EndNote 2025.3 22.3.0.22265 — Mac version

One library file holds up to 100,000 references — enough for a lifetime of reading.

Reference manager — stores citations and their PDFs, then formats them into bibliographies in thousands of journal styles.

Cite While You Write for Word — plug-in that inserts citations as you type and builds the bibliography at the end. A version for Google Docs is included too.

Sync across devices — your library lives on the desktop and can sync to an online account so you can pick up on another machine.

Cloud restore — pull a whole library back from the cloud if a local copy goes missing.

Reference history — roll an individual reference back to an earlier version when an edit goes wrong.

Interface languages — English.

Sharing a library means taking turns

Can I share a library with someone else? Yes, though the desktop app works best as a single-user tool. Put the library file and its Data folder on a shared network drive and only one person can open it at a time — no simultaneous editing. For group projects, combine EndNote's desktop library with EndNote Web sharing and everyone can add references without locking each other out.

What happens to my existing Word citations if I switch machines? They stay embedded in the document as field codes. Open the paper on the new Mac, point EndNote at the same library, and Cite While You Write picks them up. No re-inserting needed.

Does the plug-in work with Pages? No — Word and Google Docs only. But you can still format a bibliography inside EndNote itself, copy it, and paste it into Pages. A bit manual, but gets the job done.

Will an endnote torrent version sync properly? It can — syncing needs a current online account, and sometimes older or patched builds fall out of step with the cloud service. If the sync panel shows a mismatch, check that the local library is fully up to date, then sync manually rather than automatically.

Right-click to undo a three-day-old mistake

Right-click any reference and choose Restore to Previous Version — the app keeps a quiet little history of edits. Handy when you overwrite a title by mistake and don't realise for three days.

Colour-coded tags are more than decoration. Create a tag set for your project, assign colours, then drag references onto the tags in the left panel. Later you can filter the whole library by one colour and see only the papers you actually plan to cite.

The PDF viewer has an annotation bar tucked at the top. Highlight text, add sticky notes, underline — and those notes sync across devices when the library syncs. You can read and mark up on a laptop, then find the same scribbles on a desktop later.

Hold Cmd while double-clicking a reference to open it in a floating window instead of the main panel. Useful when you want to check details against another record without losing your place.

When you import a PDF, EndNote tries to pull the bibliographic data from its DOI. If it comes back blank, check that the DOI field inside the PDF metadata is actually filled — many older scans leave it empty, and the import has nothing to work with.

Heavier than Zotero, but built for database imports

Next to Zotero, EndNote feels heavier — more features, more menus, a steeper climb at the start. Zotero's browser connector grabs web pages in one click; EndNote expects you to download a RIS file or import from a database. But where EndNote pulls ahead is in formatting precision. When a journal demands a very specific footnote style, EndNote's output styles engine is more careful with punctuation and author name handling.

Bookends is Mac-only and lighter on its feet. It launches faster, integrates with DEVONthink, and its scan-and-link workflow appeals to people who already have a folder full of PDFs. EndNote wants you to let it manage the file storage. That's tidier in the long run, but less flexible if you already have your own filing system. If you're deep in a long-form project in Word with hundreds of citations, EndNote's Cite While You Write handles large documents with fewer beachballs than Bookends' equivalent.

Compared to Mendeley, EndNote has a more traditional desktop feel. Mendeley grew up around its web library and social features; EndNote grew up as offline-first software. If you do most of your writing without a steady internet connection, EndNote's offline reliability is the real advantage. And if you've ever grabbed an EndNote Mac crack to get past a trial wall, you'll know the desktop app itself is solid — the challenge is usually keeping it fed with a consistent online account for sync, not the software's stability.

• macOS 10.14 or later
• Runs on Intel and Apple Silicon Macs