For teachers and librarians
A free citation manager you can recommend to a class: no ads, no tracking, nothing to install, and a check of the reference list before students hand in.
Why it is easy to recommend
- Free where it matters. Unlimited sources, every style, the full reference list and every export are free. A paid plan lifts the weekly limits on the browser extension, Google Docs insertions and source checks, and adds AI source summaries and a page archive.
- No ads, no tracking. The only cookie keeps a student signed in. Servers and data are in the EU.
- Works on school Chromebooks. CitApp runs in the browser. Where extensions are blocked, a bookmarklet saves the page instead.
- Teaches the habit, not just the format. Before handing in, a student sees which sources are missing an author, title, year or publisher, and which are saved twice, and fixes them on the source itself.
- Accurate by design. Details come from CrossRef, PubMed, library catalogues and the page itself, and are formatted with the same open CSL styles Zotero and Mendeley use. Every field stays visible and editable.
A paragraph for your course page or library guide
Copy it as it is, or shorten it.
CitApp (citapp.org) is a free citation manager for students. Paste a link, DOI or ISBN to get a formatted reference in APA, MLA, Harvard, Chicago and 140+ other styles, keep your sources organised per assignment, cite as you write in Google Docs, and check your reference list for missing details and duplicates before you hand it in. No ads, and the web app needs nothing installed.
Questions, or a class that wants to try it
Write through the contact page. It helps to know the level (school, undergraduate, postgraduate) and the style your course uses.