Best Paperpile Alternatives in 2026
Updated
20 apps from reference management software ranked against Paperpile on the same published basis.
- 1Paperpile vs Zotero
- 2Paperpile vs Lean Library Workspace
- 3Paperpile vs EndNote
- 5Paperpile vs ReadCube Papers
- 6Paperpile vs Sciwand
- 7Paperpile vs Bookends
- 8Paperpile vs Mendeley Reference Manager
- 9Paperpile vs JabRef
- 10Paperpile vs Petal
- 11Paperpile vs Citavi
- 12Paperpile vs Paperite
- 13Paperpile vs Jurism
- 14Paperpile vs Papis
- 15Paperpile vs Logically
- 16Paperpile vs RefWorks
- 17Paperpile vs CiteDrive BibTeX Studio
- 18Paperpile vs Wren
- 19Paperpile vs Avidemux
- 20Paperpile vs Pramaana
- 21Paperpile vs BibSonomy
Paperpile alternatives compared
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zotero | 9.7 | Free plan | $1.67/mo | Android, API, Browser, iOS, Linux, Mac, self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| 2 | Lean Library Workspace | 9.1 | Free plan | Free | Android, Browser, iOS, Web |
| 3 | EndNote | 9.0 | No | — | Browser, iOS, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 5 | ReadCube Papers | 8.7 | No | $7.92/mo | Android, API, Browser, iOS, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 6 | Sciwand | 8.7 | Free plan | Free | iOS, Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 7 | Bookends | 8.4 | No | $1.25/mo | Browser, iOS, Mac |
| 8 | Mendeley Reference Manager | 7.8 | Free plan | $4.58/mo | Browser, Linux, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 9 | JabRef | 7.5 | Free plan | Free | Browser, Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 10 | Petal | 7.4 | Free plan | $2.55/mo | Browser, Web |
| 11 | Citavi | 7.2 | No | — | Browser, Web, Windows |
| 12 | Paperite | 7.1 | Free plan | $15/mo | Web |
| 13 | Jurism | 6.8 | Free plan | Free | Browser, Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 14 | Papis | 6.3 | Free plan | Free | API, Linux, self-hosted, Web |
| 15 | Logically | 6.0 | No | — | Web |
| 16 | RefWorks | 6.0 | No | — | Web |
| 17 | CiteDrive BibTeX Studio | 5.8 | No | — | Web |
| 18 | Wren | 5.6 | No | — | Mac |
| 19 | Avidemux | 5.6 | Free plan | Free | Web, Windows, Mac, Linux |
| 20 | Pramaana | 5.5 | No | — | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 21 | BibSonomy | 5.4 | No | — | Web |
Make your app an alternative to Paperpile
See the priceThe sponsored alternative slot on this page is labelled and never changes the order above.
Questions about Paperpile alternatives
What is the best alternative to Paperpile?
Zotero, number 1 in reference management software with a score of 9.7 out of 10. The others here: Lean Library Workspace, EndNote, ReadCube Papers and 16 more.
What is the best free alternative to Paperpile?
Zotero is the best-ranked alternative with a free plan. 10 of the 20 alternatives here publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Is there an open-source alternative to Paperpile?
Yes: Avidemux.
How are these alternatives ranked?
Ranked mobile-first: a phone app alongside the web or desktop product, a free tier and the depth of its documentation. Paid placements never change a rank.