If your instructor assigned a style and you are wondering how the two compare, this guide on apa vs mla breaks down the real differences. APA (7th edition) and MLA (9th edition) are the two most common citation styles in college, and although they share the same goal of crediting sources, they format almost every detail differently.
APA vs MLA at a glance
Both styles use parenthetical in-text citations and a single alphabetical list at the end of your paper. The differences are in the small details: whether you include the year, how you write author names, what you call the source list, and which subjects use each style.
- APA is used mainly in the social sciences, psychology, education, nursing, and business.
- MLA is used mainly in the humanities, including English, literature, languages, and cultural studies.
- APA emphasizes the date of publication (research recency matters). MLA emphasizes the page location (so readers can find a passage).
Side-by-side: the five key differences
1. In-text citations
APA uses the author and year. MLA uses the author and page number, with no comma between them.
In-text (parenthetical): (Smith, 2020).
Narrative: Smith (2020) argued that …
In-text (parenthetical): (Smith 42).
Narrative: Smith argued that … (42).
When you quote directly in APA, you add the page after the year: (Smith, 2020, p. 42). In MLA the page is always there because it is the locator. To go deeper, see our guide to in-text citations and the difference between parenthetical and narrative citations.
2. Name of the reference page
This is the easiest difference to remember and a common point of confusion.
- APA calls the final list References.
- MLA calls it Works Cited.
In both styles the heading is centered and bold (APA) or centered (MLA), entries are alphabetized by the first author’s surname, and each entry uses a hanging indent. If you are unsure which term to use, read Works Cited vs Bibliography vs References.
3. Author name format
APA shortens first and middle names to initials and joins two authors with an ampersand (&). MLA writes the first author’s full first name and uses the word “and.”
Smith, J., & Brown, A. (2021). Title of the work. Publisher.
In-text: (Smith & Brown, 2021).
Smith, John, and Anna Brown. Title of the Work. Publisher, 2021.
In-text: (Smith and Brown 15).
Note the capitalization too. APA uses sentence case for book and article titles (only the first word, proper nouns, and the word after a colon are capitalized). MLA uses title case (most major words capitalized). For papers with several authors, our guide on how to cite multiple authors covers the cut-off rules for three or more.
4. Dates and date placement
APA puts the year in parentheses right after the author, near the front of the entry. MLA puts the full publication date near the end of the entry and does not repeat it in the in-text citation.
Smith, J. (2022). Title of the article. Journal Name, 14(3), 45–60. https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxx
In-text: (Smith, 2022).
Smith, John. “Title of the Article.” Journal Name, vol. 14, no. 3, 2022, pp. 45–60.
In-text: (Smith 47).
For online sources, MLA often uses a day-month-year format (for example, 5 Mar. 2023) and may end with an access date. APA uses a “Retrieved Month Day, Year, from URL” note only when the content is likely to change. See how to cite a website for examples in each style.
5. Disciplines and overall feel
The styles reflect the values of their fields. APA highlights when research was published because findings can age quickly in science. MLA highlights exactly where a quotation appears because close reading of texts matters in the humanities.
Full reference examples compared
Here is the same generic book cited in both styles so you can see every difference in one place.
Smith, J. (2019). Understanding the topic (2nd ed.). Academic Press.
In-text: (Smith, 2019).
Smith, John. Understanding the Topic. 2nd ed., Academic Press, 2019.
In-text: (Smith 88).
Notice that APA lowercases most title words and places the edition before the publisher, while MLA capitalizes title words and lists the edition as “2nd ed.” For a step-by-step walkthrough, read how to cite a book and how to cite a journal article.
Quick comparison table
- In-text: APA = (Author, Year); MLA = (Author Page).
- Source list name: APA = References; MLA = Works Cited.
- Author names: APA = surname plus initials, ampersand; MLA = full first name, “and.”
- Title case: APA = sentence case; MLA = title case.
- Date placement: APA = near front, in parentheses; MLA = near end of entry.
- Common fields: APA = sciences and social sciences; MLA = humanities.
How to choose between APA and MLA
You usually do not choose at all. Follow these steps:
- Check the assignment instructions or syllabus first. The required style is almost always stated there.
- If it is not stated, match the style to the subject: a psychology lab report points to APA, an English essay points to MLA.
- Ask your instructor when in doubt. Using the wrong style can cost marks even when your citations are otherwise correct.
- Once you know the style, stay consistent in both your in-text citations and your source list.
If your course uses a different system, we also cover Chicago and Harvard, and you can compare them all in citation styles explained.
Build correct citations automatically
Once you know which style you need, you can generate accurate entries in seconds. Use the APA citation generator for social science and science papers, or the MLA citation generator for humanities papers. Both produce a formatted reference and the matching in-text citation, so you can paste them straight into your document. For deeper formatting rules, the APA format guide and MLA format guide walk through margins, headings, and spacing.
Frequently asked questions
Is APA or MLA easier to use?
Neither is harder overall; they are just different. APA can feel simpler for source lists because the date is near the front, while MLA can feel simpler in the text because you do not memorize years. The easiest approach is to pick the required style and apply its rules consistently.
Can I use APA and MLA in the same paper?
No. Choose one style and use it throughout the entire paper, including in-text citations, the source list, and formatting like headings and spacing. Mixing styles looks inconsistent and often loses marks.
What is the main difference between APA and MLA in-text citations?
APA in-text citations include the author and the year, for example (Smith, 2020). MLA in-text citations include the author and the page number with no comma, for example (Smith 42). APA only adds a page number for direct quotations.
Do APA and MLA call the reference page the same thing?
No. APA calls the final list of sources “References,” while MLA calls it “Works Cited.” In both styles the entries are alphabetized by the first author’s last name and use a hanging indent.