Citation Machine Review:
based on real mystery shopping

A*Help Score: 91/100
🔥 published October 23, 2023 - updated December 9, 2024

Quick Overview

CitationMachine is a recognized online tool among other best citation generators designed to assist students and researchers in generating and managing bibliographical references. It offers a user-friendly interface that allows users to quickly format citations in multiple styles, such as APA, MLA, Chicago, and more. In addition to its core functionality, CitationMachine guides proper citation practices and strives to streamline the research process, making it unnecessary to search for a Citation Machine alternative.

TOP services Our verdict AHelp Score 🔥 Updated January 2024
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AHELP Citation
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Best citation machine 94/100 Get free access
Service icon
BibMe
Best free plan 92/100 Read review
Service icon
Citation Machine
Highest citing convenience 91/100 Read review
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EasyBib
Perfect for MLA citing 89/100 Read review
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CiteThisForMe
Best for website citations 87/100 Read review
The Good
  • Free version
  • Ability to connect to Chegg’s features
The Bad
  • Too many ads
  • No AI detection feature
Infographic showcasing main features of CitationMachine
CitationMachine Review

CitationMachine: Citation Convenience — 50/50 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

CitationMachine shines in its ability to facilitate easy and efficient citation generation. With both manual and automatic data retrieval options, users can easily find and cite sources using a variety of methods, including URL, DOI, ISBN, author, and title searches. This citation machine supports a wide range of citation styles such as APA, MLA, Chicago/Turabian, Harvard, and more, along with the ability to cite various sources like books, journal articles, websites, videos, lectures, images, and newspapers. Its citation editing options are top-notch, offering quick style changes, in-text citation copying, bibliography entry creation, citation sharing, and downloading works cited, while also alerting users to missing information.

SOURCESTYLECITATION
📖 Book APA 7th editionKrashen, S. D. (1982). Principles and practice in Second language acquisition. Pergamon Press.
📓 JournalChicagoShugerman, Jed Handelsman. “The Louisiana Purchase and South Carolina’s Reopening of the Slave Trade in 1803.” Journal of the Early Republic 22, no. 2 (2002): 263. https://doi.org/10.2307/3125182.
🎥 VideoMLA 9HSC, ATAR Notes, director. HSC Business Studies – Operations. YouTube, YouTube, 12 June 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Y361IwXpVc&ab_channel=ATARNotesHSC. Accessed 11 Oct. 2023.
💻 WebsiteHarvardBrazier, Y. (2018) Psychology: Definitions, branches, history, and how to become one, Medical News Today. Available at: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/154874 (Accessed: 11 October 2023).
5/5
Data retrieving
15/15
Search options
20/20
Cite's editing options
10/10
Citing scale

CitationMachine’s Value for Money — 21/25 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

CitationMachine offers great value, with a score of 21/25. The free account is supported by ads but still provides substantial functionality, including suggestions to improve writing style, grammar, and sentence structure.

A screenshot of searching for a source at CitationMachine
Searching for a source at CitationMachine (click to see a large image)

The Citation Machine Plus plan, priced at $9.95 a month, offers everything unlimited, while the combined plan with Chegg Study Pack for $19.95 a month adds Chegg’s features for an extensive support system. Additional tools like plagiarism and grammar checkers, along with spellcheck and proofreading, are available in the paid plans, enhancing the overall value proposition of CitationMachine.

A screenshot of subscription plans and features at CitationMachine
Subscription plans and features at CitationMachine (click to see a large image)
5/5
Styles
7/7
Sources
7/10
Extra tools
2/3
Pricing

CitationMachine: Overall Experience – 20/25 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Our overall experience with CitationMachine is highly positive, scoring 20/25. Registration is not required, but a functional personal account is available, with a 3-day trial period and third-party login options like Apple, Facebook, and Google. The website experience is user-friendly, supporting exporting and sharing, integration with writing software like MS Word, and saving user preferences.

A screenshot of citation editing at Citation Machine
Citation editing at Citation Machine (click to see a large image)

While it’s convenient on mobile devices, the absence of extensions and the presence of numerous ads are minor drawbacks. Support is provided through FAQs, tutorials, and a contact form, although live chat is not available.

A screenshot of user's bibliography at Citation Machine
User’s bibliography at CitationMachine (click to see a large image)
10/10
Registration
7/10
Website experience
3/5
Support

Conclusion

To us CitationMachine stands out as a reliable and efficient tool for generating citations across a wide range of styles and sources. Its comprehensive features, combined with the value offered by both free and paid plans, make it a top choice for anyone in need of citation assistance. Despite the presence of ads and the lack of some additional tools, the overall convenience and effectiveness of CitationMachine are undeniable. From our perspective, CitationMachine is a top-tier solution for anyone looking to simplify and streamline their citation process.

CitationMachine: Specs

> Range of styles
APA
MLA
Chicago/Turabian
Harvard
multiple others
> Citation sources
books
journal article
websites
video
lecture
image
newspaper
> Additional tools
Plagiarism checker
Grammar checker
Text summarizer
AI content detection
Spellcheck
Proofreading
> Pricing
Free accountYES
CitationMacine Plus$9.95
> Registration
RequiredNO
Trial period
Functional personal account
3-party login options
> Website experience
Exporting and Sharing
Integration with Writing Software
Saves user’s preferences
Convenient on mobile
Extensions
AddsA lot
> Support
FAQ
Tutorials
Live chat
Contact form
> Data retrieval
manual
auto
> Search options
URL
DOI
ISBN
by author
by title
> Cite’s editing options
quick style change
copy in-text citation
create bibliography entry
share
download works cited
warns if information is missing
> Citing scale
whole book
chapter/section
introduction

FAQ

CitationMachine Reviews

Our experts didn’t spare the time to sift through numerous review websites to understand user feedback regarding CitationMachine. In addition to our independent findings, we considered these opinions meticulously to arrive at the most transparent and objective conclusion about the service’s quality and reliability.

Is EasyBib better than citation machine?

According to our mystery shopping results, Citation Machine surpassed EasyBib by just 2 points. Both tools are convenient to use and quite helpful, although EasyBib has just a bit more room for improvement.

Is CitationMachine Legit?

Yes, CitationMachine is undoubtedly legitimate. We’ve personally tested the service and can vouch for its proper functionality. During our tests, we created four different citations in four distinct styles, each generated accurately.

Is CitationMachine Safe?

CitationMachine is safe to use. Our experience with the platform has been positive, and we’ve encountered no security issues. Furthermore, if you’re using the free version, creating a personal account or providing any data isn’t even required, adding an extra layer of privacy.

Is CitationMachine Trustworthy?

From our assessments, CitationMachine is indeed trustworthy. After generating various citations, we found the results consistent and accurate. However, as with any tool, we recommend double-checking the citations for precision, especially for more complex sources.

How much does Citation Machine cost?

There are two plans available on Citation Machine, which includes Citation Machine Plus for $9.95 and Citation Machine Plus & Chegg Study Pack for $19.95. These plans have the same formatting options to choose from when it comes to citations, however, there are certain add-ons like practice problems & video solutions. So, if you feel like you need additional study support, you can opt for a more expensive plan but generally the free version of Citation Machine covers most basic needs.

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