CitApp

CitApp is a citation and source-management tool for students who want to collect references, format citations and work in Google Docs. Its broad style support and source imports suit research projects better than one-off citation lookups. The free plan is useful for moderate workloads, but its weekly caps make Pro more practical for frequent research and writing.

Overview

CitApp turns URLs or DOIs into formatted citations and organizes sources in projects. It covers websites, articles, books, PDFs, reports, Wikipedia, news, theses and videos, drawing metadata from CrossRef, PubMed, arXiv and Google Books. That breadth can reduce manual entry across mixed-source projects, although generated metadata should still be checked against the source and assignment requirements.

The browser-based workflow needs nothing installed. A Chrome extension can save pages and PDFs—including PDFs behind logins—to a project. Projects can also be shared by invite link so signed-in collaborators can view them and add sources. This is useful for building a shared bibliography, though it is not a substitute for a broader collaborative writing workflow.

Key features

Citation workflow

CitApp offers 17 built-in styles, more than 130 journal and university CSL styles, and custom styles; its plans describe access to 150+ styles. The range is a strength for students facing discipline-specific requirements. Its Google Docs add-on inserts citations at the cursor and updates the reference list, keeping citations tied to the document rather than requiring separate assembly. Some school accounts may need an administrator to approve the add-on, which can interrupt setup.

Free users can import libraries from Zotero, Mendeley or EndNote, and export to Word, BibTeX or RIS. Those options make CitApp easier to fit into an existing reference workflow, while still allowing a switch to other tools.

Academic Shield and privacy

Academic Shield checks whether a paragraph is too close in wording to its source, appropriate for its academic section, and supported by the cited source. It can serve as an additional review step, not a replacement for careful attribution or a writer’s own judgment. Free users receive 10 checks per week; Pro removes that cap.

CitApp says service data and AI requests are processed in the EU, and that AI features use Google Gemini through Google Cloud. Its policy says it collects account and usage information, including sources and text submitted to Academic Shield, but does not store the submitted Shield paragraph. CitApp also says it uses technical and organizational security measures, does not sell personal information, and uses an essential session cookie without analytics or advertising cookies. The contact page says email is the fastest support channel, with replies usually arriving within a couple of days.

Pricing

CitApp is freemium, with no free trial. Free costs nothing and includes unlimited in-app sources, 10 browser captures per week, 30 Google Docs citation insertions per week, 10 Academic Shield checks per week, 150+ styles, PDF uploads, and Word, BibTeX and RIS export. It is a capable starting point for occasional or moderate projects; the limits matter when research or document revisions become routine.

Pro costs 99 SEK, paid once, billed 99 kr / term and approximately 16 kr / mo. It removes weekly limits and provides unlimited browser captures, Docs citations and Shield checks, plus AI source summaries and a page archive. The unlimited workflow favors frequent users who would otherwise ration captures or insertions. It can be cancelled any time, but the listed term billing is worth checking against your expected use before paying. The cheaper plan gives up those Pro additions and retains the weekly caps.

Platforms

CitApp is available as a web app and browser extension. The site describes the citation workflow as browser-based and requiring nothing installed; the Chrome extension adds page and PDF capture. Google Docs integration requires the add-on, and some school accounts may require administrator approval.

Who it's for

CitApp is best suited to students and researchers managing varied references, especially those writing in Google Docs or collaborating on a shared source project. Its imports, exports and style range also help users who already maintain libraries elsewhere. It is less compelling for someone who needs only a few citations, or for a school account where add-on approval cannot be arranged.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Broad source coverage, URL and DOI lookup, and 150+ styles support varied research assignments.
• Pro: Google Docs insertion, library imports and multiple export formats connect collection, writing and portability.
• Pro: Free users can keep unlimited in-app sources and upload PDFs.
• Con: Free browser captures, Docs insertions and Shield checks have weekly caps that can constrain sustained work.
• Con: The Docs add-on may need school administrator approval, and the browser capture extension is Chrome-specific.

Alternatives

For a comparison of more tools, browse Citation Generator Tools.

• Cite This For Me is an option across Android, iOS, web and extension; its free account is limited to Harvard style, includes ads and saves citations for only seven days, while Premium is 6.99.
• CitePlain offers a free extension and web option for readers who want another freemium citation tool.
• BibGuru has a free plan and a free trial, with a free educator option for teachers and their students.
• Citation.js is a free, MIT-licensed open-source choice available through npm for readers who want an installable tool rather than CitApp’s student-oriented workflow.
• Citation[Z] offers a free citation generator, converter and bibliography builder with five styles and bulk paste for up to five references.
• CiteMe is another freemium option, with 60+ styles, limited monthly reference-checking and library quotas, one project, PDF conversions, and BibTeX/RIS export.
• Editor World Citation Generator is a free web tool for generating, editing, copying and exporting citations without an account; an account lets users save a list permanently.
• Grafiati has a free Basic plan limited to one bibliography, 20 references and seven days; its Cosmic Bibliography plan costs $2 a month with a six-month minimum.

Verdict

Choose CitApp if you need a source organizer that can capture research, handle many citation styles and insert references directly into Google Docs. Its free plan covers a substantial workflow, and Pro is aimed at users who need unlimited weekly activity plus summaries and page archiving. Look elsewhere if you need a minimal one-off generator or cannot get the Docs add-on approved on your school account.