APA 7th edition and MLA 9th edition (2021) are the two dominant citation systems in American academia. APA dominates the social and health sciences with its author–date system; MLA dominates the humanities with its author–page system. Learn when to use each, and how they differ in practice.
If you're here because an assignment brief didn't say which style to use, the table below tells you what to expect. If the brief did specify, use that. If it didn't, match the discipline of your course.
| Feature | APA 7th edition | MLA 9th edition |
|---|---|---|
| In-text citation | Author–date: (Smith, 2020) | Author–page: (Smith 45) |
| Reference list | Reference List | Works Cited |
| Page header | Running head (5 words max) | Author last name + page # |
| Title page | Yes (student or professional) | No (uses four-line header) |
| Date placement | Parentheses in text | No date in-text |
| Author names | Last, Initials (e.g., Smith, J.) | Last, First (e.g., Smith, John) |
| Multiple authors (2) | (Smith & Jones, 2020) | (Smith and Jones 45) |
| Multiple authors (3+) | (Smith et al., 2020) | (Smith et al. 45) |
Both APA and MLA use parenthetical citations, but they cite different information. Here's how the same sources look in each system.
Parenthetical (no narrative name):
Narrative (author named in text):
APA 7 dropped the old rule that required listing every author on first mention. Both styles now use "et al." starting with the very first in-text citation.
Use our citation generator to create accurate in-text citations in either format instantly.
The back matter of your paper is where APA and MLA diverge most visibly. Here's how the same three sources appear in each format.
Generate complete reference list entries and copy them straight into your paper.
APA uses initials for author first and middle names in the reference list. MLA spells out first names. This affects how you alphabetize when multiple authors have the same last name.
| Scenario | APA 7 | MLA 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Single author | Smith, J. A. | Smith, John A. |
| Two authors | Smith, J. A., & Jones, M. R. (2020) | Smith, John A., and Mary R. Jones. (2020) |
| Three authors | Smith, J., Jones, M., & Brown, L. (2019) | Smith, John, Mary Jones, and Lisa Brown. (2019) |
| In-text citation (3+ authors) | (Smith et al., 2019) | (Smith et al. 45) |
APA uses sentence case for article and book titles in the reference list (only the first word and proper nouns are capitalized). MLA uses Title Case (most words are capitalized). This is one of the easiest differences to spot.
| Original title | APA 7 (sentence case) | MLA 9 (Title Case) |
|---|---|---|
| THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON AGRICULTURE | The effects of climate change on agriculture | The Effects of Climate Change on Agriculture |
| HOW ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TRANSFORMS HEALTHCARE | How artificial intelligence transforms healthcare | How Artificial Intelligence Transforms Healthcare |
| UNDERSTANDING WORKPLACE CULTURE IN THE DIGITAL AGE | Understanding workplace culture in the digital age | Understanding Workplace Culture in the Digital Age |
If you need to convert existing titles to the correct capitalization, use our title case converter and paste in the original text.
Check your paper's word count to ensure it meets your assignment requirements.
Your academic discipline often determines which style you'll use. Here's a quick guide:
| Discipline | Primary style | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Psychology, Education, Social Work | APA 7 | The de facto standard in these fields. |
| Business, Health Sciences, Nursing | APA 7 | APA or discipline-specific standards. |
| English, History, Literature, Philosophy | MLA 9 | Dominant in humanities. Some history courses use Chicago. |
| Modern Languages (Spanish, French, etc.) | MLA 9 | Standard for language and literature studies. |
| Biology, Chemistry, Physics | CSE or APA | Council of Science Editors style is preferred in STEM, but APA is common. |
| Economics, Political Science | APA or Chicago | Varies by journal and institution. |
| Journalism, Communications | AP or Chicago | Associated Press Stylebook in journalism; Chicago in academic writing. |
Neither is objectively "easier"—it depends on what you're writing. APA rewards consistency and structure (five heading levels, strict spacing rules); MLA is more flexible and suits shorter, more personal writing. The real advantage goes to whichever one you've practiced most. If your entire first semester used APA, MLA will feel fiddly. The muscle memory wins.
What is universal: using a citation tool (like ours) to generate entries correctly, then spot-checking one by hand before submitting. A single typo in a source entry costs points across different instructors and institutions.
APA 7: Yes, if the source is from the web. Include the DOI (digital object identifier) if available; otherwise include the full URL. Do not add "Retrieved from" before the URL in APA 7.
MLA 9: Include the URL or DOI in angle brackets at the end of the citation, but only if you think it helps the reader locate the source. For sources accessed through a library database, include the URL of the database instead of the publisher's URL.
No. Each style has different formatting rules (capitalization, punctuation, abbreviation, author order). The fastest way is to regenerate the citations using the correct style via a citation tool rather than trying to convert one manually.
APA 7: Use "n.d." (no date) instead of a year. Example: (Smith, n.d.)
MLA 9: Omit the date from the citation if it's not available. If the work has no identifiable date, you may note this in the Works Cited entry as "n.d." or leave it blank, depending on your instructor's preference.
APA 7: Include the page number (or paragraph number for electronic sources) with the citation. Example: (Smith, 2020, p. 45)
MLA 9: Include the page number in the parenthetical citation. Example: (Smith 45). Page numbers are required for direct quotes.
Check your course syllabus—it often has a default style listed in the assignment guidelines. If still unclear, ask your instructor before starting. Most departments have a standard (English = MLA, Psychology = APA, etc.), so a quick email often settles it.