Estravon

Open source

Estravon is built on two public repositories. You can use just estravon-plugin or both.

estravon-plugin

tiberavonltd/estravon-plugin

The Zotero plugin. Works with both the hosted service (api.estravon.com) and a self-hosted local backend. Install from the XPI file — no developer tools needed.

estravon-backend

tiberavonltd/estravon-backend

The vanilla Python backend. Runs on your machine and serves results to the plugin over localhost. Use your own API key with Mistral, Replicate, or Datalab — or the MinerU engine, which runs entirely on your own hardware with no key and no third party in the loop.

Quickest start: pip install

You don't need to clone the repository to run the backend. Install directly from PyPI, create a working folder with a .env file containing your Mistral API key (or skip the key entirely — see below), and start:

pip install estravon-backend
estravon --port 7766

Get a pay-as-you-go API key at Mistral / Replicate, or a subscription API key at Datalab — or run the MinerU engine locally and pay no one. Full step-by-step at

estravon.com/install →

Two ways to use the plugin

Option A — Hosted service

Install the plugin, point it at api.estravon.com (the default), and buy a credit pack. No local setup, we take care of everything else.

Get started →

Option B — Self-hosted backend

Install the plugin and the backend. Point the plugin at http://localhost:7766. Configure your backend. Your machine sends your PDF straight to Mistral, Replicate, or Datalab — or, with the MinerU engine, to nowhere at all.

Install guide →

Updating the plugin

Zotero checks for plugin updates automatically once every 24 hours. The check is driven by a background timer — restarting Zotero does not reset the countdown. When a new version is available, Zotero installs it silently if "Allow automatic updates" is enabled in Tools → Plugins.

To update immediately without waiting 24 hours:

  1. Open Zotero → Tools → Plugins
  2. Click the gear icon (⚙) next to Estravon
  3. Choose Check for Updates

This calls the update check directly and bypasses the timer. The plugin downloads and installs the new XPI in place.