No. 22 of 27 ·Reference Management Software

refbase

Web · Windows · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted · API

Freedom report

Two barsScore 5.1

Free tierA free tier is on its own pricing page
Open codeNo open-source code on record
Runs widely4 of 6 device platforms
DocumentedThinly documented

refbase is ranked #22 of 27 in reference management software on Freedom251. It runs on API, Linux, macOS, Self-hosted, Web, Windows. There is a free plan.

refbase plans and pricing

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refbase Free Self-hosted web application · GPLv2 sourceforge.net · 4 Oct 2026

Compared on reference management software

Citation plugins: Yes
Supported platforms: web
Team collaboration: advanced

Best refbase alternatives

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Two bars Zotero Free tier No. 1$1.67/mo6.8 Two bars Mendeley Reference Manager Free tier No. 2$4.58/mo6.7 Two bars Sciwand Free tier No. 3Free6.6 Two bars JabRef Free tier No. 4Free6.5 Two bars Jurism Free tier No. 5Free6.5 Two bars Lean Library Workspace Free tier No. 6Free6.5

The record

Purpose: refbase is a web-based, multi-user interface for managing scientific literature and bibliographic references.
Search: It provides quick, simple, advanced, and SQL search options, with the ability to search within results.
Citation output: It can display records in citation and print views and generate formatted citation lists.
Import and export: It supports importing and exporting bibliographic records in formats including MODS XML, RIS, BibTeX, and EndNote.
Integrations: The feature list names compatibility with desktop clients such as Zotero and EndNote, plus an open API and command-line client.
Feeds: It offers dynamic RSS feeds for recently added or edited records and custom queries.
Collaboration: The interface is multi-user and includes user-specific fields for personal keywords and notes.
Hosting: Installation requires a web server, PHP 4.4.0 or greater, and MySQL 4.1.x or greater for Unicode support.
Optional dependency: Bibutils is optional and recommended for additional import and export functionality, including EndNote and BibTeX support.
Installation constraint: The web installer requires a MySQL user with full access to the MySQL database; some shared hosts may require manual installation.
Support: The project directs users to its documentation, forums, and mailing lists for help and discussion.
License: SourceForge lists refbase under the GNU General Public License version 2.0.
Release availability: The SourceForge files page lists refbase 0.9.6, dated 2014-02-28, as the latest version.
Price from: Free

Where it ranks on Freedom251

Best Reference Management Software in 2026#22 of 27

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Sources

wiki.refbase.net/Main_Page· checked 4 Oct 2026
wiki.refbase.net/Main_features· checked 4 Oct 2026
sourceforge.net/projects/refbase/· checked 4 Oct 2026
wiki.refbase.net/Requirements· checked 4 Oct 2026
wiki.refbase.net/Installing_refbase· checked 4 Oct 2026
sourceforge.net/projects/refbase/files/refbase/· checked 4 Oct 2026