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BibDesk Alternatives for Linux

BibDesk is not available for Linux but there are some alternatives that runs on Linux with similar functionality. The best Linux alternative is Zotero, which is both free and Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 25 alternatives to BibDesk and eight of them are available for Linux so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Linux alternatives to BibDesk are Mendeley, JabRef, wizdom.ai and RefWorks.

BibDesk alternatives are mainly Research Managers but may also be Document Managers or Word Processors. Filter by these if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific functionality of BibDesk.
This page was last updated
BibDesk iconBibDesk
  23
  • Free • Open Source
  • Mac

BibDesk is a bibliographic reference manager for Mac OS X. BibDesk is designed to help organize and use bibliographic...

Learn more about BibDesk
  1. Zotero icon

    Zotero

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    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Microsoft Edge
    • Google Chrome
    • Safari
    • Microsoft Office Word
    • Google Drive - Docs
    • LibreOffice
    • Firefox
    66 alternatives to Zotero 

    Zotero is a free, easy-to-use tool to help you collect, organize, share research and cite your research sources directly in your favourite word processor, with 300 MB free online storage.

     Suggest and vote on features
    Features
    1.  Support for MarkDownZotero supports MarkDown for document formatting.
    2.  Privacy focusedZotero is considered a privacy friendly alternative.
    3.  Cloud SyncSync your data (notes, documents, bookmarks, etc.) across your different devices and to the cloud.
    4.  Ad-freeZotero doesn't contain any form of external advertising.
    5.  Extensible by Plugins/ExtensionsZotero can be extended with add-ons, plugins and extensions.
    6.  PDF annotationZotero support PDF Annotation for highlighting, notes etc
    7.  Real time collaborationMultiple users can work together in Zotero simultaneously.
    8.  File TaggingZotero can organize and highlight your files with tags and labels.
    Main Interface
    Word Processor Compatibility
    Data and File Syncing
    Zotero vs BibDesk opinions
    pros, cons and recent comments
    Guest

    Zotero does not sync with Latex natively and it requires a third party software.

    Negative comment• ago
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    0
  2. Mendeley icon

    Mendeley

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    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    69 alternatives to Mendeley 

    Mendeley helps manage and share academic knowledge: Mendeley Desktop is free academic software (Windows, Mac, Linux) for organizing and sharing research papers and generating bibliographies with 1GB of free online storage to automatically back up and synchronize your library...

     Suggest and vote on features
    Features
    1.  Real time collaborationMultiple users can work together in Mendeley simultaneously.
    2.  PDF annotationMendeley support PDF Annotation for highlighting, notes etc
    Generate Bibliographies in Word and OpenOffice
    Annotate PDFs
  4. JabRef icon

    JabRef

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    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Firefox
    • Google Chrome
    • Vivaldi Browser
    • Microsoft Edge
    40 alternatives to JabRef 

    Bibliography reference manager. The native file format used by JabRef is BibTeX, the standard LaTeX bibliography format.

     Suggest and vote on features
    Features
    1.  Full-Text SearchJabRef lets you search for specific words or phrases from inside a document or database.
    2.  Support for LaTeXJabRef supports LaTeX for text and math equation formatting.
    3.  AutocompletionJabRef can predict and complete the rest of a word or phrase you're typing.
    Screenshot
    JabRef vs BibDesk opinions
    Almost everyone thinks JabRef is a great alternative to BibDesk.
    Guest

    portable since in Java, relies only on bib file (no separate database), generates clean bib files (no internal fields)

    Positive comment• ago
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    Guest

    Works the best with LaTeX documents, as exporting citations is redundant: JabRef's database is a simple .bib file. Available for all major platforms, offers automatic addition of entries via DOI or arXiv-ID, has everything one needs as a citation and reference manager.

    Positive comment• ago
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    1
  5. wizdom.ai icon

    wizdom.ai

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    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    36 alternatives to wizdom.ai 

    wizdom.ai (formerly colwiz) is a free and comprehensive research management software for researchers, academics and students. With the wizdom.ai android app, you can search, add and manage publications in your wizdom.ai library on the go. Sync instantly across wizdom.

     Suggest and vote on features
    Features
    1.  Support for LaTeXwizdom.ai supports LaTeX for text and math equation formatting.
    Screenshot
    Screenshot
  6. RefWorks icon

    RefWorks

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    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    34 alternatives to RefWorks 

    RefWorks - an online research management, writing and collaboration tool - is designed to help researchers easily gather, manage, store and share all types of information, as well as generate citations and bibliographies.

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    Features
     Add a screenshot
  8. LibreOffice Plugin for Zotero icon

    LibreOffice Plugin for Zotero

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    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • LibreOffice
    • Apache OpenOffice
    3 alternatives to LibreOffice Plugin for Zotero 

    This Zotero plugin allows the user to automatically generate bibliographies (as well as in-text citations and footnotes) for LibreOffice and OpenOffice. It allows the user to insert a new in-text citation into a manuscript, and the bibliography will be automatically updated to...

     LibreOffice Plugin for Zotero has no features, suggest some!
    Screenshot
  9. TextCite icon

    TextCite

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    • Free • Open Source
    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    26 alternatives to TextCite 

    Program for organizing and commenting textual citations from texts (books, articles, or other published works) for use in producing scientific or academic publications.

     Suggest and vote on features
    Features
    Discontinued

    As the developer stated in February 2017, the software is no longer developed: https://sourceforge.net/p/textcite/discussion/616111/thread/91d6f4bc/#e988 Last version, 1.4, released in September 2009, can be still downloaded from the official website.

    Screenshot
  10. Bibfilex icon

    Bibfilex

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    • Free • Open Source
    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    12 alternatives to Bibfilex 

    Bibfilex is a free bibliographic manager for GNU/Linux, Windows and OS X. It's useful to create and to manage archives of bibliographical items (books, articles, etc.) with possible attachments of any kind according to Biblatex structure and rules.

     Suggest and vote on features
    Features
    Discontinued

    On its website, https://sites.google.com/site/bibfilex/home, one reads: “This software is not under development anymore.”

    Screenshot
Showing 8 of 8 alternatives
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