All Collections
Compare
Endnote Reference Manager vs Write.studio
Endnote Reference Manager vs Write.studio

Comparison of Write Studio (the write-and-cite platform) versus Endnote Reference Manager, focussing on their citation and referencing.

Avatar of Support Desk
Written by Support Desk
Last updated Aug 28, 2025

What Each Tool Is Designed For

Write Studio is a cloud-native authoring platform built for long-form documents—think theses, reports, articles—providing structure, style automation, collaboration, and seamlessly integrated references.
EndNote, developed by Clarivate, is a robust and commercial reference management tool—trusted by academicians for organizing citations, integrating with writing tools, and streamlining the research-to-writing pipeline.

Reference & Citation Capabilities

Write Studio

  • Built-in Reference Library: Store sources directly within each writing project. Supports over 250 million academic sources, 120 file formats, and 20 reference types. Features include metadata, notes, tags, attachments, and PDF annotation via hypothes.is.
  • Import/Export & Citation Insertion: Import from EndNote, Zotero, Mendeley via RIS. Insert citations directly while writing—add in-text references, prefixes, pinpoint page ranges, and footnotes.
  • Bibliographies & Styles: Auto-generate bibliographies with fully maintained academic styles.

EndNote

  • Comprehensive Reference Management: Organize bibliographies with PDFs, images, charts, and annotations. Supports tagging, grouping, foldering, and synching across devices.
  • Citation Insertion: “Cite While You Write” (CWYW) plugin enables seamless citation insertion and bibliography generation within Word and other word processors.
  • Style & Output Support: Offers over 7,000 citation styles; allows customization for discipline-specific formatting.
  • Research Optimization Tools: EndNote 2025 introduces AI-powered tools like Key Takeaways (summarizing key insights from PDFs) and Find a Journal (suggesting suitable journals within the CWYW interface).

Writing Workflow & Collaboration

Write Studio

  • Structured Authoring: Use outlines and section-based drag-and-drop organization. Offers custom style guides and templates to enforce consistent formatting.
  • Progress Tracking: Monitor your writing with word-count goals, section statuses, due-dates, and a project calendar.
  • AI Writing Assistance: Includes eight intelligent tools to enhance clarity, tone, grammar, and structure.
  • Real-time Collaboration: Collaborators can co-edit with role-based permissions, commenting, and version control.
  • Export Flexibility: Export polished documents in Word, PDF, or HTML formats—or publish as an online portfolio.

EndNote

  • Standalone Reference Hub: Built for managing citations, not for authoring documents. Citation insertion occurs via plugins in external editors.
  • Library Sharing & Sync: Share libraries with up to 100 collaborators. Sync across desktop and web for seamless access.
  • Extensive Integration: Deeply integrates with databases, document attachments, full-text retrieval, and CWYW in word processors.
  • AI & Publishing Tools: Besides Key Takeaways and journal suggestions, EndNote 2025 offers improved tools like citation from PDFs and dynamic summary panels.

Feature Comparison at a Glance

Write Studio stands out with features beyond citations:
  • Reference library: Built-in, project-specific, annotated
  • Import/Export functions: Imports from Crossref; Imports via RIS; stores alongside writing
  • Citation insertion: Directly in editor
  • Citations style support: Maintained academic styles, templates
  • Writing workflow features: Outliner, templates, structure, tracking
  • AI tools: Tone, grammar, clarity enhancement
  • Collaboration: Real-time writing collaboration
  • Export options: Word, PDF, HTML, online portfolio, bibliographies
  • Ideal use: Long-form structured writin
Endnote is a dedicated reference manager:
  • Reference library: Standalone, organization-focused
  • Import/Export functions: Imports from databases; supports export
  • Citation insertion: Via CWYW plugins in external editors
  • Citations style support: 7,000+ CSL styles, fully customizable
  • Writing workflow features: Not designed for writing workflow
  • AI tools: Key Takeaways, journal suggestions, PDF citation
  • Collaboration: Library sharing and sync
  • Export options: Bibliographies, library export, plugin support
  • Ideal use: Reference library management and citation insertion

Summary: When to Use What

Choose Write Studio if you want:

  • A unified workspace for writing, citation, editing, and collaboration.
  • Structured document design with live progress tracking.
  • AI tools enhancing your writing in real-time.

Choose EndNote if you need:

  • A powerful, trusted reference manager with deep organizational controls.
  • Seamless integration with word processors and publishing workflows.
  • Advanced AI features for extracting insights and targeting journals.

Want the best of both worlds?

Use EndNote to cultivate a rich reference library, then import it into Write Studio via RIS to enjoy the best union of robust citation management and streamlined writing workflows.