Mendeley
Mendeley is a free reference management software and academic social network that helps you organize your research, collaborate with others online, and discover the latest trending scholarly papers.
Papers
Papers is a reference management software that helps you collect, organize, read, and cite research materials through a centralized digital library and integrated discovery tools.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Mendeley | Papers |
|---|---|---|
| Website | mendeley.com | papersapp.com |
| Pricing Model | Freemium | Subscription |
| Starting Price | Free | $3/month |
| FREE Trial | ✘ No free trial | ✓ 30 days free trial |
| Free Plan | ✓ Has free plan | ✘ No free plan |
| Product Demo | ✘ No product demo | ✓ Request demo here |
| Deployment | ||
| Integrations | ||
| Target Users | ||
| Target Industries | ||
| Customer Count | 0 | 0 |
| Founded Year | 2007 | 2011 |
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom | Boston, USA |
Overview
Mendeley
Mendeley is a dedicated research management tool designed to simplify how you handle scholarly documents and citations. You can automatically generate bibliographies, import papers from other software, and access your library from any device. It functions as both a desktop application and a web-based service, ensuring your research stays synchronized whether you are in the lab or at home.
Beyond simple organization, you can use the platform to connect with a global network of researchers and discover new papers based on your interests. It is particularly effective for students, Ph.D. candidates, and academic faculty who need to manage high volumes of PDF documents and collaborate on group projects. You can highlight key sections, add sticky notes directly to PDFs, and share these annotations with your team securely.
Papers
Papers helps you transform how you handle academic research by providing a unified workspace for your entire PDF library. You can discover new papers directly within the app using integrated search engines like PubMed and Google Scholar, then save them with a single click. The software automatically identifies metadata, organizes your files into smart collections, and syncs your progress across all your devices so you can transition from your office desktop to your tablet at home.
You can annotate documents with highlights and sticky notes, share folders with colleagues for collaborative projects, and generate citations in thousands of different styles. Whether you are a solo PhD student or part of a large corporate research lab, the platform streamlines the tedious parts of the research cycle. It eliminates the manual effort of formatting bibliographies and searching through messy folders, allowing you to focus on the actual analysis and writing.
Overview
Mendeley Features
- Mendeley Cite Generate citations and bibliographies automatically in Microsoft Word without ever leaving your document or manually typing a single entry.
- Web Importer Save papers, web pages, and other documents directly into your library from your browser with a single click.
- PDF Annotation Highlight important text and add sticky notes to your research papers to keep your thoughts organized within the document.
- Smart Library Sync Access your entire research library from any computer or mobile device with automatic cloud synchronization and offline access.
- Private Groups Collaborate with up to 25 colleagues by sharing full-text papers and annotations in a secure, private environment.
- Research Suggestions Receive personalized recommendations for new articles based on the contents of your library to stay current in your field.
Papers Features
- Smart Library Organization. Automatically fetch metadata and organize your research into collections that sync across your desktop, web, and mobile devices.
- Integrated Search. Search major databases like PubMed and Scopus directly inside the app to find and import new research instantly.
- SmartCite Citation Tool. Insert citations and generate bibliographies in over 10,000 styles within Microsoft Word or Google Docs using a fast, searchable interface.
- PDF Annotation. Highlight text and add sticky notes to your documents, then export your summaries to keep track of key insights.
- Collaborative Shared Folders. Create private groups to share references and full-text PDFs with your lab mates or project collaborators in real-time.
- Browser Extension. Save papers directly from your web browser with one click, automatically bypassing paywalls when institutional access is available.
Pricing Comparison
Mendeley Pricing
- 2GB personal cloud storage
- 100MB shared group storage
- Up to 1 private group
- Up to 25 group members
- Mendeley Cite plugin
- Everything in Free, plus:
- 5GB personal cloud storage
- Increased shared storage
- Unlimited public groups
- Priority technical support
Papers Pricing
- Full desktop and mobile access
- Unlimited cloud storage
- SmartCite for Word and Google Docs
- 1-click PDF downloads
- Web browser extension
- Priority customer support
- Everything in Student, plus:
- Institutional login support
- Advanced collaboration tools
- Shared folders for lab teams
- Cross-platform syncing
- Enhanced metadata matching
Pros & Cons
Mendeley
Pros
- Generous free storage for most student projects
- Excellent web importer for capturing online sources
- Clean interface makes organizing large libraries simple
- Strong community features for discovering new research
- Seamless integration with Microsoft Word for citations
Cons
- Desktop version can feel slow with large libraries
- Limited customization for specific citation styles
- Syncing errors occasionally occur between devices
Papers
Pros
- Excellent metadata extraction saves hours of manual entry
- Clean and modern user interface is easy to navigate
- Seamless syncing between desktop and mobile applications
- Powerful citation tool works reliably with Google Docs
Cons
- No forever-free version available after the trial
- Occasional glitches when importing very large PDF libraries
- Subscription model may be costly for long-term use