Your data stays yours
Zotero is local software. Syncing is a choice. The organization behind it has no financial interest in selling your private research.
Your research, organized
Zotero
A quiet home for sources you collect on the web: keep libraries ordered, cite while you write, and sync only when you want to.
Meet Zotero
Built for the way research
actually moves
From a journal page in the browser to a footnote in Word, Zotero keeps bibliographic records, PDFs, and notes in one local library you control.
01 · Collect
Capture sources while you browse
Zotero recognizes research on the page. Save articles, preprints, news, and books with the Connector for Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Safari.
02 · Organize
Shape the library around your work
Collections nest like project folders. Tags cut across them. Saved searches refill as new items match your rules. Zotero 10 adds multi-collection selection, batch editing, and undo for many operations.
03 · Cite
Citations inside the draft
Plugins for Word, LibreOffice, and Google Docs insert citations and bibliographies. More than 9,000 CSL styles cover journals and style guides.
04 · Sync
Optional sync across devices
Synchronize libraries so records, notes, and files stay current. Open a synced library from the web when needed. File storage quotas apply only to cloud file sync.
05 · Collaborate
Share libraries without per-person fees
Co-write a paper, share course readings, or build a group bibliography. Invite as many people as you need; the group feature itself has no per-seat charge.
Why Zotero
Open source, nonprofit, and under your control
Readable policies
You can use Zotero without an account. When you sync, the privacy policy explains what is collected and why.
Installer integrity
Current Windows build: Zotero 10.0 (released August 17, 2026), about 104 MB as Zotero-10.0_x64_setup.exe. Independent scans of the Windows package have reported clean results. See Trust and security and download notes.
From researchers
How people talk about Zotero
“The Connector on JSTOR and PubMed saves me a tedious afternoon every literature review. Metadata is usually right the first time.”
“Word plugin is solid. I wish the free file sync quota were larger once PDFs pile up, but the desktop library itself has never locked me out.”
“We run a shared group library for a seminar. Students finally stop pasting broken DOIs into the shared doc.”
“PDF annotations dropping into notes is the feature I recommend first. Still took a weekend to learn collections vs tags.”
“Open source mattered when our department compared tools. We can export everything and we are not stuck if a vendor changes direction.”
“Google Docs citations finally feel as dependable as Word for coauthored drafts.”
FAQ
Quick answers
Yes. Zotero is free and open source. Optional paid storage plans exist only if you choose cloud sync beyond the free quota.
Yes. System requirements list Windows 10 or later, which includes Windows 11. Zotero 10 also fixed Windows 11 PDF and EPUB system-handler detection issues.
No. Install Zotero and start a local library immediately. Create an account only if you want sync or groups.
Zotero is open source. Independent scans of the Windows installer have reported clean results. Prefer the official filename for version 10.0 and read the integrity notes on the download page.
New installers are sometimes flagged before reputation builds. Cross-check the version, file size (~104 MB), and publisher. See the antivirus guide.
Next step
Download Zotero 10 for your research desk
Windows x64 setup about 104 MB. macOS and Linux builds are listed on the download page. Install the browser Connector after the desktop app.