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Top Free Reference Management Software

Check out our list of free Reference Management Software. Products featured on this list are the ones that offer a free trial version. As with most free versions, there are limitations, typically time or features.

If you'd like to see more products and to evaluate additional feature options, compare all Reference Management Software to ensure you get the right product.

View Free Reference Management Software

G2 takes pride in showing unbiased reviews on user satisfaction in our ratings and reports. We do not allow paid placements in any of our ratings, rankings, or reports. Learn about our scoring methodologies.
11 Reference Management Products Available
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View all Reference Management Software
ReadCube
(172)4.4 out of 5
Save to My Lists
Entry Level Price:Starting at $7.00
  • Overview
    Expand/Collapse Overview
    • Product Description
    How are these determined?Information
    This description is provided by the seller.

    ReadCube is an all-in-one research management software designed to empower researchers, academics, and professionals in organizing, accessing, and analyzing scientific literature more efficiently. Wit

    Users
    • Assistant Professor
    • Professor
    Industries
    • Research
    • Higher Education
    Market Segment
    • 52% Small-Business
    • 33% Enterprise
  • User Satisfaction
    Expand/Collapse User Satisfaction
    • ReadCube features and usability ratings that predict user satisfaction
    8.7
    Quality of Support
    Average: 8.1
    8.5
    Ease of Use
    Average: 8.4
  • What G2 Users Think
    Expand/Collapse What G2 Users Think
    • JZ
    I think it's the best combination for 2 important tasks: collecting papers and reading them. I don't want to be reading papers in some Adobe piece... Read review
    RS
    Having tried Mendeley for a few years during my PhD, I have shifted to ReadCube recommended by a colleague. The most liked feature for me is the it... Read review
  • Seller Details
    Expand/Collapse Seller Details
    • Seller Details
    Seller
    ReadCube
    Year Founded
    2007
    HQ Location
    Cambridge, Massachusetts
    Twitter
    @readcube
    4,338 Twitter followers
    LinkedIn® Page
    www.linkedin.com
    16 employees on LinkedIn®
Product Description
How are these determined?Information
This description is provided by the seller.

ReadCube is an all-in-one research management software designed to empower researchers, academics, and professionals in organizing, accessing, and analyzing scientific literature more efficiently. Wit

Users
  • Assistant Professor
  • Professor
Industries
  • Research
  • Higher Education
Market Segment
  • 52% Small-Business
  • 33% Enterprise
ReadCube features and usability ratings that predict user satisfaction
8.7
Quality of Support
Average: 8.1
8.5
Ease of Use
Average: 8.4
JZ
I think it's the best combination for 2 important tasks: collecting papers and reading them. I don't want to be reading papers in some Adobe piece... Read review
RS
Having tried Mendeley for a few years during my PhD, I have shifted to ReadCube recommended by a colleague. The most liked feature for me is the it... Read review
Seller Details
Seller
ReadCube
Year Founded
2007
HQ Location
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Twitter
@readcube
4,338 Twitter followers
LinkedIn® Page
www.linkedin.com
16 employees on LinkedIn®
Logically
(141)4.6 out of 5
2nd Easiest To Use in Reference Management software
Save to My Lists
Entry Level Price:Free
  • Overview
    Expand/Collapse Overview
    • Product Description
    How are these determined?Information
    This description is provided by the seller.

    Logically.app (formerly Afforai) is an award winning, all-in-one workspace for collaborative researching and writing. Many institutions worldwide have partnered with Logically to provide their student

    Users
    • CEO
    Industries
    • Marketing and Advertising
    • Consulting
    Market Segment
    • 89% Small-Business
    • 8% Mid-Market
  • User Satisfaction
    Expand/Collapse User Satisfaction
    • Logically features and usability ratings that predict user satisfaction
    9.4
    Quality of Support
    Average: 8.1
    9.0
    Ease of Use
    Average: 8.4
  • What G2 Users Think
    Expand/Collapse What G2 Users Think
    • Sohaib R.
    SR
    Unified Web App: No more juggling between different platforms. Afforai’s web app makes managing research papers seamless and hassle-free. AI... Read review
    Verified User in Marketing and Advertising
    AM
    I've tried many other AI tools, and I like that Afforai offers different types of models. When I feel like using Claude or Chat GPT, I just switch... Read review
  • Seller Details
    Expand/Collapse Seller Details
    • Seller Details
    Seller
    Logically
    Year Founded
    2023
    HQ Location
    Austin, Texas
    LinkedIn® Page
    www.linkedin.com
    6 employees on LinkedIn®
Product Description
How are these determined?Information
This description is provided by the seller.

Logically.app (formerly Afforai) is an award winning, all-in-one workspace for collaborative researching and writing. Many institutions worldwide have partnered with Logically to provide their student

Users
  • CEO
Industries
  • Marketing and Advertising
  • Consulting
Market Segment
  • 89% Small-Business
  • 8% Mid-Market
Logically features and usability ratings that predict user satisfaction
9.4
Quality of Support
Average: 8.1
9.0
Ease of Use
Average: 8.4
Sohaib R.
SR
Unified Web App: No more juggling between different platforms. Afforai’s web app makes managing research papers seamless and hassle-free. AI... Read review
Verified User in Marketing and Advertising
AM
I've tried many other AI tools, and I like that Afforai offers different types of models. When I feel like using Claude or Chat GPT, I just switch... Read review
Seller Details
Seller
Logically
Year Founded
2023
HQ Location
Austin, Texas
LinkedIn® Page
www.linkedin.com
6 employees on LinkedIn®

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Paperguide
(99)4.6 out of 5
1st Easiest To Use in Reference Management software
Save to My Lists
Free trial available
  • Overview
    Expand/Collapse Overview
    • Product Description
    How are these determined?Information
    This description is provided by the seller.

    Paperguide is an AI-powered research workspace offering a powerful AI research assistant, comprehensive Reference Manager and AI Writer to help you understand research papers, manage citations, take n

    Users
    • CEO
    Industries
    • Higher Education
    • Health, Wellness and Fitness
    Market Segment
    • 92% Small-Business
    • 7% Mid-Market
  • User Satisfaction
    Expand/Collapse User Satisfaction
    • Paperguide features and usability ratings that predict user satisfaction
    9.2
    Quality of Support
    Average: 8.1
    8.8
    Ease of Use
    Average: 8.4
  • What G2 Users Think
    Expand/Collapse What G2 Users Think
    • SS
    Clear organization and searchability. other online tools cost significantly more to maintain. Read review
    Ivan A.
    IA
    I love how Paperguide simplifies the entire writing process—from collecting sources to structuring arguments and referencing correctly. The... Read review
  • Seller Details
    Expand/Collapse Seller Details
    • Seller Details
    Seller
    Paperguide
    Year Founded
    2023
    HQ Location
    Alpharetta, GE
    LinkedIn® Page
    www.linkedin.com
    9 employees on LinkedIn®
Product Description
How are these determined?Information
This description is provided by the seller.

Paperguide is an AI-powered research workspace offering a powerful AI research assistant, comprehensive Reference Manager and AI Writer to help you understand research papers, manage citations, take n

Users
  • CEO
Industries
  • Higher Education
  • Health, Wellness and Fitness
Market Segment
  • 92% Small-Business
  • 7% Mid-Market
Paperguide features and usability ratings that predict user satisfaction
9.2
Quality of Support
Average: 8.1
8.8
Ease of Use
Average: 8.4
SS
Clear organization and searchability. other online tools cost significantly more to maintain. Read review
Ivan A.
IA
I love how Paperguide simplifies the entire writing process—from collecting sources to structuring arguments and referencing correctly. The... Read review
Seller Details
Seller
Paperguide
Year Founded
2023
HQ Location
Alpharetta, GE
LinkedIn® Page
www.linkedin.com
9 employees on LinkedIn®
Sciwheel
(48)4.7 out of 5
Save to My Lists
Entry Level Price:Free
  • Overview
    Expand/Collapse Overview
    • Product Description
    How are these determined?Information
    This description is provided by the seller.

    Sciwheel is an award-winning tool providing library patrons with an easy way to discover, read, annotate, write. Part of Techology from SAGE.

    Users
    No information available
    Industries
    • Research
    • Higher Education
    Market Segment
    • 40% Enterprise
    • 25% Small-Business
  • User Satisfaction
    Expand/Collapse User Satisfaction
    • Sciwheel features and usability ratings that predict user satisfaction
    8.6
    Quality of Support
    Average: 8.1
    8.8
    Ease of Use
    Average: 8.4
  • What G2 Users Think
    Expand/Collapse What G2 Users Think
    • Kelsey K.
    KK
    Sciwheel is intuitive and maximizes efficiency. My favorite tool is the find citation marks. When writing, you use {} with text inside, and you can... Read review
    BB
    Sciwheel integrates seamlessly across my devices. I use an Android phone, Ubuntu OS on my laptop, and Google Docs for team writing, and Sciwheel... Read review
  • Seller Details
    Expand/Collapse Seller Details
    • Seller Details
    Seller
    Sciwheel
    HQ Location
    London
    LinkedIn® Page
    www.linkedin.com
    2 employees on LinkedIn®
Product Description
How are these determined?Information
This description is provided by the seller.

Sciwheel is an award-winning tool providing library patrons with an easy way to discover, read, annotate, write. Part of Techology from SAGE.

Users
No information available
Industries
  • Research
  • Higher Education
Market Segment
  • 40% Enterprise
  • 25% Small-Business
Sciwheel features and usability ratings that predict user satisfaction
8.6
Quality of Support
Average: 8.1
8.8
Ease of Use
Average: 8.4
Kelsey K.
KK
Sciwheel is intuitive and maximizes efficiency. My favorite tool is the find citation marks. When writing, you use {} with text inside, and you can... Read review
BB
Sciwheel integrates seamlessly across my devices. I use an Android phone, Ubuntu OS on my laptop, and Google Docs for team writing, and Sciwheel... Read review
Seller Details
Seller
Sciwheel
HQ Location
London
LinkedIn® Page
www.linkedin.com
2 employees on LinkedIn®
Article Galaxy
(26)4.7 out of 5
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  • Overview
    Expand/Collapse Overview
    • Product Description
    How are these determined?Information
    This description is provided by the seller.

    Article Galaxy’s document retrieval engine puts 80M+ full-text journal articles at your fingertips, saving you time and money with fast and easy access to peer-reviewed scientific literature.

    Users
    No information available
    Industries
    • Biotechnology
    • Pharmaceuticals
    Market Segment
    • 46% Mid-Market
    • 35% Small-Business
  • User Satisfaction
    Expand/Collapse User Satisfaction
    • Article Galaxy features and usability ratings that predict user satisfaction
    9.4
    Quality of Support
    Average: 8.1
    9.4
    Ease of Use
    Average: 8.4
  • What G2 Users Think
    Expand/Collapse What G2 Users Think
    • Verified User in Food & Beverages
    UF
    Great UI experience, easy downloads and awesome after service Read review
  • Seller Details
    Expand/Collapse Seller Details
    • Seller Details
    Seller
    Research Solutions
    HQ Location
    Henderson, Nevada
    Twitter
    @ResearchSolu
    2,297 Twitter followers
    LinkedIn® Page
    www.linkedin.com
    145 employees on LinkedIn®
Product Description
How are these determined?Information
This description is provided by the seller.

Article Galaxy’s document retrieval engine puts 80M+ full-text journal articles at your fingertips, saving you time and money with fast and easy access to peer-reviewed scientific literature.

Users
No information available
Industries
  • Biotechnology
  • Pharmaceuticals
Market Segment
  • 46% Mid-Market
  • 35% Small-Business
Article Galaxy features and usability ratings that predict user satisfaction
9.4
Quality of Support
Average: 8.1
9.4
Ease of Use
Average: 8.4
Verified User in Food & Beverages
UF
Great UI experience, easy downloads and awesome after service Read review
Seller Details
Seller
Research Solutions
HQ Location
Henderson, Nevada
Twitter
@ResearchSolu
2,297 Twitter followers
LinkedIn® Page
www.linkedin.com
145 employees on LinkedIn®
Paperpile
(26)4.5 out of 5
Save to My Lists
Entry Level Price:$2.99 per month (bille...
  • Overview
    Expand/Collapse Overview
    • Product Description
    How are these determined?Information
    This description is provided by the seller.

    Clean, simple reference management for the web. Sync your library to all your devices and read and annotate like on paper on your iPad, iPhone, or Android device. Cite your papers in Google Docs and M

    Users
    No information available
    Industries
    • Education Management
    • Higher Education
    Market Segment
    • 54% Small-Business
    • 23% Enterprise
  • User Satisfaction
    Expand/Collapse User Satisfaction
    • Paperpile features and usability ratings that predict user satisfaction
    8.9
    Quality of Support
    Average: 8.1
    9.1
    Ease of Use
    Average: 8.4
  • What G2 Users Think
    Expand/Collapse What G2 Users Think
    • Angela R.
    AR
    Paperpile is easy to use on a Chromebook with web access, chrome extension, Google Docs add-on, and an iOS/Android app. Basically, it's the only... Read review
    Dave P.
    DP
    Paperpile has transformed my ability to reference papers, websites, books etc. I am farly tech-savvy but I find all the popular bibliography tools... Read review
  • Seller Details
    Expand/Collapse Seller Details
    • Seller Details
    Seller
    Paperpile
    Year Founded
    2012
    HQ Location
    Cambridge, MA
    Twitter
    @paperpile
    17,231 Twitter followers
    LinkedIn® Page
    www.linkedin.com
    13 employees on LinkedIn®
Product Description
How are these determined?Information
This description is provided by the seller.

Clean, simple reference management for the web. Sync your library to all your devices and read and annotate like on paper on your iPad, iPhone, or Android device. Cite your papers in Google Docs and M

Users
No information available
Industries
  • Education Management
  • Higher Education
Market Segment
  • 54% Small-Business
  • 23% Enterprise
Paperpile features and usability ratings that predict user satisfaction
8.9
Quality of Support
Average: 8.1
9.1
Ease of Use
Average: 8.4
Angela R.
AR
Paperpile is easy to use on a Chromebook with web access, chrome extension, Google Docs add-on, and an iOS/Android app. Basically, it's the only... Read review
Dave P.
DP
Paperpile has transformed my ability to reference papers, websites, books etc. I am farly tech-savvy but I find all the popular bibliography tools... Read review
Seller Details
Seller
Paperpile
Year Founded
2012
HQ Location
Cambridge, MA
Twitter
@paperpile
17,231 Twitter followers
LinkedIn® Page
www.linkedin.com
13 employees on LinkedIn®
Citavi
(17)4.9 out of 5
Save to My Lists
Entry Level Price:$379 per user
  • Overview
    Expand/Collapse Overview
    • Product Description
    How are these determined?Information
    This description is provided by the seller.

    The Only All-in-One Writing and Referencing Solution Streamline your research writing process with the only tool designed to organize, track, and format your writing and references. With features des

    Users
    No information available
    Industries
    No information available
    Market Segment
    • 47% Small-Business
    • 29% Mid-Market
  • User Satisfaction
    Expand/Collapse User Satisfaction
    • Citavi features and usability ratings that predict user satisfaction
    9.3
    Quality of Support
    Average: 8.1
    8.4
    Ease of Use
    Average: 8.4
  • What G2 Users Think
    Expand/Collapse What G2 Users Think
    • SB
    It is easy to format references in an article to meet any publisher's demands. It is also easy to create bibliographies for students. I also... Read review
    HC
    That you have the complete literature that you used for the essay in a list. Quotations are easy to make with the tool. Read review
  • Seller Details
    Expand/Collapse Seller Details
    • Seller Details
    Seller
    Lumivero
    Year Founded
    1995
    HQ Location
    Denver, CO
    Twitter
    @LUMIVER0
    397 Twitter followers
    LinkedIn® Page
    www.linkedin.com
    304 employees on LinkedIn®
Product Description
How are these determined?Information
This description is provided by the seller.

The Only All-in-One Writing and Referencing Solution Streamline your research writing process with the only tool designed to organize, track, and format your writing and references. With features des

Users
No information available
Industries
No information available
Market Segment
  • 47% Small-Business
  • 29% Mid-Market
Citavi features and usability ratings that predict user satisfaction
9.3
Quality of Support
Average: 8.1
8.4
Ease of Use
Average: 8.4
SB
It is easy to format references in an article to meet any publisher's demands. It is also easy to create bibliographies for students. I also... Read review
HC
That you have the complete literature that you used for the essay in a list. Quotations are easy to make with the tool. Read review
Seller Details
Seller
Lumivero
Year Founded
1995
HQ Location
Denver, CO
Twitter
@LUMIVER0
397 Twitter followers
LinkedIn® Page
www.linkedin.com
304 employees on LinkedIn®
Wonders AI
(6)4.9 out of 5
Save to My Lists
Entry Level Price:Free
  • Overview
    Expand/Collapse Overview
    • Product Description
    How are these determined?Information
    This description is provided by the seller.

    Wonders AI is a browser-based research workspace that helps individuals and teams systematically explore, organize, and synthesize information from credible sources. The AI research workspace helps te

    Users
    No information available
    Industries
    No information available
    Market Segment
    • 83% Small-Business
    • 17% Mid-Market
  • User Satisfaction
    Expand/Collapse User Satisfaction
    • Wonders AI features and usability ratings that predict user satisfaction
    10.0
    Quality of Support
    Average: 8.1
    9.4
    Ease of Use
    Average: 8.4
  • What G2 Users Think
    Expand/Collapse What G2 Users Think
    • UK
    Wonders AI (sometimes referred to as ReadWonder) provides access to over 550 million scientific documents. The application lets you chat with these... Read review
  • Seller Details
    Expand/Collapse Seller Details
    • Seller Details
    Seller
    Wonders AI
    Year Founded
    2023
    HQ Location
    New York, US
    Twitter
    @readwonders
    1,122 Twitter followers
    LinkedIn® Page
    www.linkedin.com
    1 employees on LinkedIn®
Product Description
How are these determined?Information
This description is provided by the seller.

Wonders AI is a browser-based research workspace that helps individuals and teams systematically explore, organize, and synthesize information from credible sources. The AI research workspace helps te

Users
No information available
Industries
No information available
Market Segment
  • 83% Small-Business
  • 17% Mid-Market
Wonders AI features and usability ratings that predict user satisfaction
10.0
Quality of Support
Average: 8.1
9.4
Ease of Use
Average: 8.4
UK
Wonders AI (sometimes referred to as ReadWonder) provides access to over 550 million scientific documents. The application lets you chat with these... Read review
Seller Details
Seller
Wonders AI
Year Founded
2023
HQ Location
New York, US
Twitter
@readwonders
1,122 Twitter followers
LinkedIn® Page
www.linkedin.com
1 employees on LinkedIn®
figshare
(4)3.5 out of 5
Save to My Lists
Entry Level Price:Free
  • Overview
    Expand/Collapse Overview
    • Product Description
    How are these determined?Information
    This description is provided by the seller.

    Figshare is a web-based interface designed for academic research data management and research data dissemination. It accepts all file types (with in-browser viewing). Figshare was originally created

    Users
    No information available
    Industries
    No information available
    Market Segment
    • 50% Small-Business
    • 25% Enterprise
  • User Satisfaction
    Expand/Collapse User Satisfaction
    • figshare features and usability ratings that predict user satisfaction
    7.8
    Quality of Support
    Average: 8.1
    7.8
    Ease of Use
    Average: 8.4
  • What G2 Users Think
    Expand/Collapse What G2 Users Think
    • Verified User in Information Technology and Services
    UI
    figshare is online open storage service which allow you to update and share your data. It is completely free to upload data and free to access the... Read review
    KS
    You can get free DOI for any work you upload on Figshare and you can customize all your researcher profile. Read review
  • Seller Details
    Expand/Collapse Seller Details
    • Seller Details
    Seller
    figshare
    Year Founded
    2011
    HQ Location
    London, GB
    Twitter
    @figshare
    36,450 Twitter followers
    LinkedIn® Page
    www.linkedin.com
    17 employees on LinkedIn®
Product Description
How are these determined?Information
This description is provided by the seller.

Figshare is a web-based interface designed for academic research data management and research data dissemination. It accepts all file types (with in-browser viewing). Figshare was originally created

Users
No information available
Industries
No information available
Market Segment
  • 50% Small-Business
  • 25% Enterprise
figshare features and usability ratings that predict user satisfaction
7.8
Quality of Support
Average: 8.1
7.8
Ease of Use
Average: 8.4
Verified User in Information Technology and Services
UI
figshare is online open storage service which allow you to update and share your data. It is completely free to upload data and free to access the... Read review
KS
You can get free DOI for any work you upload on Figshare and you can customize all your researcher profile. Read review
Seller Details
Seller
figshare
Year Founded
2011
HQ Location
London, GB
Twitter
@figshare
36,450 Twitter followers
LinkedIn® Page
www.linkedin.com
17 employees on LinkedIn®
EazyFormat
0 ratings
Save to My Lists
Entry Level Price:$6.99
  • Overview
    Expand/Collapse Overview
    • Product Description
    How are these determined?Information
    This description is provided by the seller.

    EazyFormat turns Google Docs into your compliant publishing and research hub. Instantly apply and enforce professional academic formats—like APA, MLA, Harvard, and Chicago/Turabian—without ever leavin

    We don't have enough data from reviews to share who uses this product. Leave a review to contribute, or learn more about review generation.
    Industries
    No information available
    Market Segment
    No information available
  • User Satisfaction
    Expand/Collapse User Satisfaction
    • EazyFormat features and usability ratings that predict user satisfaction
    0.0
    No information available
    0.0
    No information available
  • Seller Details
    Expand/Collapse Seller Details
    • Seller Details
    Seller
    Axiomlab.dev
    Year Founded
    2023
    HQ Location
    New York, US
    LinkedIn® Page
    www.linkedin.com
    1 employees on LinkedIn®
Product Description
How are these determined?Information
This description is provided by the seller.

EazyFormat turns Google Docs into your compliant publishing and research hub. Instantly apply and enforce professional academic formats—like APA, MLA, Harvard, and Chicago/Turabian—without ever leavin

We don't have enough data from reviews to share who uses this product. Leave a review to contribute, or learn more about review generation.
Industries
No information available
Market Segment
No information available
EazyFormat features and usability ratings that predict user satisfaction
0.0
No information available
0.0
No information available
Seller Details
Seller
Axiomlab.dev
Year Founded
2023
HQ Location
New York, US
LinkedIn® Page
www.linkedin.com
1 employees on LinkedIn®
Focal
0 ratings
Save to My Lists
Entry Level Price:$9.00
  • Overview
    Expand/Collapse Overview
    • Product Description
    How are these determined?Information
    This description is provided by the seller.

    Focal is your AI-powered knowledge workspace that accelerates how you interact with complex information. Understand complex documents. Quickly find the insights you need. Summarize, Cite, Research, wi

    We don't have enough data from reviews to share who uses this product. Leave a review to contribute, or learn more about review generation.
    Industries
    No information available
    Market Segment
    No information available
  • User Satisfaction
    Expand/Collapse User Satisfaction
    • Focal features and usability ratings that predict user satisfaction
    0.0
    No information available
    0.0
    No information available
  • Seller Details
    Expand/Collapse Seller Details
    • Seller Details
    Seller
    Human Unsupervised Pty Ltd
    HQ Location
    Sydney, AU
    LinkedIn® Page
    www.linkedin.com
    1 employees on LinkedIn®
Product Description
How are these determined?Information
This description is provided by the seller.

Focal is your AI-powered knowledge workspace that accelerates how you interact with complex information. Understand complex documents. Quickly find the insights you need. Summarize, Cite, Research, wi

We don't have enough data from reviews to share who uses this product. Leave a review to contribute, or learn more about review generation.
Industries
No information available
Market Segment
No information available
Focal features and usability ratings that predict user satisfaction
0.0
No information available
0.0
No information available
Seller Details
Seller
Human Unsupervised Pty Ltd
HQ Location
Sydney, AU
LinkedIn® Page
www.linkedin.com
1 employees on LinkedIn®