# Mendeley Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Is Mendeley the right Note-Taking solution for you? Explore 70 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/233913/Mendeley/reviews --- Mendeley 4.2 (70) [View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/233913/Mendeley/alternatives/) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated March 13th, 2026 # Reviews of Mendeley Ease of use 4.1 Customer Service 3.7 ## Pros and Cons in Reviews OM Oscar M ResearcherResearch, 201 - 500 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “Something I like from this tool is that it allows me to effortlessly import references from various databases, and the automatic citation feature.“ December 26, 2023 LS Lavhelesani Dembe S EcologistEducation Management, 10,001+ employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “It frustrates me that the software cannot detect when a citation is a duplicate, at time ending up with two citations of the same source.“ July 15, 2023 OM Oscar M ResearcherResearch, 201 - 500 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “Mendeley has proven to be a cornerstone of my thesis-writing. Whether I'm storing articles for future revision, making notes for my thesis, or managing citations, Mendeley handles it all with an ease.“ December 26, 2023 Monika W PhD StudentResearch, 501 - 1,000 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “I am disappointed to find that the software lacks a crucial feature that I had anticipated - the ability to conduct comprehensive searches within the content of my papers.“ May 31, 2023 LH Leah H Health EducatorHospital & Health Care, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “The feature that I have appreciated most about Mendeley over the past few years is the integration with citations and the MS Word plugin.“ September 16, 2023 LS Lavhelesani Dembe S EcologistEducation Management, 10,001+ employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “It also sucks that I have to double check all the references manually because the automatic reference generator is not always accurate, at times missing some information.“ July 15, 2023 RS Rudi S LecturerEducation Management, 1,001 - 5,000 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “In a short time, my paper references were neatly arranged, and I was very happy using Mendeley.“ June 28, 2024 NM Nadhia M studentEducation Management, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “sometimes the auto reference is not accurate therefore I need to double check whenever the auto update reference update in my manuscript.“ September 20, 2023 ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 1-25 of 70 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use Przemek B. Translator and interpreter Translation and Localization Used the software for: 2+ years ### "A solid but limited reference manager" July 21, 2022 4.0 Mendeley helps me stay organised as it manages all my pdf files seamlessly. Annotations options could be improved. Pros Mendeley is an amazing low-cost solution for anybody who is looking for a reference manager. Software used to be available as an installable app but is now being phased out and a lighter version is available now. I love how Mendeley helps with my citations as it integrates seamlessly with Word and helps build amazing citations and tables of reference. Cons Annotation options are very limited. App allows you to add simple comments and highlight texts. There is no way to add arrows or any other symbols to your pdfs. There used to be a mobile app available that would synchronise with main Mendeley library but now it is not possible to run the app on your tablet. The desktop app logs you out very often and I find it annoying to have to log in every time. Switched from [Papers](https://www.capterra.com/p/210748/Papers/) Papers is way too expensive. Review Source LX Luíza X. laboratory scientist Research Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great!" March 2, 2022 5.0 Pros This is an obligatory tool to every researcher. What I like most about Mendeley is the web browser extension (so you can easily add a reference and the paper pdf to your library), and the online integration (you can access your library wherever you are. Also, the online community and the option to create groups are good). Cons The only con I can think of is the limitation of people when you create a group to share papers. Also, the comments that each user writes in a shared paper are not always available for others to see, which misses the point of creating a group. Switched from [EndNote](https://www.capterra.com/p/234808/EndNote/) Because I wanted to have a tool more integrated with resources available online. Review Source Monika W. PhD Student Research Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Have been using this for 8 years, looking for new one to switch to" May 31, 2023 3.0 I am a daily user of this software but would love to have something up-to-date regarding its functionality. Pros I can access articles from any device and conveniently add interesting papers to my database using a web browser extension. I have the ability to write notes directly on PDFs and interact with the document as if it were a printed version. This includes underlining important sections and adding notes alongside, all while remaining connected to the specific article. Cons I am disappointed to find that the software lacks a crucial feature that I had anticipated - the ability to conduct comprehensive searches within the content of my papers. Regrettably, the search functionality is limited to article titles, and it does not even accommodate partial word matches. Specifically, one must input the exact term, such as "biochemistry," to yield any results, whereas a partial term like "bio" fails to produce any relevant outcomes. I communicated this concern to the software issuer four years ago, who mentioned they were working on addressing this issue. Yet, despite the advancements in the field of artificial intelligence, it appears that no progress has been made in this regard. Additionally, the software does not allow for exporting the entire database with annotations, necessitating a time-consuming process of exporting them one by one. As a result, switching to a different application would mean losing years' worth of work. Review Source KS Kavya S. Graduate Student Research Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Best reference manager in my experience" January 14, 2022 5.0 Pros The google extension to add references is useful. Once I use this, I can go back into the Mendeley desktop app and sync it and it appears. I also like that you can download citations in different formats (.ris, etc) and can drag and drop into Mendeley desktop for a quick import. It works well with Word to add references while writing. Cons I don't like that the Mendeley window disappears when I add a reference in Word. Sometimes I search references by topic/author but I have to copy a list of the references I need to add into a note because Mendeley disappears while I add the references. I wish it would simply remain in the background so I can see my reference list while I'm adding references. Alternatives considered [EndNote](https://www.capterra.com/p/234808/EndNote/) Reason for choosing Mendeley Easiest to use and most frequently used in the research teams I collaborate with Switched from [EndNote](https://www.capterra.com/p/234808/EndNote/) Easiest to use and most frequently used in the research teams I collaborate with Review Source FR Flavia R. Researcher Research Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Favourite reference manager " March 10, 2025 5.0 It is a very good tool for managing bibliographic references. They can be grouped into different categories which makes it easy to manage them when it is a large volume. Pros You can create groups to sort and manage your references and it also identifies if you have any uncategorized or duplicate ones. The reference finder is also useful. Cons The notebook set up could have more writing tools, such as highlighting, different font sizes, bold and others. Review Source VC Valentina C. Instructional designer E-Learning Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Essential in the field of research and science" January 17, 2025 5.0 First use due to having to write the speializzazione thesis. Application perhaps not famous to non-“ people in the field” and needs, in first use, watching a tutorial/instructions. Once set up and known, you never leave. Pros Excellent link with Word (office) to create in a few steps, almost automated, bibliography of a text Cons Access can be cumbersome if you do not have an institutional email Review Source Sarah S. PhD Student Higher Education Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Indispensable tool" August 11, 2022 5.0 Mendeley is great for me as a post-grad researcher. I can easily keep track of research papers in one place, edit the bibliographic details and create reference lists. Pros Keeps all papers together Integration with word Can import directly from Safari or Chrome Saves a lot of time Cons When initially logged in comes up with a search screen, but I cannot reaccess this once in my library. This facility should be easier to access. Review Source Bruno C. IT Service Engineer Computer Networking Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "The best known but not the best" October 14, 2021 3.0 I have used Mendeley for many years since my graduation in computer engineering. However, on the occasion of my master's degree, it became necessary to replace the tool with another one that better met my needs as a researcher. Pros I don't have much to say about Mendeley. The only advantage of using this tool is that it is a well-known tool that is used around the world in the academic world, and is therefore a good alternative for cooperating with teams. The low cost is also a positive point, although there are other low cost alternatives and others with a higher cost but with better quality. Cons The tool is not the best by any criteria. It's not the easiest to use, nor is it a tool that despite being difficult makes up for the learning curve. That's not the case. The interface is ugly, old and difficult to understand. Review Source Constantin A. Developer Computer Software Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Mendeley\_Review" October 23, 2023 5.0 Pros It is a good help in quoting scholars,Easy to automatically generated references,A pdf reader at the same time Cons Everything was perfect except that for some documents, it can't extract the text and thus cannot reference Review Source Jannus P. Student Chemicals Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Mendeley as reference manager" February 24, 2022 4.0 Overall Mendeley is a great reference manager. It's difficult to learn, but once you do it'll save you a lot of time manageging your reference for a report Pros Mendeley is a great application as reference manager. You can easily add reports to your list if tou have the DOI number of said report, it automatically fills in all the information you need to have for your reference. But if you don't have a DOI, you can also quite simply add all the information yourself. Mendeley also has a great word application which let's you add all your references in world together with a library of all the used references for in your report. Cons Mendeley takes some time to learn. It's not the most beginner friendly programs. A lot of my fellow students, have a lot of problems trying to figure out how everything works. For example; It took me around a month to figure out how I was able to make a references list with order people in mendeley. Besides that, mendeley can sometimes also give trouble whilst loading into word. But thus mainly depends on what kind of computer you use. Review Source RS Rudi S. Lecturer Education Management Used the software for: 1-2 years ### ""Mendeley" is the best Reference Management application for Researchers and Academics" June 28, 2024 5.0 At first, I was confused when looking for and writing references for the paper I wrote as a result of my research. I had to write it manually, and the content was very tiring and tedious because it took a long time to complete. I got information from another researcher friend that Mendeley will speed up the preparation and organization of references. I tried the free version—wow, it's amazing!!! In a short time, my paper references were neatly arranged, and I was very happy using Mendeley. Pros I like Mendeley : 1. A reference management application that is very popular among researchers and academics 2. Easy to use 3. Has a Free Version 4. Good organization of references 5. Intestable Cons Disadvantages: 1. Limited features for the Free version 2. Expensive for the premium version I hope Mendeley can lower the price Review Source VR Verified Reviewer PhD Higher Education Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Per una bibliografia ordinata e automatica" January 20, 2023 4.0 Nel complesso raccomando l'utilizzo di Mendeley in primo luogo a tutti quegli studenti o ricercatori che hanno necessità di automatizzare la propria bibliografia per certi tipi di documenti, come una tesi od un articolo scientifico. Ho personalmente utilizzato il programma per più di 5 anni e ne sono rimasto soddisfatto.Al di là di questo, Mendeley può risultare utile anche come software di archiviazione automatizzata di documenti in modo da poter cercare e filtrare facilmente la propria biblioteca. Pros Mendeley è il programma perfetto per organizzare in maniera automatica e precisa i propri riferimenti bibliografici in ambito scientifico. Basta aggiungere i file e il programma riconosce automaticamente i parametri necessari (Rivista, autori, anno, volume, ...) e cataloga il file di conseguenza. Basta poi installare il plugin di Microsoft Word per produrre una bibliografia automatizzata di tutti i riferimenti utilizzati in un proprio documento.Ho trovato molto comoda anche la possibilità di utilizzare il programma come un proprio database/biblioteca di tutta la letteratura scientifica utilizzata finora e di poterla gestire da dispositivi differenti grazie alla sincronizzazione automatica presente.Un'altra funzionalità molto comoda è la possibilità di scegliere il formato di presentazione della bibliografia o di scaricare eventuali formati aggiuntivi dal web, in modo da potersi adattare ad eventuali richieste delle riviste scientifiche. Cons Il software non sempre riconosce automaticamente i parametri bibliografici necessari o il formato del documento (libro, report, articolo scientifico, ...) e di conseguenza rischia di portare ad errori nella bibliografia risultante. Apprezzerei quindi la possibilità di visualizzare un messaggi di alert che segnala eventuali errori nell'importazione, come l'assenza dell'anno tra i parametri rilevati. Review Source NM Nadhia M. student Education Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Mendeley is user friendly" September 20, 2023 5.0 it is a very practical tool for referencing and easy to navigate and keeps my articles online that i can refer to it anytime and anywhere Pros I like Mendeley because it is free which is really helping me a lot as a student and user friendly whereby I need not more than 2 hours to get used to it. Cons sometimes the auto reference is not accurate therefore I need to double check whenever the auto update reference update in my manuscript. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Postdoctoral research associate Research Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Best citation tool" September 17, 2021 5.0 overall I am very happy with mendeley and can't think of using anything else for this purpose Pros I love that mendeley has both an online and offline version and they sync with each other. The tool is very light and integrates readily with libreoffice Cons It is a little difficult to attach files to mendeley citations compared to other citation tools such as endnote Review Source RO Robert O. Process design engineer Biotechnology Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Excellent reference manager" May 12, 2023 4.0 Would recommend Pros How easy it is to cite references and refresh the bibliography or select styles according to your publication needs. Cons Sometimes the size of the font within Mendeley is too small and cannot be easily changed. Review Source KM Kieron M. Researcher Research Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Limited for free users" May 28, 2023 4.0 Pros Really nice UI and easy to use straight out of box Cons Without a subscription, the storage given isn't huge, textbooks or detailed pdf files will fill this up rather fast, and Zotero has easier integration options and can search for user-made extensions Review Source SM Steven M. Junior Developer Computer Software Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Lo mejor para proyectos de investigación" November 15, 2022 5.0 Utilicé Mendeley durante muchos semestres en mi universidad y en mi tesis. Esta herramienta me ayudó de una manera increíble para poder referenciar aquellos artículos científicos que usaba en mis proyectos, Mendeley hacía las cosas más sencillas proporcionándome los complementos necesarios para importar documentos y agregarlos en orden a los documentos que estuviera realizando. El trabajo además se guardaba sin problema y la integridad de la información era impecable, en ningún momento llegué a perder algún dato o documento, todo siempre estaba disponible. Pros Lo mejor (en mi caso) es el complemento web para poder importar artículos científicos de páginas web para luego poderlos referenciar en algún documento. Cons Nada en absoluto, Mendeley es perfecto en todo su esplendor, no le cambiaría nada, me fue demasiado útil. Review Source CA Constant A. Translator Writing and Editing Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Mendeley Elsevier" December 4, 2023 4.0 Pros Mendeley isa very good assistant while I am writing articles. I use it to easily generate my quotes and reference list based on the style I need. You just need to import the different sources in your library and the the app take the remaining in charge Cons My only problems are related to the fact that, when you change your device, even though you are connected, you lose your files, you just have their names. Also, with some pdf, it is impossible to auto generate the quote and reference and sometimes, the add-in refuse to be integrated to Microsoft Office Word Review Source AA Andre A. Graduate researcher Biotechnology Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Best reference manager I have found for my research!" October 14, 2021 5.0 Pros I love the Google Chrome and Microsoft Word plugins that allow you to quickly add a reference you found online and format citations automatically. Cons I dislike how when you add a new reference, you have to sync manually in the app and this is not done automatically. Review Source NW Natasha W. Consultant Professional Training & Coaching Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great for Research" September 27, 2022 5.0 Mendeley just makes life easier. I can grab a reference list quickly, and it's free to use. Pros Mendeley has made it easier for me to keep all of my documents, journal articles, etc in one place. I'm also able to take notes on the documents. To search for documents or articles is also easy. It syncs well with the desktop version and the browser version. Cons Sometimes, the Mendeley plug-in to import/pull documents from the browser is not efficient or effective. Sometimes, it works; other times, it doesn't. Review Source TO Thomas O. Graduate Student Biotechnology Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Mendeley" August 30, 2021 3.0 Pros It is free and relatively easy to use... Cons The search function would crash. The desktop app was kinda ugly. Review Source AS Angela S. Estudiante Medical Practice Used the software for: I used a free trial ### "Mendeley un gran gestor bibliográfico para el estudiante " November 2, 2022 5.0 Pros Una herramienta muy útil para la investigación dado que puedes buscar artículos durante tu investigación, generar bibliografía y gestionar tus herramientas todo en el mismo sitio, sin necesidad de recurrir a otras páginas. Ahorra tiempo Cons Es un poco difícil acceder a el, eso incluye el precio y que te hacen rellenar un formulario, me parece un poco molesto Review Source FF Florentin F. Fotograf Photography Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Gute Software" January 30, 2023 4.0 Pros Mit der Erweiterung für den Safari und Chrome Browser kann man sehr viel Zeit sparen. Cons Die Mobile App hat noch viel Verbesserungspotenzial. Review Source JA Joseph A. Researcher Computer Software Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "A great way to manage sources" November 24, 2022 5.0 Pros I have used Mendeley as a researcher for months now. It's ability to manage sources and bibliographies is a god-send especially for people like me who researches a lot regarding related literature. Cons It might be hard to navigate for some users since the User Interface can be a bit confusing at times. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Engineer Civil Engineering Used the software for: I used a free trial ### "Mendeley for Research Work" August 31, 2024 5.0 Pros Mendeley excels in organizing references, automating citations, and annotating PDFs. Its collaboration features and cross-platform sync make managing and sharing research seamless and efficient. Cons Mendeley’s syncing issues and occasional software bugs can disrupt workflow and hinder research efficiency. The software user interface is a little difficult to understand Review Source Similar Products Featured