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.
RefWorks
RefWorks is a cloud-based reference management service that helps you simplify the research process by capturing, organizing, and citing your scholarly sources in thousands of different styles.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Mendeley | RefWorks |
|---|---|---|
| Website | mendeley.com | refworks.proquest.com |
| Pricing Model | Freemium | Subscription |
| Starting Price | Free | Free |
| 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 | 2001 |
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom | Ann Arbor, 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.
RefWorks
RefWorks is a comprehensive research management tool designed to help you streamline the entire lifecycle of scholarly writing. You can easily capture bibliographic data from online databases, library catalogs, and websites with a single click. Once your sources are saved, you can organize them into folders, share them with collaborators, and annotate full-text documents directly within the platform to keep your insights connected to your citations.
The platform excels at automating the most tedious parts of academic writing by generating bibliographies and in-text citations in seconds. Whether you are a student working on a thesis or a faculty member managing a complex literature review, you can access your research from any device. It integrates directly with popular word processors to ensure your formatting remains consistent and accurate throughout your project.
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.
RefWorks Features
- Save to RefWorks. Capture research materials and metadata from any website or database instantly using a simple browser bookmarklet.
- Write-N-Cite. Insert properly formatted in-text citations and bibliographies directly into Microsoft Word without leaving your document.
- Google Docs Add-on. Manage your references and format your papers in real-time while collaborating with others in Google Docs.
- Full-Text Annotation. Read, highlight, and add personal comments to PDF documents within your library to keep your notes organized.
- Style Library. Access thousands of citation styles including APA, MLA, and Chicago to ensure your paper meets specific journal requirements.
- Collaborative Folders. Share specific research folders with your peers or colleagues to work together on group projects and bibliographies.
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
RefWorks Pricing
- Full access via university login
- Unlimited reference storage
- Unlimited attachment storage
- Institutional style sharing
- Priority technical support
- Everything in Institutional, plus:
- Personal ownership of data
- Access after graduation
- Thousands of citation styles
- Word and Google Docs plugins
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
RefWorks
Pros
- Excellent integration with university library databases
- Saves significant time on bibliography formatting
- Easy to share folders for group research
- Cloud-based access from any computer or tablet
- Reliable browser extension for quick source capturing
Cons
- Occasional formatting errors with complex web sources
- Interface can feel dated compared to newer tools
- Write-N-Cite plugin sometimes requires troubleshooting in Word