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FAQ: BibLaTeX and Reference Management

BibLaTeX is a modern bibliography management package for LaTeX. It allows for advanced citation formatting, multilingual support, and seamless integration with biber, making it a powerful alternative to traditional BibTeX.


  • BibLaTeX uses biber instead of bibtex for processing.
  • It supports Unicode, complex citation styles, and localization.
  • It gives you full control over formatting and sorting of references.

Yes! Overleaf fully supports BibLaTeX. Make sure to:

  • Set the compiler to XeLaTeX or LuaLaTeX
  • Use biber as your bibliography backend
  • Connect a .bib file manually or via CiteDrive for real-time updates

No, but it helps a lot. A good reference manager:

  • Ensures your .bib file is clean and valid
  • Automatically adds fields like urldate, langid, type
  • Makes collaboration easier
  • Integrates directly with Overleaf

Technically, yesβ€”but with limitations. Both export .bib files, but:

  • Exported entries often miss BibLaTeX-specific fields
  • Customizations and citation types may not match your style
  • Real-time syncing with Overleaf is not supported natively

Reference ManagerBibLaTeX SupportOverleaf SyncField CompletenessCollaborationEase of Use
CiteDriveβœ… Nativeβœ… Real-timeβœ… Full BibLaTeXβœ… Yes⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Zotero⚠️ Limited Export❌ Manual⚠️ Basic BibTeX onlyβœ… Yes (Zotero Groups)⭐⭐⭐
JabRefβœ… Good❌ Manualβœ… Strong⚠️ Basic⭐⭐⭐
Mendeley⚠️ Limited❌ Manual⚠️ Basicβœ… Yes⭐⭐
BibDesk (macOS)⚠️ BibTeX only❌ Manual❌ Lacks BibLaTeX❌ No⭐⭐

CiteDrive isn’t a general-purpose manager that happens to export .bibβ€”it’s designed specifically for BibTeX and BibLaTeX. That means:

  • Full support for langid, type, urldate, keywords, and more
  • Cleaner output with proper escaping and encoding
  • Ideal for biber users and multilingual documents

With real-time Overleaf sync, you never have to manually download or upload .bib files again. Just connect your project, and your references are always up to date.


Grab citations directly from:

  • Google Scholar
  • PubMed
  • ArXiv
  • CrossRef
  • DOIs And they’re automatically formatted for BibLaTeX.

Create shared projects with colleagues, just like Google Docs. All references are synced and organized in one placeβ€”no emailing .bib files back and forth.


Unlike other tools that lock your data in proprietary formats, CiteDrive uses standard .bib files. You always retain control and compatibility.


If you’re serious about using BibLaTeX, you need a reference manager that fully supports its capabilitiesβ€”not one that treats it as an afterthought. CiteDrive gives you:

  • βœ… The best BibLaTeX support
  • βœ… Real-time Overleaf integration
  • βœ… Modern collaboration features
  • βœ… Clean, exportable BibTeX files
  • βœ… Smart citation tools built for academic writing

Create your free project today at citedrive.com Keep your BibLaTeX files clean, synced, and always ready to cite.