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A better alternative to
Mendeley.

Make your next paragraph stronger. Use AI with your draft and saved sources, keep citations connected, and finish the paper in one free writing workspace.

The right format, without the formatting.

APA 7MLA 9Chicago 18HarvardIEEEVancouverAMA 11ACS

Put AI to work on the paper you are writing.

Citation brings the draft, revisions, references, and reviewer comments into the same place.

Citation and Mendeley workflow overview
MendeleyCitation
AI writing

Reading Assistant, Compare Experiments, and Ask My Library work with research PDFs and library context.

AI writing

Get help with your current draft and saved sources. Compare suggested edits and apply them in the document.

Drafting

Mendeley Cite inserts references while you write in Microsoft Word.

Drafting

Write the complete paper in a browser editor with its references close at hand.

Connected citations

Create citations and bibliographies through Mendeley Cite.

Connected citations

Insert linked citations and format the bibliography as you build the argument.

Feedback on your paper

Groups share references and PDF annotations.

Feedback on your paper

Invite an editor to revise the draft and discuss specific passages in comments.

Your existing sources

Export reference metadata as RIS or BibTeX.

Your existing sources

Import Mendeley references through RIS, BibTeX, or a configured account connection.

Finished paper

Export reference data or use Mendeley Cite in your Word manuscript.

Finished paper

Export the full draft as DOCX, PDF, or TXT, with BibTeX and RIS exports for references.

Free start

Free reference management with a Mendeley account.

Free start

Start writing with AI, connected citations, and checks in a free workspace built around your paper.

citation style families, including APA, MLA and Chicago
8
source identifiers for lookup: URL, DOI and ISBN
3
bibliography export formats: BibTeX and RIS
2

Turn what you have read into something worth sharing.

Why Citation

The research gives you material. Your writing gives it meaning. Citation helps you make that next step with a document editor, connected references, and AI revisions that work with the paper you are developing.

Choose Citation as your Mendeley alternative to bring the draft into the workflow. Write a section, insert the sources behind it, and ask the AI Assistant to help strengthen the explanation. Review and apply the changes without moving the draft elsewhere.

Start free with an existing paper or a blank document. Bring a collaborator into the review, keep improving the same draft, and export the complete paper when you are ready.

Feature comparison of Citation and Mendeley
FeatureCitationMendeley
AI revisions in a built in paper editorSupportedNot supported
Built in paper editorSupportedNot supported
AI assistance for researchSupportedSupported
Editable source recordsSupportedSupported
Automatic bibliography formattingSupportedSupported
APA, MLA, and Chicago citationsSupportedSupported
RIS and BibTeX reference importsSupportedSupported
RIS and BibTeX reference exportsSupportedSupported
Free reference managementSupportedSupported

Sources and styles

Move your Mendeley references into the paper you are working on. Import source records or look up new references by title, URL, DOI, or ISBN. Citation keeps the details with the document, ready to cite as you develop each point.

Write in APA 7, MLA 9, Chicago 18, Cite Them Right Harvard 12, IEEE, Vancouver (NLM), AMA 11, or ACS. Update a source record and its linked citations follow. Switch the document style to reformat the connected citations and bibliography together.

Writing and review

Mendeley’s AI tools help explore research PDFs and library content. Citation brings AI into its own paper editor. Ask about the current draft and saved sources, request a clearer paragraph, and apply the revisions you approve directly where you are writing.

Share the document with an editor for passage comments and revisions. Return to an earlier saved draft with version history, and inspect matching wording through Citation’s public web check. The check covers accessible public web text, without private institutional repositories, and does not certify originality.

Imports and exports

Use the references you have already collected. Import a RIS or BibTeX file, or select source metadata through a configured Mendeley account connection. Bring the manuscript through DOCX or TXT, add the references you need, and keep developing the paper.

Export a complete DOCX draft for Word, a PDF for sharing, or a TXT copy. Save the source records as BibTeX or RIS as well. Citation gives you a finished document to take forward, alongside the reference data behind it.

Good questions.
Straight answers.

Why use Citation as a Mendeley alternative?

Citation gives you a place to write the paper itself. Use AI revisions with your draft and saved sources, insert connected citations, invite feedback on passages, and export the complete document. You can move from the evidence to the finished argument in one workspace.

Can I start a paper for free?

Yes. Create a free Citation account and begin with a new document or an existing draft. Writing, connected citations, AI assistance, and checks are available with usage allowances shown in your account settings.

How does Citation’s AI help with the draft?

Citation’s AI Assistant works beside the paper you are editing, using the current draft and saved source context. Ask for a revision, review the proposed change, and apply it in the document. Mendeley also has AI features, focused on exploring research PDFs and library content.

What can I import from Mendeley?

Import reference metadata from RIS or BibTeX, or use a configured Mendeley account connection. PDFs and annotations are not included. Review the details before saving the records; the imported copies do not stay automatically synchronized with Mendeley.

Can I continue a paper that uses Mendeley Cite in Word?

Yes. Import its DOCX draft into Citation, then add source records and insert connected citations as you revise. Active Mendeley fields do not automatically convert to Citation links. Keep the original Word file and review the imported formatting.

Can my reviewer work on the same Citation document?

Yes. Invite the reviewer as an editor to let them revise the draft, comment on passages, and resolve discussions. Viewer access is available for reading only. Finish the review and export the complete paper as DOCX, PDF, or TXT.