Citation Machine vs Mendeley:Which is searched more?
In September 2026, Mendeley had more branded searches than Citation Machine among citation and reference tools worldwide. Mendeley was estimated to have 673K branded searches compared to Citation Machine’s 450K, and held a 27% Share of Search versus Citation Machine’s 18%. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.
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Which is more popular in search, Citation Machine or Mendeley?
Compare the citation and reference tools teams use. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.
Share of Search by month for Mendeley, Citation Machine. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of search table
| Month | Mendeley | MyBib | Scribbr | Citation Machine | EndNote | Zotero |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 22.4% | 22.4% | 27.2% | 22.4% | 5.5% | 0.18% |
| Nov 2025 | 23.8% | 23.8% | 23.8% | 23.8% | 4.8% | 0.16% |
| Dec 2025 | 22.3% | 22.3% | 27.3% | 22.3% | 5.5% | 0.18% |
| Jan 2026 | 19.9% | 24.3% | 29.7% | 19.9% | 6% | 0.24% |
| Feb 2026 | 17.2% | 25.8% | 25.8% | 25.8% | 5.2% | 0.25% |
| Mar 2026 | 17.9% | 26.7% | 26.7% | 21.9% | 6.5% | 0.26% |
| Apr 2026 | 22.3% | 27.3% | 22.3% | 22.3% | 5.5% | 0.27% |
| May 2026 | 22.1% | 27% | 27% | 18.1% | 5.4% | 0.33% |
| Jun 2026 | 26.7% | 21.8% | 26.7% | 17.9% | 6.5% | 0.39% |
| Jul 2026 | 27.9% | 18.7% | 22.8% | 22.8% | 6.9% | 0.92% |
| Aug 2026 | 29.9% | 24.4% | 24.4% | 13.3% | 7.3% | 0.66% |
| Sep 2026 | 27% | 27% | 22.1% | 18% | 5.4% | 0.49% |
How has the Citation Machine and Mendeley comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The lead changed hands once in the 12 months ending September 2026: Mendeley took it in May 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Citation Machine’s estimated Share of Search among citation and reference tools worldwide moved from 22.4% to 18%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 823K to 450K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Mendeley’s estimated Share of Search among citation and reference tools worldwide moved from 22.4% to 27%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 823K to 673K.
How did search popularity change for citation and reference tools worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Citation Machine gained estimated Share of Search among citation and reference tools worldwide, from 13.3% to 18%.
In September 2026, Mendeley lost estimated Share of Search among citation and reference tools worldwide, from 29.9% to 27%.
Other head-to-heads among citation and reference tools
How each brand is measured
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Citation Machine’s and Mendeley’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Citation Machine
1 branded search term
- citation machine
Mendeley
1 branded search term
- mendeley
Put your own brand in this comparison
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