JabRef
7.3#4 in citation management softwareFree planFree planAPIExtensionLinuxmacOS
VisitJabRef vs Zotero
What both publish
| Fact | JabRef | Zotero |
|---|---|---|
| Citation styles | JabRef includes thousands of citation styles and permits user-created styles. | Zotero supports more than 9,000 citation styles and can create references and bibliographies inside Word, LibreOffice, and Google Docs. |
| Collaboration | Teams can work with a shared SQL database, and JabRef supports SSL database connections; its documentation says SSL has only been tested with PostgreSQL. | Users can share a Zotero library with as many people as they like at no cost, and groups support shared collections. |
| Intended audience | The project describes JabRef as created by researchers for researchers and says it has been used by students and researchers. | Zotero is developed for researchers and cultural heritage institutions by a global community. |
| License | The JabRef software uses the MIT License, allowing commercial use, modification and redistribution with notices retained. | Zotero source code is released under AGPLv3 unless a source file states otherwise. |
| Organization | Features include hierarchical collections, keyword and tag organization, advanced search and filters, duplicate merging, and customizable citation keys. | Libraries can be arranged with collections, keyword tags, and saved searches that update automatically. |
| Purpose | JabRef is an open-source citation and reference manager for collecting and organizing research sources. | Zotero is a free, open-source tool for collecting, organizing, annotating, citing, and sharing research. |
| Rating on G2 | 4.7 out of 5 from 12 reviews | 4.4 out of 5 from 99 reviews |
| Rating on TrustRadius | 0 out of 10 from 0 reviews | 9.3 out of 10 from 21 reviews and ratings |
JabRef plans
- JabRefFree
Zotero plans
- Free storageFree
- 300 MBFree
- 2 GB$20 a year
- 2 GB storage$20 a year
- 6 GB storage$60 a year
- 6 GB$60 a year
Pick JabRef if…
JabRef suits students and researchers who collect references, work with BibTeX or BibLaTeX, or need citation workflows in supported word processors. Teams can use its shared SQL database for collaboration.
Pick Zotero if…
Zotero suits researchers and cultural heritage institutions organizing sources and citations. It also supports shared libraries and groups, with optional storage syncing across devices.