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Paperpile

Paid
reference managercitationacademicresearchproductivitybibliographypdfgoogle docswritingscience

Paperpile is a cloud-based reference management tool designed for researchers and students, simplifying the collection, organization, and citation of academic papers directly within your browser and word processor.

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Paperpile is a modern reference manager that streamlines the academic writing process by deeply integrating with the Google ecosystem. It primarily serves academics, researchers, and students who need to efficiently manage a large volume of scholarly articles and PDFs. Its core value proposition lies in its seamless, browser-based workflow; users can save papers with one click, organize them in a cloud-based library, and automatically insert citations and bibliographies into Google Docs or Microsoft Word. Unlike older, desktop-centric software, Paperpile leverages the user's own Google Drive for storage, offering a clean, fast, and web-native experience. This focus makes it particularly effective for individuals and teams already embedded in Google's productivity suite.

Pros

  • Seamless, best-in-class integration with Google Chrome and Google Docs.
  • Clean, intuitive, and fast web-based interface that requires minimal setup.
  • Automatic metadata fetching and PDF downloading from academic databases and publisher sites.
  • Uses personal Google Drive for PDF storage, providing user control and virtually unlimited space.
  • Fully-featured mobile apps for iOS and Android for on-the-go access and annotation.

Cons

  • Strong dependency on Google Chrome for the best user experience; functionality is limited on other browsers.
  • No permanent free tier, which can be a barrier compared to competitors like Zotero and Mendeley.
  • Microsoft Word plugin is generally considered less polished and stable than its Google Docs counterpart.
  • While it supports collaboration, real-time co-editing and advanced team management features can be less robust than some alternatives.

Key features

  • Browser extension for one-click importing of articles and metadata.
  • Cloud-based library for organizing references, PDFs, and notes.
  • Google Docs and Microsoft Word add-ins for citing and generating bibliographies.
  • Support for over 9,000 citation styles.
  • Built-in PDF viewer with annotation and highlighting tools.
  • Collaborative features including shared folders and papers.
  • Mobile apps for iOS and Android.
  • Automatic de-duplication of references.

Integrations

Google ChromeGoogle DocsGoogle DriveGoogle ScholarMicrosoft WordPubMedArXivScopusWeb of Science

Target audience

Academics, researchers, scientists, graduate students, and anyone involved in writing scholarly articles, theses, or dissertations.

Ratings & Reviews

0.0

Based on 0 reviews

Key Metrics

Active Users

700,000+ users

Founded

2012

Headquarters

Cambridge, USA

Pricing Tiers

Academic

For students and researchers. Includes all features such as Google Docs and Word integration, PDF annotation, mobile apps, and unlimited references. Billed at $3.99/mo if paid annually.

$5.99/mo

Business

For commercial labs, teams and companies. Includes all Academic features plus priority support and centralized team billing & license management. Billed at $9.99/mo if paid annually.

$11.99/mo

Frequently Asked Questions

Top Alternatives to Paperpile

Zotero

Choose Zotero if you prioritize a free, open-source solution that is highly extensible and not tied to any single corporate ecosystem.

Mendeley

Mendeley is a strong choice if you want a freemium model with social networking features for discovering researchers and papers within its large user base.

EndNote

Opt for EndNote if you need the most powerful, long-standing desktop software for complex library management and your institution provides a license.

Ready to get started?

Join thousands of users and see how Paperpile can transform your workflow today.

Visit Paperpile