Best Citation Manager · head-to-head
Zotero vs Citationsy
A sourced, side-by-side comparison for citation manager. Zotero has the lower entry price. Every figure links to the vendor's own page and the date we captured it.
At a glance
- Price: Zotero $0/mo vs Citationsy $0/mo — Zotero is cheaper to start.
- Free tier: Zotero Yes; Citationsy Yes.
- HIPAA: Zotero —; Citationsy —.
Side by side
| Zotero | Citationsy | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | $0/mo (Free (300MB Storage)) | $0/mo (Free) |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| HIPAA (BAA) | — | — |
| SOC 2 | — | — |
| GDPR | — | — |
| Best for | students | students |
Sources — Zotero: zotero.org (verified 2026-06-18). Citationsy: spotsaas.com (verified 2026-06-18).
Key features
Zotero: Fully free and open-source (AGPL); Native Word, LibreOffice, and Google Docs plugins; 9,000+ citation styles; Non-profit — no advertising or data monetization
Citationsy: 8,000+ citation styles; 50% student discount on Pro; Clean minimal interface; Mobile iOS app