Scribbr Citation Generator vs CitePlain

SCScribbr Citation Generator8.9Visit CitePlain8.8Visit

Higher score SC Scribbr Citation Generator #6 in Citation Generator Tools 8.9/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 5 features Visit Scribbr

vs

CitePlain #7 in Citation Generator Tools 8.8/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 5 of 5 features Visit CitePlain

• Scribbr Citation Generator fits best

  Free academic citation generation

• CitePlain fits best

  Free batch citation work with BibTeX output

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Side by side

Feature	SCScribbr Citation Generator 8.9/10 Visit ↗	CitePlain 8.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.9	8.8
Ranking	#6 in Citation Generator Tools	#7 in Citation Generator Tools
Best for	Free academic citation generation	Free batch citation work with BibTeX output
Pricing model	Free	Free plan + paid
Starting price	Free	$39/yr
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud, Browser extension	Cloud, Browser extension
Platforms	Web, Chrome extension	Web, Chrome extension
Support	Email, Live chat, Docs	Email
Built for	Solo, Small business	Solo, Small business, Mid-market
Features Scribbr Citation Generator 4/5 · CitePlain 5/5
Identifier lookup	✓	✓
URL import	✓	✓
Browser extension	✓	✓
Word add-in	—	✓ (best)
BibTeX export	✓	✓
Specs
Citation style count	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Autocites sources by URL, DOI, ISBN, title, or keywords Supports APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, AMA, IEEE, and ACS Exports reference lists to Word and BibTeX	Free tier covers six citation styles and six source types Batch bibliographies support up to 50 sources BibTeX export uses stable cite keys
Cons	No native Microsoft Word add-in The Chrome extension is limited to browser-based source saving Focused on citations and bibliographies rather than broader writing tools	Cloud synchronization is reserved for Pro plans The Free plan uses a device-local browser library Word and Google Docs add-ins are shipping soon
Our verdict	Scribbr Citation Generator is a web-based tool for students and other writers who need academic references and in-text citations. It supports webpages, books, articles, and other sources, with lookup by title, URL, DOI, ISBN, or keywords.… Read the review →	CitePlain is a browser-based citation generator for students, researchers, and writers who need references from web pages, journal articles, books, tweets, YouTube videos, and podcasts. It accepts URLs, DOIs, and ISBNs, then produces… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Scribbr Citation Generator — where it wins

  • Autocites sources by URL, DOI, ISBN, title, or keywords
  • Supports APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, AMA, IEEE, and ACS
  • Exports reference lists to Word and BibTeX

  Where it doesn't

  • No native Microsoft Word add-in
  • The Chrome extension is limited to browser-based source saving
  • Focused on citations and bibliographies rather than broader writing tools

• CitePlain — where it wins

  • Free tier covers six citation styles and six source types
  • Batch bibliographies support up to 50 sources
  • BibTeX export uses stable cite keys

  Where it doesn't

  • Cloud synchronization is reserved for Pro plans
  • The Free plan uses a device-local browser library
  • Word and Google Docs add-ins are shipping soon

• SCScribbr Citation Generator8.9/10 · Free plan

  A capable free citation generator with broad style support and useful export options.

  Visit ScribbrFull verdict →
• CitePlain8.8/10 · Free plan

  A practical free option for browser-based citations and stable-key BibTeX output.

  Visit CitePlainFull verdict →