JabRef is an open-source, cross-platform citation and reference management software. It is used to collect, organize and search bibliographic information.
JabRef has a target audience of academics and many university libraries have written guides on its usage. It uses BibTeX and BibLaTeX as its native formats and is therefore typically used for LaTeX. The name JabRef stands for Java, Alver, Batada, Reference. The original version was released on November 29, 2003.
JabRef supports Windows, Linux and Mac OS X. It is available free of charge and is actively developed.
What is JabRef?
JabRef by JabRef (developed by Oliver Kopp) is open-source Windows software in the office suites category. It ranks 5th by popularity among office suites in this catalogue. The first release dates back to 2003. It is written in Java. Besides Windows, it is available for Linux and macOS. Its interface is available in 27 languages.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides MSI installers for 64-bit Windows. Installation asks for administrator rights. A silent install is possible with the installer’s documented switches. An MSI package is available for deployment with Group Policy, Intune or Configuration Manager.
Updates and version history
The current version is 5.15.60000, released on July 10, 2024. The version history goes back to August 31, 2021: 15 releases, all linked to the official files. That is about 5 releases a year. The last update is more than a year old.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 34,386 times. The source code on GitHub (JabRef/jabref) has 4,833 stars. Wikipedia has an article about it in 12 of our languages. On Windows it registers 1 file type, including .bib. Similar programs include TeXstudio, Zotero and Zettlr.
Project description on GitHub: “Desktop app for managing BibTeX and BibLaTeX (.bib) libraries”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- MSI package for managed deployment
- Documented silent install
- Also runs on Linux and macOS
- Mature project (since 2003)
- Interface in 27 languages
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
- Installation needs administrator rights
- No update for more than a year
In short: JabRef is an open-source office suite tool for 64-bit PCs. It is actively maintained. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Screenshots
Is JabRef safe to download?
- The file is served by github.com, the publisher’s own domain
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
E2C7DE77141E32134B85AC804B0230A4172F904D3FB6D615C7D0DD027EB8C44D· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link has not been checked yet
- The source code is public
- ExeAtlas does not host, wrap or modify installers
Related guide: How to check a file’s SHA256 hash on Windows
Recent versions
All 15 versions ›15 versions over 3 years · about 5 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.15.60000Latest | July 10, 2024 | — | 64-bit MSI |
| 5.14.60000 | July 8, 2024 | — | 64-bit MSI |
| 5.13.60000 | April 1, 2024 | — | 64-bit MSI |
| 5.12.60000 | December 24, 2023 | — | 64-bit MSI |
| 5.10.60000 | September 2, 2023 | — | 64-bit MSI |
| 5.9.6000 | January 26, 2023 | — | 64-bit MSI |
| 5.8.60000 | December 19, 2022 | — | 64-bit MSI |
| 5.7.60000 | August 6, 2022 | — | 64-bit MSI |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id JabRef.JabRef -echoco install JabRef -yscoop install extras/jabrefmsiexec /i JabRef-5.15.msi /qn /norestartmsiexec /x {9A7586BF-492B-3ECA-B7AC-B6B4DA804A2B} /qn /norestartRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
brew install --cask jabrefflatpak install flathub org.jabref.jabrefInformation
- Publisher
- JabRef
- Developer
- Oliver Kopp and Carl Christian Snethlage
- Category
- Office suites
- Licence
- MIT
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/JabRef/jabref
- Written in
- Java
- Interface languages
- multiple languages, German, English, Simplified Chinese, Danish, and Spanish +21 more
- Content rating
- All ages
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit
- Installer
- MSI
- Other platforms
- Linux, macOS
- Version
- 5.15.60000
- Released
- July 10, 2024
- First release
- 2003
- Added to the catalogue
- July 15, 2021
- Versions listed
- 15
- Updates / year
- 5
- Chocolatey downloads
- 34,386
- GitHub stars
- 4,833
- GitHub forks
- 3,665
- Website
- jabref.org
- winget ID
- JabRef.JabRef
- Chocolatey package
- JabRef
- Scoop package
- extras/jabref
- MSI product code
- {9A7586BF-492B-3ECA-B7AC-B6B4DA804A2B}
File types it opens (1)
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
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Frequently asked questions
Is JabRef free?
Yes. JabRef is open-source software under the MIT licence.
Is JabRef safe to download?
The download comes from github.com, which belongs to the publisher; ExeAtlas does not host or change the file. Compare its SHA256 hash with the one shown here, or open the VirusTotal report for that hash.
How do I install JabRef with winget?
Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal and run the winget command shown on this page. winget downloads the official installer and checks its SHA256 hash before running it.
Can JabRef be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer, including msiexec for the MSI package.
Does JabRef run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
There is no ARM64 build; Windows 11 on Arm can run the 64-bit version through emulation.
Where can I download an older version of JabRef?
The versions page lists all 15 versions with links to their official installer files, back to August 31, 2021.
What are alternatives to JabRef?
TeXstudio, Zotero, Zettlr, ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors and PDF Arranger. The alternatives page compares them.
