Mendeley Reference Manager
- Android app
- Not listed
- Free plan
- Yes
- Paid plans from
- $4.58/mo
- Runs on
- Browser extension, Linux, Mac, Web, Windows
Summary
Mendeley Reference Manager is a web and desktop application for organizing references and supporting research workflows. Users can import PDFs or whole folders into a library, then read and annotate PDFs with comments, highlights and notes. Thoughts can be collected in Mendeley Notebook. Mendeley Cite inserts citations and creates bibliographies in Microsoft Word using a selected citation style. Shared groups let colleagues, course-mates or co-authors add references and annotate PDFs together. The browser importer saves papers and other documents from search engines and academic databases, with extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Safari. Watched Folders can automatically bring in PDFs placed in a selected desktop folder. Offline mode syncs library changes after reconnecting. Free accounts include 2GB of storage and five Reading Assistant questions. Paid plans start at $4.99 per month; higher tiers include more storage and additional Reading Assistant features. Mendeley is available on web, Windows, Linux, macOS and as a browser extension. The Windows download page lists Windows 10 and above as supported.
Who it is for
Mendeley suits students, researchers and collaborators who need to organize references, annotate PDFs and create Word citations. It also supports shared libraries and offline work.
What is good
- Imports PDFs and entire folders
- Adds citations and bibliographies in Microsoft Word
- Shared libraries support group annotation
- Free accounts include 2GB of storage
What to know first
- Free accounts are limited to five Reading Assistant questions
- Windows support is listed for Windows 10 and above
- No mobile apps are listed
Verdict
Mendeley combines reference organization, PDF annotation and Word citation tools, with shared libraries for collaboration. Consider the free storage and question limits, or compare them with paid plan allowances.
Mendeley Reference Manager plans and pricing
All plansCompared on reference management software
- Free plan
- Yesmendeley.com
- PDF annotation
- Yesmendeley.com
- Browser extension
- Yesmendeley.com
- Word processor support
- microsoft_wordmendeley.com
- Mobile apps
- nonemendeley.com
- Import formats
- BibTeX, EndNote XML, RISmendeley.com
- Team collaboration
- Yesmendeley.com
Facts
- Purpose
- Mendeley Reference Manager is a free web and desktop reference management application for organizing references and supporting research workflows.static.mendeley.com · 29 Sept 2026
- PDF library
- Users can import PDFs or entire folders into their library with a single click or by dragging and dropping.mendeley.com · 29 Sept 2026
- PDF reading
- Users can read PDFs and add comments, highlights and annotations, then collect thoughts in the Mendeley Notebook.mendeley.com · 29 Sept 2026
- Citation writing
- Mendeley Cite inserts citations and builds bibliographies in Microsoft Word using a chosen citation style.mendeley.com · 29 Sept 2026
- Collaboration
- Groups provide shared libraries where colleagues, course-mates or co-authors can add references and annotate PDFs in real time.mendeley.com · 29 Sept 2026
- Browser importing
- Web Importer saves papers, web pages and other documents from search engines and academic databases, and is available for Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Safari.mendeley.com · 29 Sept 2026
- Automatic folder import
- Watched Folders automatically import PDFs placed in a selected desktop folder.mendeley.com · 29 Sept 2026
- Storage limit
- Free accounts include 2GB of storage and five Reading Assistant questions.mendeley.com · 29 Sept 2026
- Security
- The pricing page says uploaded data is secured using the AES-256 standard applied by major banks.mendeley.com · 29 Sept 2026
- Offline access
- The Reference Manager guide describes an offline mode that syncs library changes when the user reconnects.blog.mendeley.com · 29 Sept 2026
- Windows support
- The Windows download page lists Windows 10 and above as supported.mendeley.com · 29 Sept 2026
- Linux support
- The Linux download page offers a generic 64-bit Linux download.mendeley.com · 29 Sept 2026
- Support
- The download page directs users to the Mendeley Support Center and release notes for help and updates.mendeley.com · 29 Sept 2026
- Company history
- Mendeley was founded in 2007 by Paul Föckler, Victor Henning and Jan Reichelt and was based in London, UK, according to its 2008 launch announcement.blog.mendeley.com · 29 Sept 2026
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Sources
- static.mendeley.com/md-stitch/releases/live/mendeley-refere· checked 29 Sept 2026
- mendeley.com/features/· checked 29 Sept 2026
- mendeley.com/download-reference-manager/windows· checked 29 Sept 2026
- mendeley.com/reference-management/web-importer/· checked 29 Sept 2026
- mendeley.com/pricing/· checked 29 Sept 2026
- blog.mendeley.com/2020/09/01/your-mendeley-web-library-is· checked 29 Sept 2026
- mendeley.com/download-reference-manager/linux· checked 29 Sept 2026
- blog.mendeley.com/2008/08/13/press-release-research-shari· checked 29 Sept 2026