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Zotero VS EndNote

Compare Zotero VS EndNote and see what are their differences

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Contents:
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  3. » Reviews
  4. » Alternatives

Zotero logo Zotero

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

EndNote logo EndNote

Accelerate Your Research. Save time, stay organized, collaborate with colleagues and get published with EndNote 20.
  • Zotero Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-24
  • EndNote Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-29

Zotero features and specs

  • Free and Open Source
    Zotero is completely free to use and its source code is open to the public, ensuring transparency, security, and the possibility for community contributions.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    Zotero offers a straightforward and easy-to-navigate interface, making it accessible even for users who are not highly tech-savvy.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    Zotero is available on multiple platforms including Windows, macOS, and Linux, ensuring accessibility for users on different operating systems.
  • Browser Integration
    Zotero provides browser plugins for Chrome, Firefox, and Safari, allowing users to quickly save citations from web pages with a single click.
  • Collaboration Features
    Users can share libraries and collaborate in real time with other researchers and colleagues, facilitating collaborative research projects.
  • Support for Multiple Citation Styles
    Zotero supports thousands of citation styles, ensuring that users can format their bibliographies and references according to specific academic requirements.

Possible disadvantages of Zotero

  • Storage Limitations
    Free accounts come with limited online storage space (300 MB), and users may need to subscribe to a paid plan for additional storage.
  • Learning Curve
    While the interface is user-friendly, some users may experience a learning curve in understanding all of Zotero's features and functionalities.
  • Occasional Sync Issues
    Some users have reported occasional issues with syncing their libraries across devices, which can lead to inconsistencies.
  • Limited Mobile App
    Zotero's native mobile app is currently limited in functionality compared to its desktop counterpart, which might be inconvenient for users who work on-the-go.
  • Dependence on Citation Style Language (CSL) Files
    Customizing citation styles requires knowledge of CSL files, which can be complex for users who are not familiar with XML and coding.

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 Zotero

Overall verdict

  • Zotero is generally considered a highly effective tool for managing research materials and references. Its open-source nature and active support community further enhance its reliability and usefulness.

Why this product is good

  • Zotero is widely regarded as a good reference management tool due to its user-friendly interface, extensive browser integration, and powerful organizational features. It supports various citation styles, facilitates easy collaboration through group libraries, and offers seamless integration with word processors. Additionally, Zotero's ability to automatically import metadata from web pages, articles, and PDFs makes it a robust choice for researchers and students.

Recommended for

    Zotero is recommended for researchers, students, and academics who require an efficient method to organize and cite their sources. It is particularly useful for those working on large research projects or theses, as well as for anyone who needs to maintain a well-organized digital library of references.

Zotero videos

+ Add

Zotero vs Mendeley: which one is best?

More videos:

  • Review - Using Zotero for academic writing

EndNote videos

+ Add

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 Zotero and EndNote)

Zotero

EndNote

Research Tools
75 75%
Research Tools
25% 25
Information Organization
72 72%
Information Organization
28% 28
Document Management
79 79%
Document Management
21% 21
Reference Management
75 75%
Reference Management
25% 25

User comments

Share your experience with using Zotero and EndNote. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Reviews

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

Zotero Reviews

Top 5 Free Reference Management Software for Research
Zotero is the only software that automatically senses research on the web. Need an article from JSTOR or a preprint from arXiv.org? A news story from the New York Times or a book from a library? Zotero has you covered, everywhere.
Source: www.ilovephd.com
10 Best Reference Management Software for Research
Zotero is a reference management software that can be used by students and researchers of all levels. It’s a great way to keep track of your sources, as well as easily create citations and bibliographies. Here are some of the ways Zotero can be especially helpful for Ph.D. students:
Source: www.scijournal.org
Citation Management Tools - Alternatives to EndNote
Mendeley is a free Web-based tool similar to Zotero, but it sets itself apart with a robust PDF annotating tool. Because Mendeley doesn't work within Google Docs, you would have to create a bibliography and copy it over to the document. Thus, Mendeley might be a great fit for those who use citation managers for personal projects but not for those participating in a lot of...
Source: mclibrary.duke.edu

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.
Source: www.ilovephd.com
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.
Source: www.scijournal.org

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Zotero seems to be a lot more popular than EndNote. While we know about 17 links to Zotero, we've tracked only 1 mention of EndNote. 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.

Zotero mentions (17)

  • Newbie help setting up Zotero using existing materials
    If the second, then you need to create a zotero group library. This can only be done at zotero.org but syncs with your client. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Problems with syncing
    When I check the API settings on zotero.org, I only see my desktop actually connecting,. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Emacs, a maximalist approach to social media addiction
    An approach of digital maximalism should also let you organise incoming and outgoing information (on software that you run and control). This is what [Emacs](https://emacs.org) is doing. If you're missing _e.g._ the adrenaline of social media, Emacs can help for that by letting you insert academic references into lengthy, inflammatory, but informed, nuanced, and articulated Org-mode documents. It's actually much... Source: about 2 years ago
  • Best resources for chiropractic research?
    If you’re interested in actually downloading, reading, and collecting research papers, I highly recommend Zotero. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Zotero on Chromebook
    Has anyone managed to make Zotero work on their Chromebook? I have a Lenovo Chromebook and I've not been able to make it work. I can't access any of the PDF attachments on zotero.org or install the programme. I would appreciate any suggestions you may have. Source: over 2 years ago
View more

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 Zotero 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.

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.

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.

Docear - Docear

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