# Alternatives to JabRef Open source BibTeX management. JabRef ranks #5 of 12 in Citation managers, with an Alt Score of 78. It is licensed under MIT, free from Free and available on Windows, macOS and Linux. 10 of 10 checklist rows are verified against a public source. Source: https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/jabref/ Category: Citation managers ## Where JabRef stands out - **Open source** — 4 of 10 apps with a verified answer have this ## Overview - **Who it's for**: Researchers, students, and academics who need to collect, organize, and cite literature for papers and theses. - **What you get**: A free, open-source reference manager for organizing bibliographic entries and PDFs. It stores data in an open, text-based BibTeX/BibLaTeX file format instead of a proprietary database, avoiding vendor lock-in. It includes tools for searching and importing references from databases, deduplicating entries, and generating citations. Browser extensions and integrations with word processors like LaTeX and Word are also available. - **How it works**: JabRef is a cross-platform desktop application (built on Java) that maintains a local .bib library file, which users populate by importing references from online databases, PDFs, or browser extensions, then cite directly from LaTeX or word processors. ## Profile - **License**: MIT (verified 2026-07-08) - **Pricing model**: Free (verified 2026-07-08) - **Starts at**: Free (verified 2026-07-08) - **Platforms**: Windows, macOS, Linux - **Status**: active (verified 2026-07-08) ## Ranked alternatives | # | App | Alt Score | Licence | Platforms | |---|-----|-----------|---------|-----------| | 1 | [Zotero](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/zotero.md) | 100 | AGPL-3.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS | | 2 | [EndNote](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/endnote.md) | 86 | ? | Windows, macOS, iOS, Web | | 3 | [Paperpile](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/paperpile.md) | 82 | Proprietary | Web, Browser extension, iOS, Android | | 4 | [ReadCube](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/readcube-papers.md) | 82 | ? | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android | | 5 | [Citavi](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/citavi.md) | 73 | ? | Windows, Web, Browser extension | | 6 | [Mendeley](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/mendeley.md) | 68 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Linux, Web | | 7 | [BibDesk](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/bibdesk.md) | 60 | BSD-3-Clause | macOS | | 8 | [Lean Library Workspace](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/lean-library-workspace.md) | 60 | ? | Web, Browser extension | | 9 | [Citationsy](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/citationsy.md) | 55 | Proprietary | iOS, Android, Web, Browser extension | | 10 | [RefWorks](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/refworks.md) | 55 | ? | Web, Browser extension | | 11 | [WIKINDX](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/wikindx.md) | 50 | ISC License | Windows, macOS, Linux, Web | Alt Score = Verified coverage (90%) + Visibility (10%). See https://altcatalog.com/how-alt-score-works/ ## Feature comparison Legend: Yes / No / Partial / ? (not verified). | Citation managers checklist | JabRef | Zotero | EndNote | Paperpile | ReadCube | Citavi | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Pricing model | Free | Freemium | One-time | Subscription | Subscription | Subscription | | Starts at | Free | $20/year | ? | $4.15/month | $10/month | $90/yr | | License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 | ? | Proprietary | ? | ? | | Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Browser extension | Windows, macOS, iOS, Web, Browser extension | Web, Browser extension, iOS, Android | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Web, Browser extension | Windows, Web, Browser extension | | Browser capture | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | PDF annotation | Partial | Yes | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Citation styles count | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Word / Docs plugins | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Group libraries | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Open source | Yes | Yes | No | No | ? | No | | Storage limits (free) | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | ? | | BibTeX support | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Deduplication | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Mobile app | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | ## Sources Sources for JabRef. Each alternative is sourced on its own page. - **Pricing model**: Free — (verified 2026-07-08) - Quote: “JabRef is available free of charge and is actively developed.” - **Status**: active — (verified 2026-07-08) - Quote: “JabRef is available free of charge and is actively developed.” - **License**: MIT — (verified 2026-07-08) - Quote: “MIT License Copyright © 2003-2026 JabRef Authors” - **Starts at**: Free — (verified 2026-07-08) - Quote: “JabRef is available free of charge and is actively developed.” - **Platforms**: Windows, macOS, Linux — (verified 2026-07-08) - Quote: “JabRef-5.15.msi, JabRef-5.15.dmg, jabref_5.15_amd64.deb, jabref-5.15-1.x86_64.rpm” - **Browser capture**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-08) - Quote: “Import new references directly from the browser with one click using the official browser extension for Firefox, Chrome, Edge, and Vivaldi” - **PDF annotation**: Partial — (verified 2026-07-08) - Note: Reads/displays PDF annotations and highlights search terms; not a full PDF annotation editor. - Quote: “We improved JabRef's internal document viewer. It now allows text section, searching and highlighting of search terms and page rotation” - **Citation styles count**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-08) - Quote: “Format references using one of thousands of built-in citation styles or create your own style” - **Word / Docs plugins**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-08) - Quote: “Support for Word and LibreOffice/OpenOffice for inserting and formatting citations” - **Group libraries**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-08) - Quote: “Group your research into hierarchical collections and organize research items based on keywords/tags” - **Open source**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-08) - Quote: “MIT License Copyright © 2003-2026 JabRef Authors” - **Storage limits (free)**: No — (verified 2026-07-08) - Note: Local file storage; no cloud quota. - Quote: “Library is saved as a simple text file, and thus it is easy to share with others via Dropbox” - **BibTeX support**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-08) - Quote: “Native BibTeX and BibLaTeX support” - **Deduplication**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-08) - Quote: “Find and merge duplicates” - **Mobile app**: No — (verified 2026-07-08) - Note: Desktop-only; no iOS/Android release assets. - Quote: “JabRef-5.15.msi, JabRef-5.15-arm64.dmg, JabRef-5.15-portable_linux.tar.gz” --- Ranked by verified data, never by who paid. https://altcatalog.com/trust/