# Zotero vs SourceKeeper

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Zotero at none against SourceKeeper's 2. Zotero also leads on ratings volume (431 vs 1) and iOS requirement (16.6 vs 26.2). SourceKeeper's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.6) and review sentiment (100% vs 78%). On price, ads, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SourceKeeper sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Zotero asks for nothing beyond the download.

SourceKeeper holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Zotero has 431 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 78% of Zotero's written reviews are positive against 100% of SourceKeeper's.

Zotero ships an update every 3 weeks, SourceKeeper every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Zotero | SourceKeeper |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (431 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zotero/id1513554812/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sourcekeeper/id6762437054/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **431** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 77.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 237 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.6** | 26.2 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Zotero](https://appshunter.io/developer/1513554811) | [NATHANIEL J MOREHOUSE](https://appshunter.io/developer/1889388056) |

## What reviewers say

### Zotero

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zotero/id1513554812)

This research tool helps you collect, organize, annotate, cite, and share your academic and professional work. Save articles, books, and webpages, add notes and highlights, and generate bibliographies in thousands of styles. Collaborate with others and sync your library across devices.

**Highlights:** Collect research from various sources, Organize with collections and tags, Annotate PDFs and webpages, Generate citations and bibliographies, Collaborate in group libraries, Sync across devices

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and powerful
- 🚀 Convenient and useful
- 🚀 Seamless syncing across devices
- 🚀 Excellent reference management
- 👍 Great annotation and PDF reading experience

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🐛 Syncing issues with WebDAV
- 🐛 Metadata not automatically extracted from PDFs
- 🐛 Annotation tools could be improved
- 🐛 Limited sorting and filtering options

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to unzip PDF snapshots
- Annotations disappearing or moving unexpectedly
- Dark mode not working as expected
- Inability to add citations directly from the app

**Requested features**

- Eraser tool for annotations
- More color options for pen and highlighter
- Ability to open PDFs in external apps
- Bookmarking and table of contents support
- Improved search functionality


### SourceKeeper

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sourcekeeper/id6762437054)

Effortlessly create properly formatted citations for various source types. Organize your research by project and export bibliographies or footnotes directly to your word processor. Customize the app's appearance with multiple themes and color options.

**Highlights:** Automated source scanning (barcode, photo), Manual source entry, Supports Chicago, MLA, and APA styles, Organize sources by project, Export bibliographies and footnotes, Customizable themes and colors

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ProMode | $1.99 | one-time |
| Pro Mode | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Zotero free?

Zotero is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is SourceKeeper free?

SourceKeeper is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Zotero or SourceKeeper?

SourceKeeper is rated higher. Zotero averages 4.6 out of 5 from 431 ratings, while SourceKeeper averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Zotero or SourceKeeper have ads?

Neither Zotero nor SourceKeeper shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Zotero or SourceKeeper?

Zotero ships an update every 3 weeks, and SourceKeeper every 9 days. Most recently, Zotero was updated on October 15, 2026 and SourceKeeper on September 29, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*