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A better alternative to
ZoteroBib.

Turn your references into a finished paper. Write and revise with AI, keep citations connected, and export the whole draft from one free workspace.

The right format, without the formatting.

APA 7MLA 9Chicago 18HarvardIEEEVancouverAMA 11ACS

Your bibliography is just the beginning.

Citation gives you the writing tools to turn a list of sources into a paper you are ready to share.

Citation and ZoteroBib workflow overview
ZoteroBibCitation
AI writing

Generate references to use in a separate writing app.

AI writing

Improve the paper you are writing. Get AI revisions using your draft and saved sources, then apply the changes you choose.

Your draft

Build a bibliography in your browser.

Your draft

Write, edit, and organize the complete paper in the same workspace as its references.

Connected citations

Copy citations and a formatted bibliography into your paper.

Connected citations

Insert citations linked to source records and format your bibliography as the draft develops.

Source lookup

Find bibliography entries by URL, identifier, or title.

Source lookup

Find a source by URL, DOI, ISBN, or title, then use it directly in your draft.

Feedback

Share a saved bibliography version with a link.

Feedback

Invite an editor to revise the draft and comment on the exact passages that need attention.

Finished work

Copy references or export a bibliography as RTF, BibTeX, or RIS.

Finished work

Export the complete paper as DOCX, PDF, or TXT, plus references as BibTeX or RIS.

Start free

Free bibliography generation without ads.

Start free

Start writing with connected citations, AI assistance, and checks in one free workspace.

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 your references into a paper you are proud of.

Why Citation

Your reference list is ready. Now give the paper the same attention. Citation brings your writing, sources, and review into one workspace, so the next paragraph is always close to the evidence behind it.

With Citation as your ZoteroBib alternative, you can build the draft itself. Insert connected citations, ask AI to strengthen an explanation, and apply the revisions you choose without moving the paper between tools.

Start free with a source, an outline, or an existing draft. Develop the argument, bring a reviewer into the document, and export the complete paper when you are ready to share it.

Feature comparison of Citation and ZoteroBib
FeatureCitationZoteroBib
AI revisions in a built in paper editorSupportedNot supported
Built in paper editorSupportedNot supported
APA, MLA, and Chicago citationsSupportedSupported
Source lookup by URL, DOI, ISBN, or titleSupportedSupported
Manual source entrySupportedSupported
BibTeX and RIS exportsSupportedSupported
Free citation generation without adsSupportedSupported

Sources and styles

Find a website, book, or journal article by URL, DOI, ISBN, or title. Save its source details with your document and insert a citation where the evidence belongs. Your sources stay close to the sentences they support.

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

Writing and review

Ask the AI Assistant to sharpen your introduction, clarify a difficult paragraph, or help you develop an explanation using the current draft and saved sources. Review each proposed edit against your original and apply it in the document when it says what you mean.

Invite an editor to comment on passages and revise the paper with you. Return to earlier saved drafts with version history. Citation’s web check also gives you matching passages and source links to review before sharing. It checks accessible public web text, without private institutional repositories, and does not certify originality.

Imports and exports

Bring your ZoteroBib bibliography into the writing process. Export RIS or BibTeX, import the source records into Citation, and add the references you need to your document. Bring the draft through DOCX or TXT, or paste the text and keep writing.

Finish with the format your next step needs. Export DOCX for Word, PDF for a reading copy, or TXT for plain text. Save your source records as BibTeX or RIS as well, so your paper and its references are ready to go together.

Good questions.
Straight answers.

Why choose Citation as a ZoteroBib alternative?

Citation helps you finish the paper around your references. Write in the built in editor, get AI revisions using your draft and saved sources, insert connected citations, and invite an editor to review. Then export the complete document from the same workspace.

Can I start writing for free?

Yes. Create a free Citation account and start with a new draft or your existing paper. Your account includes allowances for sources, storage, AI assistance, and checks, with current usage available in settings.

Can I bring my ZoteroBib bibliography with me?

Yes. Import a RIS or BibTeX export and review the source details before saving them to your document. Imported records are copies, so later ZoteroBib changes do not update them automatically. Pasted citation text becomes connected only when you insert citations from saved source records.

Can Citation handle APA, MLA, and Harvard references?

Yes. Citation supports APA 7, MLA 9, and Cite Them Right Harvard 12, alongside Chicago 18, IEEE, Vancouver (NLM), AMA 11, and ACS. Choose a supported style for your document and format its linked citations and bibliography together.

How does the AI help me improve my draft?

Ask for help with the paper you are editing. The AI Assistant uses the current draft and saved source context to answer questions and propose revisions. Compare a suggestion with your original, then accept the changes you want to apply in the document.

Can I export my whole paper instead of just the references?

Yes. Download the complete draft as DOCX, PDF, or TXT and export reference records as BibTeX or RIS. The downloaded files are copies of your work at export time, ready for the next step in your writing process.