Free citation generator for APA, MLA, Chicago & Harvard
Paste a URL or enter book details and get a correctly formatted APA, MLA, Chicago, or Harvard citation in seconds — free, with no sign-up required.
Free to start · No credit card · APA, MLA, Chicago & Harvard
Create Your Citation
Fill in the source information below to generate properly formatted citations.
Your source information is securely processed by Scholarly's AI.
From source to citation in seconds
Add a source, let the AI format it, then copy it or build a full bibliography you can export.
Step 1: Add Source
Enter a URL, book details, journal information, or any source you need to cite for your research.
Step 2: AI Formats
Our AI extracts source information and creates properly formatted citations following academic standards.
Step 3: Copy & Export
Copy citations to your clipboard or export your bibliography in multiple formats for your research paper.
Every major style, formatted correctly
Switch between the four styles your instructors actually ask for, with the punctuation and ordering rules handled for you.
APA Style
The standard for psychology, education, and the social sciences, with author–date in-text citations.
MLA Style
Common in the humanities and English courses, using author–page references and a Works Cited list.
Chicago Style
Used in history and the arts, supporting both notes-bibliography and author-date systems.
Harvard Style
A widely used author–date style across UK and international universities and many sciences.
Citations you can actually trust
Built for real research workflows, not just a single reference at a time.
Multiple source types
Cite websites, books, and journal articles, with the right fields for each kind of source.
Instant formatting
Get a correctly ordered, punctuated citation in seconds instead of cross-checking style guides.
Accurate by design
The AI follows current style rules so your in-text citations and reference list line up.
Build a bibliography
Add citation after citation to a running reference list as you research a paper.
Copy or export
Copy a single citation to your clipboard or download your whole bibliography as a file.
Free to use
Generate citations without an account, then sign up free to save your bibliographies.
Spend your time on the paper, not the punctuation
Citations are where careful work quietly leaks marks. A misplaced comma, the wrong order of author and date, or an inconsistent reference list can cost points even when the research is strong. An AI citation generator removes that friction so you can focus on the argument.
Scholarly reads the details of each source, whether it is a website, a book, or a journal article, and formats it to the style you choose. As you collect sources, it builds a clean bibliography you can copy or export straight into your document.
It is also a fast way to learn the conventions. Seeing your own sources formatted correctly in APA, MLA, Chicago, or Harvard makes the rules concrete, so referencing gets easier with every paper you write.
Frequently asked questions
Which citation styles does the generator support?
You can generate citations in APA, MLA, Chicago, and Harvard styles. Pick your style before generating and the formatting, ordering, and punctuation are handled for you.
What sources can I cite?
You can cite websites and online articles by URL, books by title and author, and journal articles with volume, issue, and page details. Each source type has the right fields built in.
Is the citation generator free?
Yes. You can generate citations for free with no account required. Sign up free to save your bibliographies, organize your research, and reach the rest of Scholarly's study tools.
Can I build a full bibliography?
Yes. Add each citation to a running reference list as you research, remove any you no longer need, and download the whole bibliography as a file when you are ready to paste it into your paper.
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Perfect Your Research with Scholarly
Sign up for free to save your bibliographies, organize research, and access more academic tools.
Free
- 3 AI Chat messages per day
- 3 AI creations per day
- 1 file upload per day (8MB)
- 1 research report per day
- 5 quiz questions per day
- 1 exam attempt per day
- 15 voice minutes per day
- 32-page PDF to flashcards
- 500 autocomplete words per day
Use it to generate flashcards, improve a deck, make a podcast, create a video lecture or infographic, build slides, or process a recording.
Ultimate
$144 billed yearly
Everything in Free, plus:
- Unlimited normal chat & autocomplete
- Unlimited premium model messages
- Unlimited AI creations
- Unlimited file uploads (up to 300MB)
- Unlimited study sessions
- Unlimited exams & quizzes
- 1000-page PDF to flashcards
- Export to Anki
- Priority support
Pricing in USD. Local currency available in app.
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What students say
Scholarly has been a valuable tool for my studies. The AI-generated flashcards and intuitive features make organizing and retaining information much easier.
Briana
Student
This app is great for studying for big test. Drop your PDF's in the system and it'll do the trick. You can organize it specifically for your needs.
Kelvin
Student
I am currently preparing for a test that covers a substantial amount of material, and I've found that not having to physically write out my flashcards has been incredibly beneficia...
Isabelle
Student
Scholarly is great for students. I am enrolled in online university and my classes are all PDF based. All I do is upload the PDF and it creates flashcards decks for me. The greate...
Alexandra
Student
Your questions, answered
Is Scholarly free to use?
Yes! The free plan includes core study tools with daily limits: AI Chat messages, 3 AI creations per day, research reports, file uploads, quizzes, practice exams, and manual flashcard creation. Upgrade to Ultimate when you want unlimited AI creations and higher limits.
What uses my daily AI creation?
Generating flashcards, improving a flashcard deck, making a podcast, creating a video lecture or infographic, building slides, or processing a recording each use the same daily free AI creation allowance. AI Chat messages, uploads, quizzes, and exams have their own separate daily limits.
Can I cancel anytime?
Absolutely. There are no contracts or commitments. You can cancel your subscription at any time from your account settings, and you'll keep access until the end of your billing period.
What payment methods do you accept?
We accept all major credit and debit cards through Stripe. Pricing is displayed in USD by default, but local currency is available in the app.
Do you offer discounts for educators?
Yes, we offer special pricing for educators and educational institutions. Contact us at hello@scholarly.so for details.
What happens when I hit a free plan limit?
You'll see a prompt to upgrade. Your existing work is never lost — limits only apply to new daily actions like AI Chat messages, uploads, quiz questions, and new AI creations. Limits reset every day.
For Educators or Schools
Contact us for special pricing at hello@scholarly.so.