Is Citation Machine Free, and What Does Upgrading Add?

Updated

Citation Machine® is free to use for its core citation generation: you can create citations in thousands of styles, including MLA, APA, Chicago, and Harvard, and export bibliographies to Google Drive or Microsoft Word. The site also shows an "Upgrade" entry point and uses the word "subscription," which means a paid tier exists on top of the free tools. What the free tier does not clearly cover—based on the page evidence—is the full set of writing and plagiarism features, so the practical question is whether you only need citations or you also want the Writing Assistant and Plagiarism Checker.

What you can do without paying

The homepage presents three main tools, and the citation generator is the one described in the most detail as a standalone capability:

  • Citation generator — "Generate citations for any assignment in thousands of styles, including MLA, APA, Chicago and Harvard." It also lets you "Instantly export bibliographies" to Google Drive or Microsoft Word.
  • Guides and resources — MLA, APA, and Chicago format guides, plus a Citing Sources Guide, Grammar Guide, and Plagiarism Guide.
  • Style-specific generators — separate generators for websites, books, journal articles, YouTube, images, movies, interviews, and PDFs under each style guide.

The page does not state that citation generation requires an account or payment, and it markets the citation tool with "Get started" rather than a purchase prompt. Treat free citation generation as the baseline the site advertises.

What the upgrade signals point to

The page evidence shows an "Upgrade" link and the keyword "subscription," but it does not publish a price, a feature-by-feature comparison table, or a statement of exactly which tools sit behind the paywall. So the honest answer is: a paid tier exists, and the features most likely tied to it are the ones presented as premium-style add-ons:

  • Writing Assistant — "AI-powered Writing suggestions," instant feedback, grammar checks, clarity and flow improvements, and paraphrasing.
  • Plagiarism Checker — "Check your writing against billions of sources," with "Comprehensive plagiarism reports" showing the percentage of your paper similar to other sources.

Both are described with "Get started" calls to action, and both are grouped with the citation tool under a single "Get your paper hand-in ready" heading. Because the page does not label them as free, do not assume they are included at no cost—verify on the upgrade page before relying on them.

How to decide whether to subscribe

Match the tool to your actual task:

Your situation What you likely need
You only need a works cited page or in-text citations The free citation generator covers this
You want grammar, clarity, and paraphrasing feedback Check whether Writing Assistant is in the paid tier
You need a similarity report before submitting Check whether Plagiarism Checker is in the paid tier
You cite occasionally for one or two papers Free tier is probably enough
You write frequently across many assignments A subscription may be worth comparing against alternatives

Practical steps to check before paying

  1. Go to the upgrade page linked from the site and read the current feature list and price—the homepage does not state them.
  2. Generate one citation for free first to confirm the style and export options you need work as expected.
  3. If your main need is the Writing Assistant or Plagiarism Checker, test whether a free trial or limited preview exists before committing.
  4. Compare the subscription cost against your school's library tools, which often include citation managers and plagiarism checking at no extra cost.

The key takeaway: citation generation is the free core, and the upgrade path is aimed at writing feedback and plagiarism reporting. Confirm the current price and included features on the upgrade page, since the homepage evidence does not specify them.