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Mendeley Reference Manager
What it is
Mendeley Reference Manager is a web and desktop application for organizing references and supporting research workflows. Users can bring PDFs or whole folders into a library, read them, and add comments, highlights and annotations. Mendeley Notebook provides a place to collect thoughts, while Mendeley Cite inserts citations and creates bibliographies in Microsoft Word using a selected style. Shared groups let colleagues, course-mates or co-authors contribute references and annotate PDFs together. Web Importer saves papers, web pages and other documents from search engines and academic databases, with browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Safari. Watched Folders automatically import PDFs placed in a selected desktop folder. An offline mode syncs library changes after reconnecting. Free accounts include 2GB of storage and five Reading Assistant questions. Paid plans start at $4.99 a month; listed plans offer more storage and additional features. Mendeley is available on web, Windows, Linux, macOS and as a browser extension. The Windows download page lists Windows 10 and above as supported.
For and against
For
- Imports PDFs and entire folders
- Adds citations and bibliographies in Microsoft Word
- Shared groups support collaborative annotation
- Offline mode syncs changes after reconnecting
Against
- Free accounts include 2GB of storage
- Free accounts include five Reading Assistant questions
- No mobile apps are listed
The verdict
Mendeley combines reference organization, PDF annotation, importing and Word citation tools across desktop and web platforms. Consider the free storage and question limits when choosing a plan.
Who it suits
It suits students, researchers and collaborators who need to organize references, annotate PDFs and cite sources in Microsoft Word. Its free account has defined storage and Reading Assistant limits.
Plans and prices
Free
2GB storage · 5 Reading Assistant questions
Read 29 Sep 2026 · mendeley.com
Plus
Reading Assistant (Unlimited) · 5GB Storage
Read 29 Sep 2026 · mendeley.com
Plus
Reading Assistant (Unlimited) · 5GB Storage
Read 29 Sep 2026 · mendeley.com
Pro
Reading Assistant (Unlimited) · Compare Experiments · Ask My Library · 10GB Storage
Read 29 Sep 2026 · mendeley.com
Pro
Reading Assistant (Unlimited) · Compare Experiments · Ask My Library · 10GB Storage
Read 29 Sep 2026 · mendeley.com
Max
Reading Assistant (Unlimited) · Compare Experiments · Ask My Library · Unlimited Storage
Read 29 Sep 2026 · mendeley.com
Max
Reading Assistant (Unlimited) · Compare Experiments · Ask My Library · Unlimited Storage
Read 29 Sep 2026 · mendeley.com
On the record
- Automatic folder import
- Watched Folders automatically import PDFs placed in a selected desktop folder.mendeley.com · read 29 Sep 2026
- Browser importing
- Web Importer saves papers, web pages and other documents from search engines and academic databases, and is available for Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Safari.mendeley.com · read 29 Sep 2026
- Citation writing
- Mendeley Cite inserts citations and builds bibliographies in Microsoft Word using a chosen citation style.mendeley.com · read 29 Sep 2026
- Collaboration
- Groups provide shared libraries where colleagues, course-mates or co-authors can add references and annotate PDFs in real time.mendeley.com · read 29 Sep 2026
- Company history
- Mendeley was founded in 2007 by Paul Föckler, Victor Henning and Jan Reichelt and was based in London, UK, according to its 2008 launch announcement.blog.mendeley.com · read 29 Sep 2026
- Linux support
- The Linux download page offers a generic 64-bit Linux download.mendeley.com · read 29 Sep 2026
- Offline access
- The Reference Manager guide describes an offline mode that syncs library changes when the user reconnects.blog.mendeley.com · read 29 Sep 2026
- PDF library
- Users can import PDFs or entire folders into their library with a single click or by dragging and dropping.mendeley.com · read 29 Sep 2026
- PDF reading
- Users can read PDFs and add comments, highlights and annotations, then collect thoughts in the Mendeley Notebook.mendeley.com · read 29 Sep 2026
- Purpose
- Mendeley Reference Manager is a free web and desktop reference management application for organizing references and supporting research workflows.static.mendeley.com · read 29 Sep 2026
- Security
- The pricing page says uploaded data is secured using the AES-256 standard applied by major banks.mendeley.com · read 29 Sep 2026
- Storage limit
- Free accounts include 2GB of storage and five Reading Assistant questions.mendeley.com · read 29 Sep 2026
- Support
- The download page directs users to the Mendeley Support Center and release notes for help and updates.mendeley.com · read 29 Sep 2026
- Windows support
- The Windows download page lists Windows 10 and above as supported.mendeley.com · read 29 Sep 2026
