EndNote vs Mendeley Reference Manager
EndNote
endnote.com
Mendeley Reference Manager
mendeley.comSide by side
| Figure | EndNote | Mendeley Reference Manager |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | $4.58/mo |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 4 | 7 |
| Spec score · Reference Management Software | 8.5 (#4) | 8.3 (#8) |
| Spec score · Citation Management Software | 8.5 (#5) | 8.3 (#8) |
| Security | Clarivate says it uses administrative, technical, and physical security measures that may include encryption, firewalls, role-based data access, intrusion detection, and data-center physical access controls. | The pricing page says uploaded data is secured using the AES-256 standard applied by major banks. |
| Support | EndNote advertises free product support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, by phone, email, or web chat. | The download page directs users to the Mendeley Support Center and release notes for help and updates. |
Plans
EndNote
- Upgrade License$94, paid once
- Student License$113, paid once
- Full License$206, paid once
- Multi-User LicensePriced on request
Mendeley Reference Manager
- FreeFree
- Plus$4.99 a month
- Pro$9.99 a month
- Max$14.99 a month
- Plus$55 a year
- Pro$110 a year
- Max$165 a year
In their own words
EndNote
EndNote is a bibliography maker and reference organizer for searching, storing, annotating, and citing research. It provides more than 7,000 citation styles, including APA, MLA, and Chicago, and over 4,000 connection files for searching and importing references from databases and library catalogs. Cite While You Write supports Microsoft Word, Word Online, Google Docs, LibreOffice, and Apache OpenOffice Writer; Apple Pages is also listed as a macOS integration. EndNote 2025’s Research Assistant can answer questions about a document, summarize research, and translate PDFs or selected text. Find a Journal and Web of Science records support research discovery. Desktop libraries can sync with EndNote Web, and sharing can include up to 1,000 people with access and editing permissions. The 30-day trial includes paid-version features. Listed one-time prices are 94.00 USD for the Upgrade License, 113.00 USD for the Student License, and 206.00 USD for the Full License. EndNote is available on Windows, macOS, web, iOS, and as an extension.
Mendeley Reference Manager
Mendeley Reference Manager is a web and desktop application for organizing references and supporting research workflows. Users can import PDFs or folders into a library, read and annotate documents, and collect thoughts in Mendeley Notebook. Mendeley Cite inserts citations and builds bibliographies in Microsoft Word using a chosen style. Shared groups let colleagues, course-mates, or co-authors contribute references and annotate PDFs together. Web Importer saves papers, web pages, and other documents from search engines and academic databases; it is available for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari. Watched Folders can import 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, with higher tiers listing additional storage and 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.