Brandwave

How popular isZotero?

In October 2026, people searched for Zotero by name about 2,780 times in New Zealand, a 28.1% increase from the previous year. These searches made up 19.4% of all New Zealand citation and reference tool searches, placing Zotero third out of six tools. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about citation and reference tools, Zotero appeared in all answers and was the most recommended of the six.

Search and AI answers in October 2026

Zotero is the third most searched of 6 competitors and the most recommended in the AI answers we collected.

  1. MyBibShare of searches 31.7%Mentioned in 2 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 4th
  2. ScribbrShare of searches 22.2%Mentioned in 1 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 5th
  3. ZoteroShare of searches 19.4%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
  4. Citation MachineShare of searches 13.9%Mentioned in 0 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
  5. EndNoteShare of searches 7.3%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd

+1 more

Zotero website (opens in a new tab)

Follow Zotero and get free monthly updates on what changed

By continuing you'll get index updates and occasional product news from Brandwave. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy

Top citation and reference tools in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

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

Most recommended by AI

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

  1. Zotero1st
  2. EndNote2nd
  3. Mendeley3rd
  4. MyBib4th
  5. Scribbr5th
  6. Citation Machine–

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
  • MyBib2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Scribbr1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Citation Machine0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about citation and reference tools

5 answers

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 20, 2026.

How often do people search for Zotero compared with other New Zealand citation and reference tools?

Zotero against citation and reference tools in New Zealand, by month

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

View monthly share of searches table
MonthMyBibScribbrZoteroCitation MachineEndNoteMendeley
Nov 202523.5%29.4%20.3%10.6%7.6%8.7%
Dec 202514.6%24.2%25.7%10%12%13.5%
Jan 202612.9%18.8%32%11.6%13.2%11.6%
Feb 202616.8%21.7%27.8%10.9%14.4%8.4%
Mar 202626%20.9%21.6%14.8%11.1%5.6%
Apr 202630.7%22.1%18.7%15%8.1%5.4%
May 202632.6%22.8%15.4%18.1%6.7%4.4%
Jun 202631.1%27.5%12.9%18.8%4.8%4.9%
Jul 202627.8%18%23%14%11.7%5.5%
Aug 202638.9%18.4%16.2%14.4%7.8%4.3%
Sep 202636.2%19.1%17%13.9%8.8%4.9%
Oct 202631.7%22.2%19.4%13.9%7.3%5.6%

  1. 1.MyBib

    31.7%

    Held 1st. 4.5K estimated branded searches, -25% vs prior month. Share -4.5 points.

  2. 2.Scribbr

    22.2%

    Held 2nd. 3.2K estimated branded searches, -0.63% vs prior month. Share +3.1 points.

  3. 3.Zotero

    19.4%

    Held 3rd. 2.8K estimated branded searches, -2.8% vs prior month. Share +2.3 points.

  4. 4.Citation Machine

    13.9%

    Held 4th. 2K estimated branded searches, -15% vs prior month. Share -0.1 points.

  5. 5.EndNote

    7.3%

    Held 5th. 1.1K estimated branded searches, -29.1% vs prior month. Share -1.5 points.

  6. 6.Mendeley

    5.6%

    Held 6th. 800 estimated branded searches, -3.6% vs prior month. Share +0.6 points.

Compare popularity between Zotero and its closest rivals

Every comparison with Zotero

6 comparisons

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

3 findings
  • Across the 12 months ending October 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Zotero in New Zealand rose from 2.2K to 2.8K.
  • Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Zotero’s share of searches among citation and reference tools in New Zealand decreased from 20.3% to 19.4%.
  • Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Zotero’s share of searches among citation and reference tools in New Zealand peaked at 32% in January 2026 and was lowest at 12.9% in June 2026.

How did search popularity change for New Zealand citation and reference tools in October 2026?

6 changes

  1. In October 2026, Scribbr gained share of searches among citation and reference tools in New Zealand, from 19.1% to 22.2%.

  2. In October 2026, Zotero gained share of searches among citation and reference tools in New Zealand, from 17% to 19.4%.

  3. In October 2026, Mendeley gained share of searches among citation and reference tools in New Zealand, from 4.9% to 5.6%.

  4. In October 2026, MyBib lost share of searches among citation and reference tools in New Zealand, from 36.2% to 31.7%.

  5. In October 2026, EndNote lost share of searches among citation and reference tools in New Zealand, from 8.8% to 7.3%.

  6. Estimated monthly branded searches for Citation Machine in New Zealand rose 76.1% over 12 measured months, from 1.1K to 2K in October 2026.

How are Zotero’s branded searches counted?

9 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Zotero’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.

  • citation manager zotero
  • word zotero
  • zotero
  • zotero apa
  • zotero chrome plugin
  • zotero citation
  • zotero connector
  • zotero plugin
  • zotero reference generator

Do you work for Zotero? 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 Zotero compete?

Zotero 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 tools3rd of 619.4%Shown above
Reference manager software1st of 460.8%Show ranking
Creator with pink hair and a pink jacket

Is Zotero your brand?

Put your own campaigns, spend and outcomes next to this demand line, so you can see which of your marketing lined up with the movements above.

Start free