--- title: "Citation Machine vs Paperpile: Which is searched more?" description: "Is Citation Machine or Paperpile more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Citation and reference tools set worldwide. 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." canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/compare/citation-machine-vs-paperpile" publisher: "Brandwave" --- # Citation Machine vs Paperpile: Which is searched more? Is Citation Machine or Paperpile more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Citation and reference tools set worldwide. 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. ## Key facts - **Compared**: Citation Machine and Paperpile - **Competitive set**: Citation and reference tools - **Market**: Global - **Month measured**: Sep 2026 - **Citation Machine Share of Search**: 17.9% - **Paperpile Share of Search**: 0.88% ## Is Citation Machine or Paperpile more popular in search? - 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%. - 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. ## Top citation and reference tools in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Paperpile was mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Citation Machine was mentioned in one out of five: not in any of the three ChatGPT answers, but in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Paperpile was listed before Citation Machine in two out of three answers that named either. Brands get a higher AI rank if they are mentioned earlier in the answers that list options. | Brand | AI rank | ChatGPT answers that named it | Google AI Overviews that named it | All answers that named it | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Zotero | 1st | 3 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 5 of 5 | | Mendeley | 2nd | 3 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 5 of 5 | | EndNote | 3rd | 3 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 4 of 5 | | MyBib | 4th | 1 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 2 of 5 | | Paperpile | 4th | 2 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 2 of 5 | | Citation Machine | 6th | 0 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 1 of 5 | | Scribbr | 7th | 0 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 1 of 5 | ## Every AI answer about citation and reference tools - Asked ChatGPT "Which citation and reference tool should I use?": 1. Zotero, 2. Mendeley, 3. EndNote, 4. MyBib - Asked ChatGPT "What are the best citation and reference tools?": 1. Zotero, 2. Paperpile, 3. EndNote, 4. Mendeley - Asked ChatGPT "What's the best citation and reference tool for a research paper?": 1. Mendeley, 2. EndNote, 3. Paperpile, 4. Zotero - Searched Google, AI Overview "citation tools": 1. MyBib, 2. Citation Machine, 3. Scribbr, 4. Zotero, 5. Mendeley - Searched Google, AI Overview "reference management software": 1. Zotero, 2. EndNote, 3. Mendeley Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in the United States on October 20, 2026. ## How did search popularity change for citation and reference tools worldwide in September 2026? - 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. ## Month by month | Month | Citation Machine estimated searches | Citation Machine Share of Search | Citation Machine rank | Paperpile estimated searches | Paperpile Share of Search | Paperpile rank | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Oct 2025 | 823K | 22.2% | 2 | 27.1K | 0.73% | 6 | | Nov 2025 | 823K | 23.6% | 1 | 27.1K | 0.78% | 6 | | Dec 2025 | 550K | 22.1% | 2 | 27.1K | 1.1% | 6 | | Jan 2026 | 450K | 19.6% | 3 | 27.1K | 1.2% | 6 | | Feb 2026 | 673K | 25.6% | 1 | 22.2K | 0.84% | 6 | | Mar 2026 | 673K | 21.7% | 3 | 27.1K | 0.87% | 6 | | Apr 2026 | 673K | 22.1% | 2 | 27.1K | 0.89% | 6 | | May 2026 | 450K | 17.9% | 4 | 22.2K | 0.88% | 6 | | Jun 2026 | 301K | 17.6% | 4 | 22.2K | 1.3% | 6 | | Jul 2026 | 301K | 22.5% | 2 | 18.1K | 1.4% | 6 | | Aug 2026 | 201K | 13.2% | 4 | 18.1K | 1.2% | 6 | | Sep 2026 | 450K | 17.9% | 4 | 22.2K | 0.88% | 6 | ## How each brand is measured 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**: Measured on the search term “citation machine”. - **Paperpile**: Measured on the search term “paperpile”. - [Citation Machine profile](/demand/global-en/brands/citation-machine) - [Paperpile profile](/demand/global-en/brands/paperpile) - [All citation and reference tools worldwide](/demand/global-en/categories/citation-tools): The set both shares are measured inside, 7 brands. ## Methodology - [How is the Brand Demand Index measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is Citation Machine or Paperpile more popular in search? 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%. ## Cite this page Brandwave. "Citation Machine vs Paperpile: Which is searched more?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/compare/citation-machine-vs-paperpile This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/compare/citation-machine-vs-paperpile. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.