Citavi
Citavi: A collaborative reference workspace with strong PDF, citation, and research-planning tools. Ranked #5 of 26 in Reference Management Software by our editors (8.5/10); pricing: 30-day trial; best for research teams needing planning and collaboration.
At a glance
- Editor score8.5 / 10
- Pricing30-day trial
- Best forResearch teams needing planning and collaboration
- Free planNo
- PDF annotationYes
- Facts checked20 Sep 2026
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
Our verdict on Citavi
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, collaboration, and citation insertion into one workspace. Users can collect references from PDFs, webpages, library catalogs, and academic databases, then organize them with categories, keywords, groups, labels, and filters. The product is suited to teams that need shared research projects as well as individuals managing detailed source libraries.
Citavi is a paid product with a 30-day free trial and no free plan. Its feature set covers the full research workflow rather than citation storage alone: PDFs can include highlights, comments, quotations, and tasks; projects can include deadlines; and AI features provide article insights, passage summaries, and paper search. More than 11,000 citation styles support varied publishing requirements, while the Browser Picker captures references, quotations, images, and webpage metadata. This depth makes Citavi a strong fit for structured literature work, especially when annotation and task planning matter as much as bibliography creation.
Collaboration is a central part of the product. Cloud project sharing includes roles and real-time collaboration, with cloud and local storage options plus institutional server deployment. Microsoft Word supports citation and bibliography insertion, and the listed ecosystem also includes NVivo, Google Docs, and LaTeX editors. Citavi is available through web and Windows editions with browser capture tools. Research teams should consider it when they need planning, shared projects, detailed organization, and extensive citation-style coverage. It is less suitable for buyers seeking a free option or wider listed platform coverage.
Your product? Our editors can test Citavi in depth and publish a review, labelled as paid · from $149/mo →
Citavi pricing
Citavi fact sheet
| Free plan | No |
|---|---|
| Paid from | Not verified |
| Storage limit | Not verified |
| PDF annotation | Yes |
| Citation plugins | Yes |
| Browser capture | Yes |
| Supported platforms | Not verified |
| Team collaboration | Advanced |
| Free trial | 30 days · no card needed |
| Deployment | Cloud, Self-hosted, Desktop, Browser extension |
| Platforms | Web, Windows, Chrome extension |
| Support | Tickets, Live chat, Community, Docs |
| Built for | Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise (editorial estimate) |
| Integrations | 4 integrations: Microsoft Word, NVivo, Google Docs, LaTeX editors |
| Pricing | 30-day trial (source) |
| Website | lumivero.com |
| Facts checked | 20 Sep 2026 |
Citavi integrations
Citavi lists 4 integrations on its own site.
- Microsoft Word
- NVivo
- Google Docs
- LaTeX editors
Alternatives to Citavi
- ZoteroA broad, open-source reference manager with free core tools and optional paid storage.9.4
- PaperpileA capable, Google-centric reference manager for academic teams that need shared research libraries.8.9
- EndNoteA deep reference manager with broad citation support, PDF tools, and collaboration features.8.8
Citavi vs the competition
- Citavi vs Zotero
- Citavi vs Paperpile
- Citavi vs EndNote
- Citavi vs ReadCube Papers
- Citavi vs Mendeley Reference Manager
- Citavi vs Lean Library Workspace
Compare Citavi with any tool side by side →
Used Citavi? Be the first to review it
The editor score above is our own research. What this page doesn't have yet is a reader's view — what you used Citavi for, what worked and what didn't. No stars are seeded and no review is paid for; an editor reads every one before it appears.
Write a reviewTwo minutes · verified accounts only · read by an editor before it appears
Featured on iTechGuides
Citavi is listed in our Reference Management Software directory. Add the badge to your site — it links back to this page.
<a href="https://www.itechguides.com/products/citavi-reference-management-software/"><img src="https://www.itechguides.com/best/badge/citavi-reference-management-software.svg" alt="Featured on iTechGuides" width="230" height="46"></a>
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
Last updated · How we research and update