Paperpile
A clean reference manager for the browser and Google Docs.
At a Glance
- Publisher
- Paperpile
- Coverage
not a content database — a reference manager focused on web-based workflows, with strong Google Docs / Google Workspace integration (and a separate app for Word/BibTeX users)
- Access
paid subscription (with academic pricing)
- Free alternative
- Zotero
- Regional
global.
Our Take
Paperpile is the reference manager for people who live in the browser and Google Docs — fast one-click capture, clean organization, and citation insertion that works smoothly inside Google’s editor, where Zotero and EndNote are clunkier. The trade-offs versus Zotero are cost (it’s subscription-only) and being less open. Use it if your writing happens in Google Docs and you want a frictionless fit; Zotero remains the free, open default for most, and both export cleanly into screening tools.
Power Tips
- Choose Paperpile if you draft in Google Docs — its citation integration there is smoother than the free managers’
- keep one clean library per project and export RIS/BibTeX into your screening or review tools as needed (Issue 3).
Alternatives & Complements
Zotero · Mendeley · EndNote · Citavi.
Figures last verified: August 16, 2026