Reference manager software:Which are searched most?
In September 2026, Mendeley was the most searched among reference manager software worldwide, with an estimated 673K branded searches and 82.1% estimated Share of Search within this set. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.
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Share of SearchLeaderboard
Compare the reference manager software 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, EndNote. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of search table
| Month | Mendeley | EndNote | Zotero |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 79.9% | 19.5% | 0.64% |
| Nov 2025 | 82.8% | 16.6% | 0.54% |
| Dec 2025 | 79.8% | 19.6% | 0.64% |
| Jan 2026 | 76.2% | 22.9% | 0.91% |
| Feb 2026 | 76.1% | 22.8% | 1.1% |
| Mar 2026 | 72.5% | 26.5% | 1.1% |
| Apr 2026 | 79.5% | 19.5% | 0.96% |
| May 2026 | 79.4% | 19.5% | 1.2% |
| Jun 2026 | 79.4% | 19.4% | 1.2% |
| Jul 2026 | 78.2% | 19.2% | 2.6% |
| Aug 2026 | 79% | 19.3% | 1.7% |
| Sep 2026 | 82.1% | 16.5% | 1.5% |
This month’s ranking, September 2026
| Rank | Brand | Share of Search | Estimated monthly branded searches | vs prior month | Share change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1, held 1st | 82.1% | 673K | +49.6% | +3.1 points | |
| 2, held 2nd | 16.5% | 135K | +22.7% | -2.8 points | |
| 3, held 3rd | 1.5% | 12.1K | +22.2% | -0.3 points |
Compare search popularity between leading brands
Which brand is most popular in search among reference manager software worldwide?
3 brands
In September 2026, Mendeley was the most searched among reference manager software worldwide, with an estimated 673K branded searches and 82.1% estimated Share of Search within this set. EndNote is in 2nd place, 65.6 percentage points behind at 16.5% Share of Search.
| Brand | Share of Search | Peak | Low | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Mendeley | 79.9% → 82.1% | 82.8%Nov 2025 | 72.5%Mar 2026 | 1st |
 EndNote | 19.5% → 16.5% | 26.5%Mar 2026 | 16.5%Sep 2026 | 2nd |
 Zotero | 0.64% → 1.5% | 2.6%Jul 2026 | 0.54%Nov 2025 | 3rd |
Each finding as a sentence
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Mendeley’s estimated Share of Search among reference manager software worldwide increased from 79.9% to 82.1%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, EndNote’s estimated Share of Search among reference manager software worldwide decreased from 19.5% to 16.5%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Zotero’s estimated Share of Search among reference manager software worldwide increased from 0.64% to 1.5%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Mendeley’s estimated Share of Search among reference manager software worldwide peaked at 82.8% in November 2025 and was lowest at 72.5% in March 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, EndNote’s estimated Share of Search among reference manager software worldwide peaked at 26.5% in March 2026 and was lowest at 16.5% in September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Zotero’s estimated Share of Search among reference manager software worldwide peaked at 2.6% in July 2026 and was lowest at 0.54% in November 2025.
How did search popularity change for reference manager software worldwide in September 2026?
3 changes
In September 2026, Mendeley gained estimated Share of Search among reference manager software worldwide, from 79% to 82.1%.
In September 2026, EndNote lost estimated Share of Search among reference manager software worldwide, from 19.3% to 16.5%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Zotero worldwide rose 83.3% over 12 measured months, from 6.6K to 12.1K in September 2026.
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