CitePlain

Free plan ExtensionWeb

What CitePlain is

CitePlain creates citations from web pages, journal articles, books, tweets, YouTube videos, and podcasts. Enter a URL, DOI, or ISBN; the service reads publisher citation and Open Graph metadata, with Crossref lookup for DOIs and Open Library for ISBNs. Its free tier offers APA 7, MLA 9, Chicago 17, Vancouver, CSE, and BibTeX, plus a bibliography builder for up to 50 sources per batch. The Chrome, Edge, and Firefox extension reads metadata from the active tab and can provide BibTeX with a stable cite key for Overleaf or Zotero. Pro adds 24 specialised styles, including Harvard, IEEE, AMA, OSCOLA, ACS, and ICMJE, plus batch URL import for 50 sources and a cloud library synced across the web app and extension. Free references are saved in browser local storage and do not leave the device. Pro is $4.99 a month or $39 a year; lifetime options are $89.00 USD once and $199.00 USD once. CitePlain is intended for individual citations, not as a replacement for a research reference manager.

Who it suits

CitePlain suits people who need to generate individual citations from online sources or identifiers. Its browser extension and free citation styles may also suit users who want to collect references while browsing.

What it does well

Accepts URLs, DOIs, and ISBNs.
Free bibliography builder supports 50 sources per batch.
Extension reads metadata from active tabs.
Free references stay in device-local browser storage.

What to know first

Free tier offers six citation styles.
Pro styles may not match every house-style detail.
No free trial is offered.

Limits

The free plan includes six citation styles and a bibliography builder limited to 50 sources per batch. Some niche Pro styles share formatting with their citation-family base, so their output may not match exact house-style details.

Plans

Plan	Billed and limits	Price
Free	$0 forever · 6 source types · 6 citation styles · bibliography builder 50 sources per batch · device-local browser library · Chrome, Edge, Firefox extension · no sign-in	Free
Lifetime	$199 lifetime tier for the next 500 · Everything in Pro forever · no renewal or expiry	$199, paid once
Pro yearly	$39 per year · Cloud sync · 30+ styles · batch URL import 50 per batch · cloud library · Word and Google Docs add-ins shipping soon	$39 a year
Pro monthly	$4.99/month · Cloud sync · 30+ styles · batch URL import 50 per batch · cloud library · Word and Google Docs add-ins shipping soon	$4.99 a month
Lifetime Founder	$89 one time, lifetime · Everything in Pro, forever · no renewal or expiry · transferable email on request · first 100 customers	$89, paid once
Founder Lifetime	$89 one time, lifetime · Everything in Pro forever · no renewal or expiry · transferable email on request · first 100 customers	$89, paid once

As citeplain.com lists them, read 15 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.

Getting started

Open https://citeplain.com/ in a web browser.
Enter a source URL, DOI, or ISBN to generate a citation.
Choose a style available on the Free plan, or select a Pro plan for additional styles.
For browser-based citation capture, install the extension for Chrome, Edge, or Firefox.
Use the bibliography builder for batches of up to 50 sources, or Pro batch URL import for up to 50 URLs.

Verdict

CitePlain covers common citation needs, with a free tier and browser extension for collecting references. Its own guidance positions it as an individual-citation tool rather than a full research reference manager.

Questions

Is CitePlain free?

Yes. The Free plan is $0.00 USD, billed $0 forever. Pro monthly is $4.99 a month, and Pro yearly is $39 a year.

What platforms does CitePlain support?

CitePlain has a web app and browser extensions for Chrome, Edge, and Firefox.

Which citation styles are included for free?

The Free plan includes APA 7, MLA 9, Chicago 17, Vancouver, CSE, and BibTeX.

What does Pro add?

Pro adds 24 specialised styles, batch URL import for 50 sources per batch, and a cloud library synced across the web app and extension. Its plans include monthly, yearly, and lifetime options.

Does CitePlain work with Zotero or Overleaf?

The browser extension provides BibTeX with a stable cite key for use in Overleaf or Zotero.

Who makes CitePlain?

CitePlain is a BrainBytes Studio product. BrainBytes Studio describes itself as an indie solo-dev shop.

Facts from CitePlain's own pages

Audience: CitePlain describes itself as suited to quickly generating an individual citation and says it is not trying to replace Zotero as a research reference manager. · citeplain.com, 29 Sept 2026
Batch limit: The bibliography builder supports 50 sources per batch, and Pro batch URL import supports 50 per batch. · citeplain.com, 29 Sept 2026
Batch URL import: Pro supports importing up to 50 URLs per batch. · citeplain.com, 15 Oct 2026
Bibliography limit: The bibliography builder accepts up to 50 sources in one batch. · citeplain.com, 15 Oct 2026
BibTeX integration: BibTeX export is free and uses stable cite keys intended for Overleaf or Zotero workflows. · citeplain.com, 15 Oct 2026
Browser extension: The extension is listed for Chrome, Edge, and Firefox and reads metadata from the active tab. · citeplain.com, 29 Sept 2026
Browser library: Free saved references are kept in browser local storage and are not sent off the device. · citeplain.com, 15 Oct 2026
Cancellation: Subscriptions can be cancelled or downgraded through the Stripe Customer Portal, with access continuing through the paid period. · citeplain.com, 15 Oct 2026
Chicago limitation: Chicago Notes and Bibliography is the current default, while an Author-Date toggle is planned for a future release. · citeplain.com, 15 Oct 2026
Clipboard workflow: Generated citations are copied to the clipboard automatically and can be saved to the browser library. · citeplain.com, 15 Oct 2026
Cloud sync: Pro synchronizes a cloud library across the web app, extension and add-ins. · citeplain.com, 15 Oct 2026
Company location: The BrainBytes Studio GitHub profile lists Switzerland as its location. · github.com, 15 Oct 2026
Crossref and Open Library: Crossref is used for DOI resolution and Open Library for ISBN enrichment. · citeplain.com, 15 Oct 2026
Device data policy: The studio README says user data stays on the device. · github.com, 15 Oct 2026
DOI fallback: When page metadata is poor but a DOI is present, the extension queries Crossref for the canonical record. · citeplain.com, 15 Oct 2026
Exports and integrations: The extension provides BibTeX with a stable cite key for use in Overleaf or Zotero, and DOI fallback uses Crossref. · citeplain.com, 29 Sept 2026
Extension editing: The extension lets users correct author, year or title metadata before copying a citation. · citeplain.com, 15 Oct 2026
Extension engine: The MV3 extension reads citation, Open Graph, Dublin Core and JSON-LD metadata from the active tab. · citeplain.com, 15 Oct 2026
Extension store status: CitePlain's extension page says Chrome, Edge and Firefox store links will activate when listings go live. · citeplain.com, 15 Oct 2026
Free citation styles: The free tier includes APA 7, MLA 9, Chicago 17, Vancouver, CSE and BibTeX. · citeplain.com, 15 Oct 2026
Free styles: The free tier includes APA 7, MLA 9, Chicago 17, Vancouver, CSE, and BibTeX. · citeplain.com, 29 Sept 2026
GitHub followers: The BrainBytes Studio GitHub profile shows 9 followers. · github.com, 15 Oct 2026
GitHub maker profile: BrainBytes Studio's GitHub profile labels it an indie developer studio for open-source tools, templates and experiments. · github.com, 15 Oct 2026
GitHub refund statement: The studio README advertises 30-day refunds. · github.com, 15 Oct 2026

Where CitePlain stands on Freedom251

Citation generators#13 of 57
Citation Generator Tools#14 of 29