Citation Machine vs Paperpile:Which is searched more?
In September 2026, Citation Machine had more branded searches than Paperpile among citation and reference tools worldwide. Citation Machine had about 450,000 branded searches, while Paperpile had 22,200. Citation Machine made up 17.9% of all citation and reference tool searches we track, and Paperpile accounted for 0.88%. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.
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Is Citation Machine or Paperpile more popular in search?
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 searches by month for Citation Machine, Paperpile. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Mendeley | MyBib | Scribbr | Citation Machine | EndNote | Paperpile | Zotero |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 22.2% | 22.2% | 27% | 22.2% | 5.4% | 0.73% | 0.18% |
| Nov 2025 | 23.6% | 23.6% | 23.6% | 23.6% | 4.7% | 0.78% | 0.15% |
| Dec 2025 | 22.1% | 22.1% | 27% | 22.1% | 5.4% | 1.1% | 0.18% |
| Jan 2026 | 19.6% | 24% | 29.4% | 19.6% | 5.9% | 1.2% | 0.24% |
| Feb 2026 | 17.1% | 25.6% | 25.6% | 25.6% | 5.1% | 0.84% | 0.25% |
| Mar 2026 | 17.7% | 26.5% | 26.5% | 21.7% | 6.5% | 0.87% | 0.26% |
| Apr 2026 | 22.1% | 27.1% | 22.1% | 22.1% | 5.4% | 0.89% | 0.27% |
| May 2026 | 21.9% | 26.8% | 26.8% | 17.9% | 5.4% | 0.88% | 0.32% |
| Jun 2026 | 26.3% | 21.5% | 26.3% | 17.6% | 6.4% | 1.3% | 0.39% |
| Jul 2026 | 27.5% | 18.4% | 22.5% | 22.5% | 6.8% | 1.4% | 0.91% |
| Aug 2026 | 29.5% | 24.1% | 24.1% | 13.2% | 7.2% | 1.2% | 0.65% |
| Sep 2026 | 26.8% | 26.8% | 21.9% | 17.9% | 5.4% | 0.88% | 0.48% |
How has the Citation Machine and Paperpile comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Citation Machine was ahead of Paperpile in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Citation Machine’s share of searches among citation and reference tools worldwide moved from 22.2% to 17.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 823K to 450K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Paperpile’s share of searches among citation and reference tools worldwide moved from 0.73% to 0.88%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 27.1K to 22.2K.
How did search popularity change for citation and reference tools worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes

In September 2026, Citation Machine gained share of searches among citation and reference tools worldwide, from 13.2% to 17.9%.

Estimated monthly branded searches for Paperpile worldwide fell 18.1% over 12 measured months, from 27.1K to 22.2K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Citation Machine’s and Paperpile’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
Paperpile
1 branded search term
- paperpile
Other head-to-heads among citation and reference tools

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