Citation.js vs Citation[Z]

Citation.js converts reference data into CSL-JSON and formats references in styles such as APA and Vancouver. It accepts inputs including BibTeX, BibJSON, DOI, and Wikidata, as well as identifiers such as ISBN, PubMed and PMC IDs, GitHub repository URLs, and npm package URLs. Supported formats include JSON, CSL-JSON, BibLaTeX, RIS, YAML, CFF, and Zenodo Deposit JSON. Identifier resolvers include DOI Content Negotiation, Google Books, OpenLibrary, NCBI’s Literature Citation Explorer, and the Wikidata MediaWiki API. A modular package structure lets users add format and identifier-source plugins as needed; preloaded styles and locales are available for formatted references. Citation.js supports Node.js and browsers, offers a web interface and API, and includes a command-line interface for reading input files, text, or standard input and writing output files or standard output. Example applications include an HTML API wrapper, a Chrome extension for Dutch NWO ISAAC publication data entry, and a BibTeX generator. It is MIT-licensed open-source software, available free.

Citation[Z] is a web and browser-extension tool for generating citations and organizing bibliographies. It accepts website URLs, DOIs, ISBNs, or source details entered manually, and formats citations in APA 7, MLA 9, Chicago, Harvard, and IEEE. Users can edit citation fields and switch results among supported styles. Its bibliography builder alphabetizes references and exports Word documents with hanging indents and double spacing; TXT export is also included in the free plan. A free account unlocks more than 10,000 styles, including Vancouver, AMA, ACS, Turabian, and CSE.

Free accounts include saved citations and projects, five styles, and bulk paste for up to five references. Premium raises the bulk-paste limit to 50 and adds Citation Finder, source recommendations, and paragraph analysis to flag claims that may need citations. Citation Finder searches scholarly works by topic and shows citation counts and open-access status. Premium costs $5 a month or $50 per year; Academic costs $20 a year and requires a verified.edu or equivalent academic email. The extension reads the active tab’s URL, title, and DOI metadata, and can submit all open HTTP(S) tab URLs when the user selects that action.