Mendeley vs Zotero:Which is searched more?
In September 2026, Zotero had more branded searches than Mendeley among reference management software worldwide. Zotero was estimated to have 841K branded searches compared to Mendeley’s 738K, and held a 47.4% Share of Search versus Mendeley’s 41.7%. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.
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Which is more popular in search, Mendeley or Zotero?
Compare services and tools used to organize research references and citations. 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 Zotero, Mendeley. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of search table
| Month | Zotero | Mendeley | EndNote | RefWorks | Paperpile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 46.1% | 40.6% | 9.3% | 2.8% | 1.2% |
| Nov 2025 | 42.5% | 44.9% | 8.5% | 2.6% | 1.4% |
| Dec 2025 | 41% | 44.4% | 10% | 2.5% | 2% |
| Jan 2026 | 49.2% | 36.4% | 9.9% | 2.5% | 2% |
| Feb 2026 | 49.2% | 36.3% | 9.8% | 3% | 1.6% |
| Mar 2026 | 48.5% | 35.2% | 11.8% | 3% | 1.6% |
| Apr 2026 | 46.1% | 40.8% | 9.2% | 2.3% | 1.5% |
| May 2026 | 46.2% | 40.8% | 9.2% | 2.3% | 1.5% |
| Jun 2026 | 46.1% | 41.4% | 9.1% | 1.5% | 1.9% |
| Jul 2026 | 51.2% | 37.4% | 8.3% | 1.4% | 1.7% |
| Aug 2026 | 46.5% | 41.5% | 9.2% | 1.3% | 1.5% |
| Sep 2026 | 47.4% | 41.7% | 7.7% | 1.9% | 1.3% |
How has the Mendeley and Zotero comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The lead changed hands 2 times in the 12 months ending September 2026: Mendeley took it in November 2025, Zotero took it in January 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Mendeley’s estimated Share of Search among reference management software worldwide moved from 40.6% to 41.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 891K to 738K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Zotero’s estimated Share of Search among reference management software worldwide moved from 46.1% to 47.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1M to 841K.
How did search popularity change for reference management software worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Zotero gained estimated Share of Search among reference management software worldwide, from 46.5% to 47.4%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Mendeley worldwide fell 17.1% over 12 measured months, from 891K to 738K in September 2026.
Other head-to-heads among reference management software
How each brand is measured
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Mendeley’s and Zotero’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.
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