Software citation generator
Cite any software, mobile app, package or GitHub repository, in any citation style.
or fill in the details below
How to cite software or an app
A software citation takes three steps.
Step 1
Search or paste a link
Search the App Store by the app’s name, or paste a link from the App Store, Google Play, GitHub, CRAN or PyPI. A GitHub project’s own citation file is used when it has one.
Step 2
Check the version
Cite the version you used. It’s often under About or Settings, or in the package’s description.
Step 3
Add the reference entry to your list and use the in-text citation in your paper.
How to cite software in APA
APA gives the developer, the year of the version, the name in italics, the version, a description in brackets, the publisher or app store and the URL.
Format
Developer. (Year). Name of software (Version x.x) [Computer software]. Publisher. URL
Mobile app
Lexi-Comp. (2025). UpToDate Lexidrug (Version 9.1.2) [Mobile app]. App Store. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/uptodate-lexidrug/id313401238
APA’s own example.
Computer software
Borenstein, M., Hedges, L., Higgins, J., & Rothstein, H. (2014). Comprehensive meta-analysis (Version 3.3.070) [Computer software]. Biostat. https://www.meta-analysis.com/
An R package
Wickham, H., Chang, W., Henry, L., Pedersen, T. L., Takahashi, K., Wilke, C., Woo, K., Yutani, H., Dunnington, D., & Brand, T. van den. (2026). ggplot2: Create Elegant Data Visualisations Using the Grammar of Graphics (Version 4.0.3) [Computer software]. CRAN. https://CRAN.R-project.org/package=ggplot2
In-text citation
Parenthetical: (Borenstein et al., 2014)
Narrative: Borenstein et al. (2014)
How to cite software in MLA
MLA italicizes software names. A company that makes the app is its publisher, so the entry starts with the name, and GitHub or an app store comes after as the site.
Mobile app
UpToDate Lexidrug. Version 9.1.2, Lexi-Comp, 2025. App Store, apps.apple.com/us/app/uptodate-lexidrug/id313401238.
Code on GitHub
Pandas. Version 3.0.6, The pandas development team, 2026. GitHub, github.com/pandas-dev/pandas.
How to cite software in Harvard and IEEE
Cite Them Right calls it a computer program; IEEE follows its own software format.
Harvard
Borenstein, M., Hedges, L., Higgins, J. and Rothstein, H. (2014) Comprehensive meta-analysis (version 3.3.070) [Computer program]. Available at: https://www.meta-analysis.com/ (Accessed: 26 September 2026).
IEEE
[1]The pandas development team. Pandas. (2026). GitHub. (Version 3.0.6). Accessed: Sep. 26, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://github.com/pandas-dev/pandas
Chicago usually names software in the text or a note rather than the bibliography.
When do you need to cite software?
Not every program needs a citation.
Cite it
Specialized software you used for your results, like statistics packages, R and Python packages, or an app you studied.
No need
Everyday programs like Microsoft Word or a web browser. Name them in your text if it matters.
Data from an app
Citing data the software produced? Use the dataset citation generator.
Frequently asked questions
How do I cite an app in APA?
Give the developer, the year of the version, the app’s name in italics, (Version x.x), [Mobile app], App Store or Google Play and the URL.
How do I cite a GitHub repository?
Paste its link. We use the project’s own citation file when it has one, with the latest release as the version, and GitHub as the publisher.
How do I cite an R or Python package?
Paste its CRAN or PyPI link. We fill in the authors, the version and the year it was released.
Should I cite Microsoft Word or Excel?
No. APA says common software doesn’t need a citation. Cite specialized software you relied on.
Is the software name in italics?
Yes, in APA, MLA and Harvard.
Is this software citation generator free?
Yes. It’s free with no signup, and your citations go into the same list as the main Citation Generator.