk, which limits its accessibility for on-the-go reference management.

EndNote features and specs

  • Comprehensive Reference Management
    EndNote provides a thorough solution for managing references, offering extensive features that facilitate the organization, search, and sharing of research materials.
  • Integration with Word Processors
    EndNote integrates seamlessly with popular word processors like Microsoft Word, allowing users to insert citations and create bibliographies effortlessly.
  • Extensive Database Connectivity
    The software allows easy import of references from numerous online databases, making it simple to gather and organize research materials from varied sources.
  • Collaboration Tools
    EndNote supports multiple user collaborations, which helps research teams to share libraries, annotate materials, and manage references collectively.
  • Customizable Citation Styles
    EndNote offers a wide variety of citation styles and allows users to customize and create their own, ensuring adherence to publication guidelines.
  • Cloud Syncing
    With EndNote's cloud syncing feature, users can access and update their references across multiple devices, ensuring they have the latest information available.

Possible disadvantages of EndNote

  • Cost
    EndNote is a commercial product, and its licensing fee can be expensive, especially for students and researchers with limited budgets.
  • Learning Curve
    The software has a complex set of features that can be overwhelming for new users, requiring a significant time investment to fully understand and utilize all its functionalities.
  • Performance Issues
    Some users report that EndNote can be slow, particularly when working with large libraries or when using the synchronization feature.
  • Compatibility Issues
    Occasional compatibility issues may arise, particularly with newer versions of operating systems and word processing software, necessitating periodic updates and patches.
  • Limited Online Support
    While EndNote offers documentation and forums for support, some users find the available resources insufficient for troubleshooting complex problems.

Analysis of BibDesk

Overall verdict

  • Yes, BibDesk is a good choice for users who require a robust and free bibliographic management solution on macOS. Its seamless integration with LaTeX and user-friendly interface make it a top pick for researchers looking for efficiency without the added cost.

Why this product is good

  • BibDesk is a widely-used reference management software, especially popular among researchers and academics who write in LaTeX. It integrates well with the macOS ecosystem, offering features like drag-and-drop support, citation management, and easy organization of large bibliographies. It also supports various metadata fields and file attachments, making it practical for managing extensive bibliographic databases.

Recommended for

    Researchers, academics, and students who write academic papers or theses in LaTeX and require a comprehensive, efficient bibliographic management tool on macOS.

BibDesk videos

Automatically importing publications to BibDesk based on DOI and anystyle-parser

EndNote videos

How to use EndNote 20 in seven minutes: Windows

More videos:

  • Review - REFERENCE MANAGERS | Everything you need to know about Endnote, Mendeley, and Zotero
  • Review - Comparing EndNote, Mendeley, and Zotero

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to BibDesk and EndNote)
Research Tools
48 48%
52% 52
Information Organization
48 48%
52% 52
Document Management
54 54%
46% 46
Reference Management
49 49%
51% 51

User comments

Share your experience with using BibDesk and EndNote. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare BibDesk and EndNote

BibDesk Reviews

We have no reviews of BibDesk yet.
Be the first one to post

EndNote Reviews

Top 5 Free Reference Management Software for Research
EndNote is a commercial reference management software tool that may be used to keep track of bibliographies and references while writing essays, reports, and articles.
10 Best Reference Management Software for Research
Endnote software is used to manage and import references. It can help Ph.D. students with compiling, storing, and managing references. Endnote desktop software helps to create citations and bibliographies. It also allows for the sharing of references with colleagues.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, BibDesk should be more popular than EndNote. It has been mentiond 2 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

BibDesk mentions (2)

  • A doctoral dissertation build system
    What struck me was "Copyright © 2018–2023 Sean Whitton" on the dissertation. 5 years? Ugh. True story: While writing my philosophy dissertation, I dropped out of grad school to become a Mac developer, and a key factor was the open source Mac bibliography app BibDesk. https://bibdesk.sourceforge.io/. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • BibTeX Tidy
    Https://bibdesk.sourceforge.io/ for Macs uses .bib natively. - Source: Hacker News / over 3 years ago

EndNote mentions (1)

  • Extra Reading for Archaeology / Ancient History
    You can also use online resources like The Encyclopedia of Archaeological Sciences, that I think is mostly free or the Handbook of Archaeological Sciences which I think is also mostly free. If you can't get a hold of those things you can also email the authors/editors and they might send you a free copy or look them up on Academia.edu and see if they have a free version. Also, if you don't already, use Google... Source: almost 2 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing BibDesk and EndNote, you can also consider the following products

Mendeley - Easily organize your papers, read & annotate your PDFs, collaborate in private or open groups, and securely access your research from everywhere.

Zotero - Zotero is a free, easy-to-use tool to help you collect, organize, cite, and share research.

JabRef - Graphical Java application for managing bibtex (. bib) databases.‎JabRef · ‎JabRef Help · ‎JabRef | Blog · ‎OpenOffice/LibreOffice .

Qiqqa - Qiqqa is a free research and reference management software. It can be used in many organizational projects from the academic to the personal to the business endeavor. Read more about Qiqqa.

Citavi - Citavi is a program for Microsoft Windows that manages literary references and organizes organizational knowledge.

Docear - Docear

OSZAR »