Brandwave

How popular isMendeley?

In October 2026, people searched for Mendeley by name about 800 times in New Zealand, a 14% decrease from the previous year. These searches made up 16.6% of all New Zealand reference manager software searches, placing Mendeley third out of four brands. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about reference manager software, Mendeley appeared in all answers and was the third most recommended of the four.

Search and AI answers in October 2026

Mendeley is the third most searched of 4 competitors and the third most recommended in the AI answers we collected.

  1. ZoteroShare of searches 60.8%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
  2. EndNoteShare of searches 21%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
  3. MendeleyShare of searches 16.6%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
  4. PaperpileShare of searches 1.6%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 4th
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Top reference manager software in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Mendeley appeared in all five answers. Mendeley is the third most recommended of the four.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Zotero1st
  2. EndNote2nd
  3. Mendeley3rd
  4. Paperpile4th

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
  • Mendeley5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Paperpile3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about reference manager software

5 answers

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 21, 2026.

How often do people search for Mendeley compared with other New Zealand reference manager software?

Mendeley against reference manager software in New Zealand, by month

Share of searches by month for Zotero, EndNote, Mendeley. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthZoteroEndNoteMendeleyPaperpile
Nov 202557.3%20.5%19.7%2.5%
Dec 202551.8%22.9%22%3.2%
Jan 202656.1%23.4%18.4%2.2%
Feb 202655.1%28.3%15.1%1.5%
Mar 202657%29.4%12.7%0.88%
Apr 202659%25%15%1%
May 202659%24.9%15.1%1.1%
Jun 202657.9%20.7%19.6%1.9%
Jul 202656.5%29.4%12.8%1.2%
Aug 202656.8%27.9%14.3%1%
Sep 202654.9%28.6%15%1.5%
Oct 202660.8%21%16.6%1.6%

  1. 1.Zotero

    60.8%

    Held 1st. 2.6K estimated branded searches, +0.38% vs prior month. Share +5.9 points.

  2. 2.EndNote

    21%

    Held 2nd. 910 estimated branded searches, -33.6% vs prior month. Share -7.6 points.

  3. 3.Mendeley

    16.6%

    Held 3rd. 720 estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +1.6 points.

  4. 4.Paperpile

    1.6%

    Held 4th. 70 estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.2 points.

Compare popularity between Mendeley and its closest rivals

Every comparison with Mendeley

6 comparisons

How has branded search demand for Mendeley changed in New Zealand over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • Across the 12 months ending October 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Mendeley in New Zealand fell from 930 to 800.
  • Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Mendeley’s share of searches among reference manager software in New Zealand decreased from 19.7% to 16.6%.
  • Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Mendeley’s share of searches among reference manager software in New Zealand peaked at 22% in December 2025 and was lowest at 12.7% in March 2026.

How did search popularity change for New Zealand reference manager software in October 2026?

4 changes

  1. In October 2026, Zotero gained share of searches among reference manager software in New Zealand, from 54.9% to 60.8%.

  2. In October 2026, Mendeley gained share of searches among reference manager software in New Zealand, from 15% to 16.6%.

  3. In October 2026, EndNote lost share of searches among reference manager software in New Zealand, from 28.6% to 21%.

  4. Estimated monthly branded searches for Paperpile in New Zealand fell 22.2% over 12 measured months, from 90 to 70 in October 2026.

How are Mendeley’s branded searches counted?

5 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Mendeley’s name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading.

  • mendeley
  • mendeley apa
  • mendeley citation
  • mendeley reference generator
  • mendeley referencing

Do you work for Mendeley? To request corrections or removal please contact us via our support page and we will be happy to assist.

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Where does Mendeley compete?

Mendeley is ranked by how often people search for it in two competitor sets. Each share is worked out among that set's brands, so it differs from set to set.
Competitor setRankShare of searchesRanking
Citation and reference tools6th of 65.6%Show ranking
Reference manager software3rd of 416.6%Shown above
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