JabRef vs Mendeley:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Mendeley had more branded searches than JabRef among reference management software worldwide. Mendeley had about 738,000 branded searches, while JabRef had 5,400. Mendeley made up 41.5% of all reference management software searches we track, and JabRef accounted for 0.3%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about reference management software, Mendeley appeared in four of the five answers and JabRef in three. Mendeley was mentioned before JabRef in four out of five answers.
Who do people search for more?
Mendeley, about 137 searches for every 1 for JabRef
Who does AI mention more?
Mendeley, mentioned in 4 of 5 answers, JabRef in 3
Who does AI recommend more?
Mendeley, named ahead of JabRef in 4 of 5 answers
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Top reference management software in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Mendeley was mentioned in four out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. JabRef was mentioned in three out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. Mendeley was listed before JabRef in four out of five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Zotero5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
EndNote5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Paperpile5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers- Mendeley4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
JabRef3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
BibDesk1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
RefWorks0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about reference management software
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which reference management tool should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best reference management tools?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best reference management tool for research citations?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“reference management tools”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best reference manager”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.
Is JabRef or Mendeley more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for JabRef and Mendeley by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven reference management software we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Mendeley, JabRef. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Zotero | Mendeley | EndNote | RefWorks | Paperpile | JabRef | BibDesk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 45.9% | 40.4% | 9.2% | 2.8% | 1.2% | 0.37% | 0.05% |
| Nov 2025 | 42.3% | 44.7% | 8.5% | 2.6% | 1.4% | 0.41% | 0.05% |
| Dec 2025 | 40.8% | 44.2% | 10% | 2.5% | 2% | 0.48% | 0.06% |
| Jan 2026 | 49% | 36.2% | 9.8% | 2.5% | 2% | 0.47% | 0.07% |
| Feb 2026 | 49% | 36.1% | 9.8% | 3% | 1.6% | 0.47% | 0.06% |
| Mar 2026 | 48.3% | 35% | 11.7% | 3% | 1.6% | 0.38% | 0.06% |
| Apr 2026 | 46% | 40.7% | 9.2% | 2.3% | 1.5% | 0.36% | 0.05% |
| May 2026 | 46% | 40.6% | 9.2% | 2.3% | 1.5% | 0.36% | 0.05% |
| Jun 2026 | 45.9% | 41.2% | 9.1% | 1.5% | 1.8% | 0.44% | 0.06% |
| Jul 2026 | 51% | 37.2% | 8.3% | 1.4% | 1.7% | 0.4% | 0.05% |
| Aug 2026 | 46.3% | 41.4% | 9.1% | 1.3% | 1.5% | 0.36% | 0.05% |
| Sep 2026 | 47.3% | 41.5% | 7.7% | 1.9% | 1.3% | 0.3% | 0.05% |
How has the JabRef and Mendeley comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Mendeley was ahead of JabRef in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, JabRef’s share of searches among reference management software worldwide moved from 0.37% to 0.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 8.1K to 5.4K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Mendeley’s share of searches among reference management software worldwide moved from 40.4% to 41.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 891K to 738K.
How did search popularity change for reference management software worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
How are branded searches counted?
5 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using JabRef’s and Mendeley’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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