Citation Machine vs Zotero:Which is searched more?
In September 2026, Citation Machine had more branded searches than Zotero among citation and reference tools worldwide. Citation Machine was estimated to have 450K branded searches compared to Zotero’s 12.1K, and held an 18% Share of Search versus Zotero’s 0.49%. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.
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Which is more popular in search, Citation Machine or Zotero?
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 Citation Machine, Zotero. 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 Zotero comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Citation Machine was ahead of Zotero in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 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, Zotero’s estimated Share of Search among citation and reference tools worldwide moved from 0.18% to 0.49%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 6.6K to 12.1K.
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%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Zotero worldwide rose 83.3% over 12 measured months, from 6.6K to 12.1K in September 2026.
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 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.
Citation Machine
1 branded search term
- citation machine
Zotero
1 branded search term
- reference manager zotero
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