Best refbase Alternatives in 2026
Updated
20 apps from reference management software ranked against refbase on the same published basis.
- 1refbase vs Zotero
- 2refbase vs Lean Library Workspace
- 3refbase vs EndNote
- 4refbase vs Paperpile
- 5refbase vs ReadCube Papers
- 6refbase vs Sciwand
- 7refbase vs Bookends
- 8refbase vs Mendeley Reference Manager
- 9refbase vs JabRef
- 10refbase vs Petal
- 11refbase vs Citavi
- 12refbase vs Paperite
- 13refbase vs Jurism
- 14refbase vs Papis
- 15refbase vs Logically
- 16refbase vs RefWorks
- 17refbase vs CiteDrive BibTeX Studio
- 18refbase vs Wren
- 19refbase vs Avidemux
- 20refbase vs Pramaana
refbase alternatives compared
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zotero | 9.7 | Free plan | $1.67/mo | Android, API, Browser, iOS, Linux, Mac, self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| 2 | Lean Library Workspace | 9.1 | Free plan | Free | Android, Browser, iOS, Web |
| 3 | EndNote | 9.0 | No | — | Browser, iOS, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 4 | Paperpile | 8.8 | No | $4.15/mo | Android, Browser, iOS, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 5 | ReadCube Papers | 8.7 | No | $7.92/mo | Android, API, Browser, iOS, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 6 | Sciwand | 8.7 | Free plan | Free | iOS, Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 7 | Bookends | 8.4 | No | $1.25/mo | Browser, iOS, Mac |
| 8 | Mendeley Reference Manager | 7.8 | Free plan | $4.58/mo | Browser, Linux, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 9 | JabRef | 7.5 | Free plan | Free | Browser, Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 10 | Petal | 7.4 | Free plan | $2.55/mo | Browser, Web |
| 11 | Citavi | 7.2 | No | — | Browser, Web, Windows |
| 12 | Paperite | 7.1 | Free plan | $15/mo | Web |
| 13 | Jurism | 6.8 | Free plan | Free | Browser, Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 14 | Papis | 6.3 | Free plan | Free | API, Linux, self-hosted, Web |
| 15 | Logically | 6.0 | No | — | Web |
| 16 | RefWorks | 6.0 | No | — | Web |
| 17 | CiteDrive BibTeX Studio | 5.8 | No | — | Web |
| 18 | Wren | 5.6 | No | — | Mac |
| 19 | Avidemux | 5.6 | Free plan | Free | Web, Windows, Mac, Linux |
| 20 | Pramaana | 5.5 | No | — | Linux, Mac, Windows |
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Questions about refbase alternatives
What is the best alternative to refbase?
Zotero, number 1 in reference management software with a score of 9.7 out of 10. The others here: Lean Library Workspace, EndNote, Paperpile and 16 more.
What is the best free alternative to refbase?
Zotero is the best-ranked alternative with a free plan. 10 of the 20 alternatives here publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Is there an open-source alternative to refbase?
Yes: Avidemux.
How are these alternatives ranked?
Ranked mobile-first: a phone app alongside the web or desktop product, a free tier and the depth of its documentation.