Inspectable code
Zotero is free in two senses: no payment required to use it, and the source is available so others can audit and continue the project if stewardship ever changed.
Assurance
Stay in control of your research data
Zotero is open source and developed by an independent nonprofit with no business model based on selling your private library.
Trust statement
Zotero runs as local software. Your library lives on your computer. Syncing is optional. You do not need an account to collect sources, organize PDFs, or cite while you write.
When you do sync, treat cloud storage as a convenience layer you opted into, not a requirement for opening your work.
Transparency
Open source and source transparency
Platform updates
Zotero 10 ships on Mozilla platform 140.13.0esr and stores API keys and WebDAV passwords via the operating system keychain.
Standards contribution
The project helped create Citation Style Language (CSL), used widely across reference tools, and participates in open science tooling efforts.
Legal usage policy
Use Zotero in accordance with the AGPL license terms and the copyright rules that apply to the articles, books, and files you store. Having a reference manager does not grant rights to redistribute paywalled PDFs.
Institutional users must also follow employer, university, and funder policies for data retention and sharing.
Ethical usage statement
Cite sources accurately. Do not present others' writing as your own. Use group libraries with consent from collaborators. Respect retraction notices and publisher access terms.
Zotero can warn about retracted items and help you keep provenance, but judgment about what you publish remains yours.
No-malware clarification
Zotero is not designed to install adware, ransomware, or hidden miners. Independent security scans of the Windows installer have reported clean results for virus, spyware, and malware checks.
False positives can still occur on fresh builds. Verify filename, size, and hashes when your host provides them. See the antivirus guide.
Integrity checklist
- Version 10.0 (August 17, 2026)
- Windows x64 ~104 MB · Zotero-10.0_x64_setup.exe
- Prefer installers you can hash or signature-check
- Keep the desktop app updated via Help / Check for Updates
User responsibility disclaimer
You are responsible for how you configure Zotero, which files you import, whom you share libraries with, and how you back up data. This informational site does not provide warranties for third-party mirrors or modified packages.
zotero.io pages summarize publicly documented product facts for download guidance. They are not a substitute for institutional legal counsel or security review.
Related: security FAQ · download integrity