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Paperpile
Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
What it is
Paperpile is a reference manager for collecting, organizing, and writing with research papers. It can import references, extract PDF metadata, organize libraries with folders and labels, detect duplicates, repair metadata, and search a collection; plans include unlimited storage for research PDFs. Citation support covers more than 10,000 styles and plugins for Google Docs and Microsoft Word. Shared folders and libraries, access permissions, and collaborative PDF annotations and citations support group work. Android and iOS apps sync with the web library and offer highlights, notes, and drawn annotations. Users can search 150 million articles across sources including PubMed, arXiv, and CrossRef, then save PDFs. Integrations include Google Drive sync, Overleaf, browser extensions, and academic databases and publishers. Regular is $4.15 a month and Expert is $5.75 a month, with annual billing; a 30-day trial is available. New sign-ups are currently available on Chrome; Safari and Firefox access is in beta.
For and against
For
- Unlimited storage for research PDFs.
- More than 10,000 citation styles.
- Google Docs and Microsoft Word plugins.
- Mobile apps sync with the web library.
- 30-day trial is available.
Against
- No free plan.
- Plans are billed annually.
- Safari and Firefox access is in beta.
- New sign-ups are currently available on Chrome.
The verdict
Paperpile combines reference organization, PDF tools, citation support, and collaboration, with mobile apps that sync to its web library. Consider the annual plan pricing and current browser availability when deciding whether it fits your workflow.
Who it suits
Paperpile suits researchers who want to organize papers, manage citations, and annotate PDFs across web and mobile apps. Its shared libraries and collaborative annotations also suit research groups.
Plans and prices
Regular
Collect and organize references · Store and read PDFs · Major citation styles and BibTeX · Basic Word, Google Docs, academic database, and publisher integrations
Read 2 Oct 2026 · paperpile.com
Expert
Everything in Regular · Full-text PDF search · Notes and PDF annotations · Shared folders and libraries
Read 2 Oct 2026 · paperpile.com
Enterprise and Institutions
Everything in Expert · SAML single sign-on · Advanced security and privacy settings · Custom MSA and SLA
Read 2 Oct 2026 · paperpile.com
On the record
- Authentication and Drive access
- Paperpile says it authenticates with Google without accessing or storing the user's password and accesses only files uploaded through Paperpile in Google Drive.paperpile.com · read 2 Oct 2026
- Browser support
- The site says new sign-ups are currently available on Chrome and that Safari and Firefox access is in beta.paperpile.com · read 2 Oct 2026
- Citations
- Paperpile says it supports citation styles for major standards and journals, with more than 10,000 styles, plus Google Docs and Microsoft Word citation plugins.paperpile.com · read 2 Oct 2026
- Collaboration
- Paperpile describes shared folders, shared libraries, access permissions, and collaborative PDF annotations and citations.paperpile.com · read 2 Oct 2026
- Company history and location
- Paperpile says it was founded in 2012 by three computational biologists and gives its mailing address as Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.paperpile.com · read 2 Oct 2026
- Discounts and billing
- The pricing page says plans are billed annually and lists a 50% academic discount and group discounts of up to 20% on Expert plans.paperpile.com · read 2 Oct 2026
- Enterprise security
- The Enterprise and Institutions plan lists SAML single sign-on, advanced security and privacy settings, vendor security reviews, and HIPAA.paperpile.com · read 2 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- The pricing page lists Google Drive sync, Overleaf integration, browser extensions, academic database and publisher integrations, and OneDrive sync in beta.paperpile.com · read 2 Oct 2026
- Mobile apps
- Paperpile offers iOS and Android apps that sync the research library with the web app and support PDF highlights, notes, and hand-drawn annotations.paperpile.com · read 2 Oct 2026
- PDF storage
- The plan comparison lists unlimited storage for research PDFs.paperpile.com · read 2 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Paperpile describes itself as a home for research papers and says its goal is to simplify collecting, managing, and writing papers.paperpile.com · read 2 Oct 2026
- Reference management
- The pricing page lists reference import, PDF metadata extraction, folders and labels, library search, duplicate detection, and metadata repair.paperpile.com · read 2 Oct 2026
- Research discovery
- The mobile app page says users can search 150 million articles across sources including PubMed, arXiv, and CrossRef and save PDFs with one tap.paperpile.com · read 2 Oct 2026
- Support
- Paperpile directs questions to [email protected].paperpile.com · read 2 Oct 2026
