Zotero for Mac

Zotero for Mac is a free, easy-to-use software to help you collect, organize, cite, and share research for macOS! The software is developed by an independent, nonprofit organization with no financial interest in your data.

Zotero for Mac is a local program that stores your data on your own computer, and it can be used without sharing any data with us — you don’t even need to create an account to use it. It is designed to be a powerful, flexible tool that can accommodate nearly any workflow, but no tool can be perfect for everyone.

As an open-source tool, The program is free in two senses of the word: you don’t need to pay to use it, and you’re free to make changes to its code to make it do what you want.

The benefits of the first ones are obvious, but the second is critical for a program you’re entrusting with your research data. It has always guaranteed users complete access to their own data, but open source means you don’t need to take a word for it.

The best policies wouldn’t matter if Zotero for macOS weren’t also a powerful, professional tool. It has an unmatched ability to save high-quality publication data from websites, journal articles, newspapers, and more, or to retrieve publication data for PDFs you drag in. Word processor integration for Word, LibreOffice, and Google Docs make it easy to manage citations as you write.

It can automatically add publication data by DOI or ISBN and find open-access PDFs when you don’t have access to a paper. You can create advanced searches — say, all articles mentioning a certain keyword added in the last month — and save them as auto-updating collections.

When you open a paywalled page in your browser, It can automatically redirect you through your institution’s proxy so that you can access the PDF.

Features and Highlights

Collect with a click
The software is the only software that automatically senses research on the web. Need an article from JSTOR or a preprint from arXiv.org? A news story from the New York Times or a book from a library? It has you covered, everywhere.

Organize your way
It helps you organize your research any way you want. You can sort items into collections and tag them with keywords. Or create saved searches that automatically fill with relevant materials as you work.

Cite in style
Zotero Word instantly creates references and bibliographies for any text editor, and directly inside Word, LibreOffice, and Google Docs. With support for over 9,000 citation styles, you can format your work to match any style guide or publication.

Stay in sync
It can optionally synchronize your data across devices, keeping your notes, files, and bibliographic records seamlessly up to date. If you decide to sync, you can also always access your research from any web browser.

Collaborate freely
The program lets you co-write a paper with a colleague, distribute course materials to students, or build a collaborative bibliography. You can share a library with as many people you like, at no cost.

Rest easy
The tool is open source and developed by an independent, nonprofit organization that has no financial interest in your private information. With the tool, you always stay in control of your own data.

How to Use

• Install Zotero by dragging it to Applications
• Launch Zotero and set up your account
• Install browser connector for citation capture
• Add sources manually or from browser
• Organize references with collections and tags
• Use the Word/LibreOffice plugin to insert citations
• Sync your library across devices via Zotero server
• Generate bibliographies in multiple styles
• Export or share your citation library

System Requirements

macOS 10.13 (High Sierra) or later

Intel or Apple Silicon (M1/M2) processor

At least 2 GB RAM (4 GB recommended)

200 MB of free disk space

Internet connection for syncing and plugins

PROS

• Easy citation capture from web pages
• Supports multiple citation styles
• Seamless Word and LibreOffice integration
• Syncs across devices and cloud backup
• Strong PDF and metadata management

CONS

• Interface may feel outdated to some
• Limited storage on free cloud plan
• Occasional sync errors with large libraries
• No built-in annotation tools in main app

Also Available: Download Zotero for Windows