Best Citation Manager · pricing · Updated June 2026
Zotero pricing (2026)
Zotero starts at $0/mo (Free (300MB Storage)), across 4 plans. Best for students. Every figure links to Zotero's own page and the date we captured it.
At a glance
- Entry price: $0/mo (Free (300MB Storage))
- Free tier: Yes
- Compliance: HIPAA — · SOC 2 — · GDPR —
- Best for: students; researchers on a budget; open-source advocates; multi-platform users (Mac/Windows/Linux)
Zotero plans & pricing
| Plan | Monthly | Annual | Billing | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free (300MB Storage) | $0 | — | flat | Forever free. Full desktop app (Mac/Windows/Linux), 300MB cloud sync, Word/LibreOffice/Google Docs plugins, 9,000+ citation styles, browser extensions, groups. All core features free. Confirmed 2026-06-18. | zotero.org |
| Storage 2GB | $1.67 | — | flat | $20/year (~$1.67/month equiv). Adds 2GB cloud file sync. All software features remain free. Confirmed 2026-06-18. | zotero.org |
| Storage 6GB | $5 | — | flat | $60/year (~$5/month equiv). 6GB cloud file sync. All software features remain free. Confirmed 2026-06-18. | zotero.org |
| Storage Unlimited | $10 | — | flat | $120/year (~$10/month equiv). Unlimited cloud file sync. All software features remain free. Confirmed 2026-06-18. | zotero.org |
Last verified 2026-06-18. Storage pricing re-fetched from zotero.org/storage on 2026-06-18 and confirmed exactly (Free 300MB, 2GB $20/yr, 6GB $60/yr, Unlimited $120/yr). Free and open-source (AGPL), maintained by the non-profit Corporation for Digital Scholarship.
Capabilities
Integrations: Microsoft Word, LibreOffice, Google Docs, Chrome/Firefox/Safari/Edge extensions, iOS, Android.
Key features: Fully free and open-source (AGPL); Native Word, LibreOffice, and Google Docs plugins; 9,000+ citation styles; Non-profit — no advertising or data monetization.
Plan limits: 300MB free cloud storage (paid upgrades are storage only — all features free); Server data stored on AWS US (relevant for EU GDPR data residency); No built-in AI features.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Zotero cost?
Zotero starts at $0/mo (Free (300MB Storage)); it has 4 published plans. Verified 2026-06-18.
Does Zotero support HIPAA?
Zotero HIPAA support: —. SOC 2: —. GDPR: —.
Does Zotero have a free plan?
Zotero free tier: Yes.
Zotero vs alternatives
Compare all citation manager → · Zotero alternatives → · Open data · MCP