Reference management at university means collecting sources, organising them and citing them correctly in your bibliography. Text typesetting and note-taking tools come on top of that. Zotero, Citavi, Overleaf and Obsidian cover these tasks, but they differ in cost, university licences and how your data is stored.
Short answer: According to the provider, Zotero is free and can be used without a time limit. Citavi and EndNote are usually available through university licences. In the student plan, Overleaf costs 7.25 EUR per month or 87 EUR per year. Stand: October 2026, offers change frequently.
The most important points at a glance
- According to the provider, Zotero is a free reference manager that can be shared with any number of people.
- You usually get Citavi and EndNote through university licences. The university sets the conditions.
- Overleaf is intended for LaTeX projects. According to the provider, the student plan costs 7.25 EUR per month or 87 EUR per year.
- Obsidian is free as a note-taking app. Sync and Publish are available with a 40 percent student discount, and the prices are given in USD.
- Before your studies end, export your literature data, for example as an RIS or BibTeX file.
Which tools do you need for academic work?
You usually need three building blocks: a reference manager that stores sources and generates bibliographies, a typesetting tool for longer papers, and a note system for ideas and outlines. Zotero and Citavi handle reference management, and Overleaf handles writing in LaTeX. Obsidian is suitable for linked notes. You will find an overview of note-taking tools in the guide Digital Note-Taking Apps for Studying: Top Tools Compared.
Which offers are available for students?
The following overview shows the offers that were confirmed on the provider pages when retrieved in October 2026. Where no price is confirmed, the overview refers to the provider page or your university.
| Offer | Benefit | Regular price | Student price | Term | Verification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zotero | Reference management, sharing with any number of people | free | free | no time limit | None |
| Citavi (campus licence) | Reference management | not confirmed | through the university, conditions not confirmed | depends on the university agreement | University access |
| EndNote (university licence) | Reference management | not confirmed | through the university, conditions not confirmed | depends on the university agreement | University access |
| Overleaf student plan | More collaborators per project, longer compile time | 15 EUR per month or 179 EUR per year (standard) | 7.25 EUR per month or 87 EUR per year | monthly or annual, tied to enrolment | Enrolled at a university |
| Obsidian Sync and Publish | App free, Sync and Publish at an additional cost | Sync 5 USD per month or 4 USD per month with annual payment | 40 percent discount on Sync and Publish | no time limit according to the provider | not described |
Stand: October 2026. Overleaf states prices in euros, Obsidian only in USD. Sources see below.
Which reference manager suits your studies?
The decision depends on what your university and your field use. Some institutes work with Citavi or EndNote, often through a university licence. Zotero is free, can be used without a time limit and lets you share literature with others. If your chair requires a particular software, follow that requirement, even if another tool suits you better personally.
Zotero and Citavi can be connected through open exchange formats. For example, export your literature as an RIS file and import it into the other programme. Then check the fields, because author names or page numbers are not always transferred completely.
How do you set up Zotero and Overleaf?
- Download Zotero and install the browser connector, so that you can take over sources with one click.
- Create a library and sort sources into collections, for example by chapter or topic.
- Create an Overleaf account with your university email address and check whether the student plan is available to you.
- Export the reference list from Zotero as a BibTeX file and include it in your Overleaf project.
- Install Obsidian and create a folder as a notes vault. The notes are stored as files on your device. You only need Sync if you want to use the notes on several devices.
What happens after your studies?
- According to the provider, Zotero stays free and can be used without a time limit. A switch is therefore not necessary.
- Overleaf student plans are tied to enrolment. Check beforehand which features are lost when the plan ends and whether you can still edit your projects.
- Campus licences for Citavi or EndNote end with the university agreement. Export your literature database in good time in an open format such as RIS or BibTeX.
- Obsidian remains free to use as an app. Sync and Publish are paid, but your local notes stay on your device.
If you start with Zotero, set up the citation style that your university or institute requires early on. Zotero includes many citation styles, which are easy to switch between. Still, it is worth checking the requirements, because some faculties set their own rules for bibliographies.
Exporting is the most important precaution. A reference list in an open format can be imported into almost any programme, even years later. So do not leave the export until the last week before deregistration.
What should you consider about data protection?
For cloud services the rule is: do not put personal data, interview transcripts or unpublished research data into sync services unless it has been clarified that this is permitted. With Zotero, share libraries only when you decide to do so deliberately. Use a separate, strong password for each account and enable two-factor authentication if the provider offers it. A password manager makes this easier, because you do not have to keep all access data in your head. For further reading on AI assistants in research, see Literature research with AI: tools and careful source checking.
Frequently asked questions
Is Obsidian Sync worth it for my studies?
You only need Sync if you want to use your notes on several devices at the same time. Without Sync, Obsidian works fully on your device. The prices are listed on the Obsidian page and are given in USD. According to the provider, the student discount does not apply to the commercial licence.
Do I need Overleaf if I have Word?
That depends on your subject. LaTeX is widely used in the natural sciences and computer science, while in other fields people mostly work with word processing software. Whether a chair requires LaTeX is stated in the guidelines or in the notes on the thesis.
Is Citavi free for me?
Only if your university provides a campus licence. The conditions are not confirmed on the manufacturer’s page, so ask your university. EndNote also usually runs through university licences.
Can I take literature from the university library directly?
Many libraries offer exports from their catalogue, for example as an RIS or BibTeX file. Still, check every entry you take over, because catalogue data is not always complete. For books that you only have as a scan or copy, it is best to add details such as publisher, edition and page numbers yourself before you cite them.
Do I need all four tools?
No. A reference manager is enough for most papers. You only need Overleaf for LaTeX projects, and Obsidian is a supplementary tool for notes. Start with what your university uses, and add more only later.
How to proceed now
- Ask in your institute which reference manager and typesetting tool are used.
- Check whether your university provides Citavi, EndNote or Overleaf through a licence.
- Set up Zotero early and keep your sources up to date, instead of adding them at the end.
- Export your literature data regularly in an open format.
Related reading
- Literature research with AI: tools and careful source checking
- Citing AI output: what university guidelines recommend
- Campus licences: which software your university provides
- Student status benefits, discounts and services
- Digital Note-Taking Apps for Studying: Top Tools Compared
Sources: Zotero (Stand: October 2026); Obsidian: pricing (Stand: October 2026); Overleaf: subscriptions and prices (Stand: October 2026).
Stand: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.
