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Paperpile

Rating: 4.5
User Satisfaction: 91%
Paperpile is a reference management tool that organizes papers and inserts citations in Google Docs for researchers so they can write, cite, and collaborate faster.

Alternative To

Overview

Paperpile is a cloud-based reference manager built primarily for Google Docs users. It helps you collect academic papers, manage PDFs, and insert citations while writing—without desktop software or complex setup.

It runs in the browser and integrates tightly with Google Docs, Google Drive, and Chrome.

Most reference managers feel heavy, slow, or outdated—especially if you live in Google Docs. Paperpile is lightweight and fast. You can search papers, save PDFs, annotate them, and cite sources without leaving your writing workflow.

It’s especially valuable for researchers, students, and teams who collaborate in real time and don’t want to deal with syncing issues or desktop apps.

You install the Chrome extension, connect your Google account, and start adding references from PubMed, Google Scholar, publisher sites, or PDFs. Paperpile automatically extracts metadata, stores PDFs in the cloud, and lets you cite directly inside Google Docs.

Details

Tool Launch / Founded Date

2012-01-01 (approx.)

Best for

Researchers, graduate students, academics, teams working in Google Docs

Access Type

Paid subscription (Free trial available

Licensing Model

Proprietary software; users retain full rights to their documents and annotations

Feature

  • Seamless citation insertion directly in Google Docs
  • Cloud-based reference library with automatic syncing
  • One-click PDF import and metadata extraction
  • Built-in PDF reader with highlights and notes
  • Thousands of citation styles (APA, MLA, Chicago, journals)
  • Fast search across PubMed, CrossRef, Google Scholar
  • Shared libraries for teams and labs
  • Automatic bibliography updates as you write

Pricing Tables

Free
$0
  • Get started in seconds
  • All features included
ACADEMIC
$2.99/month
  • All features included
  • For academic institutions, non-profits and personal use
Business
$9.99/month
  • All features included
  • For business and industry

Analytics

Traffic Analysis

Domain Rating
74
Organic Traffic
896.57K
Majority Users
United States

Visits Over Time

No visit data found.

Traffic Sources

No traffic data found.

Last Update Date: 2025-12-23

FAQ

Can I use Paperpile for commercial or published research?
Yes. You retain full rights to your work and can publish papers commercially or academically without restrictions.
Does Paperpile work offline?
Limited. You need an internet connection for most features, including citation search and syncing.
How many references can I store?
Unlimited references and PDFs on the paid plan.
Does it support Microsoft Word?
Paperpile focuses on Google Docs. Word support is limited compared to desktop-first reference managers.
Can I collaborate with others?
Yes. You can share libraries and collaborate with teams in real time.
Does Paperpile train AI models on my data?
No public indication that user libraries or PDFs are used for AI training.

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