EndNote vs Citavi

EndNote8.8Visit Citavi8.5Visit

Higher score EndNote #3 in Reference Management Software 8.8/10 Free plan · 30-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 1 of 3 features Visit EndNote

vs

Citavi #5 in Reference Management Software 8.5/10 30-day trial Free trial✓ 3 of 3 features Visit Citavi

• EndNote fits best

  Researchers needing deep citation-style coverage

• Citavi fits best

  Research teams needing planning and collaboration

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Side by side

Feature	EndNote 8.8/10 Visit ↗	Citavi 8.5/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.8	8.5
Ranking	#3 in Reference Management Software	#5 in Reference Management Software
Best for	Researchers needing deep citation-style coverage	Research teams needing planning and collaboration
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Paid
Starting price	—	30-day trial
Free plan	✓ (best)	—
Free trial	30 days	30 days
Free trial length	30 days	30 days · no card needed
Deployment	Cloud, Desktop, Mobile, Browser extension	Cloud, Self-hosted, Desktop, Browser extension
Platforms	Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Chrome extension	Web, Windows, Chrome extension
Support	Email, Live chat, Phone, Community, Docs · 24/7	Tickets, Live chat, Community, Docs
Integrations	7 integrations	4 integrations
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features EndNote 1/3 · Citavi 3/3
PDF annotation	✓	✓
Citation plugins	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Browser capture	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Specs
Storage limit	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Supported platforms	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Team collaboration	Not checked yet	Advanced
Our review
Pros	Supports 7,500 citation styles and major word processors Combines reference retrieval, PDF annotation, and synchronization Includes shared groups, AI assistance, and browser-based PDF access	Imports references from PDFs, webpages, catalogs, and academic databases Supports PDF annotation, task creation, and more than 11,000 citation styles Adds cloud collaboration, research planning, and AI article insights
Cons	Paid-oriented model despite a listed free plan Pricing varies by upgrade, full, and student license eligibility The trial license upgrades automatically unless the user opts out	No free plan is available Listed platform coverage centers on web, Windows, and Chrome Microsoft Word is the primary documented citation and bibliography workflow
Our verdict	EndNote is reference-management software for students, researchers, academics, and institutions. It stores bibliographic records and attached files, imports references from databases and PDFs, searches online scholarly resources, and… Read the review →	Citavi is reference management and knowledge organization software for students, academic researchers, faculty, librarians, and research teams. It brings reference capture, source organization, PDF annotation, research planning,… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• EndNote — where it wins

  • Supports 7,500 citation styles and major word processors
  • Combines reference retrieval, PDF annotation, and synchronization
  • Includes shared groups, AI assistance, and browser-based PDF access

  Where it doesn't

  • Paid-oriented model despite a listed free plan
  • Pricing varies by upgrade, full, and student license eligibility
  • The trial license upgrades automatically unless the user opts out

• Citavi — where it wins

  • Imports references from PDFs, webpages, catalogs, and academic databases
  • Supports PDF annotation, task creation, and more than 11,000 citation styles
  • Adds cloud collaboration, research planning, and AI article insights

  Where it doesn't

  • No free plan is available
  • Listed platform coverage centers on web, Windows, and Chrome
  • Microsoft Word is the primary documented citation and bibliography workflow

• EndNote8.8/10 · Free plan · 30-day trial

  A deep reference manager with broad citation support, PDF tools, and collaboration features.

  Visit EndNoteFull verdict →
• Citavi8.5/10 · 30-day trial

  A collaborative reference workspace with strong PDF, citation, and research-planning tools.

  Visit CitaviFull verdict →