Skip to content

Google Sidewiki vs Mendeley

Professional comparison and analysis to help you choose the right software solution for your needs.

Google Sidewiki icon
Google Sidewiki
Mendeley icon
Mendeley

Google Sidewiki vs Mendeley: The Verdict

Last updated: May 2026 · Comparison by Sugggest Editorial Team

Feature Google Sidewiki Mendeley
Sugggest Score — —
Category Online Services Office & Productivity
Pricing — Freemium

Product Overview

Google Sidewiki
Google Sidewiki

Description: Google Sidewiki was a social annotation tool that allowed users to make comments and annotations alongside web pages from 2009 to 2011. It enabled collaborative annotation functionality for information on websites.

Type: software

Mendeley
Mendeley

Description: Mendeley is a free reference manager and academic social network that can help you organize your research, collaborate with others online, and discover the latest research. It provides tools to manage references and citations, read and annotate PDFs, and create online groups and networks to share research papers and collaborate.

Type: software

Pricing: Freemium

Key Features Comparison

Google Sidewiki
Google Sidewiki Features
  • Allowed users to make comments/annotations alongside web pages
  • Enabled collaborative annotations on websites
  • Browser extension let users view annotations on web pages
  • Users could vote on annotations
  • Annotations were public and visible to all Sidewiki users
Mendeley
Mendeley Features
  • Reference management
  • PDF organization and annotation
  • Collaboration tools
  • Citation plugins for Word and LibreOffice
  • Web importer browser extension
  • Suggested papers based on library
  • Mobile apps

Pros & Cons Analysis

Google Sidewiki
Google Sidewiki
Pros
  • Enabled crowdsourced annotations
  • Let users add context/info to existing web pages
  • Made the web more interactive and collaborative
Cons
  • Lacked moderation, so low-quality/spammy annotations were common
  • Annotations were distracting and cluttered pages
  • Many websites blocked Sidewiki annotations
  • Slow adoption and not enough active users
Mendeley
Mendeley
Pros
  • Free basic plan with 2GB storage
  • Intuitive interface
  • Large academic user base
  • Good collaboration features
  • Many citation style options
Cons
  • Limited storage in free version
  • No offline access in free version
  • Less citation style options than competitors
  • Collaboration requires all users to have accounts

Pricing Comparison

Google Sidewiki
Google Sidewiki
  • Not listed
Mendeley
Mendeley
  • Freemium

Related Comparisons

Genius.it Web Annotator
vs Google Sidewiki vs Mendeley

Learn More About Each Product

Google Sidewiki
Google Sidewiki
Reviews, pricing & alternatives →
Mendeley
Mendeley
Reviews, pricing & alternatives →

Ready to Make Your Decision?

Explore more software comparisons and find the perfect solution for your needs

Google Sidewiki Alternatives
Mendeley Alternatives
Browse More Software