Paperpile

paid

Paperpile is a browser-based reference manager that makes it easy to collect, organize, cite, and share research papers. Integrates with Google Docs and Google Drive.

Research & Education

Academic Writing Tools

Citation Tools

About

Paperpile is a modern, intuitive reference management tool designed for students, academics, and researchers who need a streamlined way to handle their research libraries. Unlike traditional desktop-bound reference managers, Paperpile lives in your browser and syncs everything to Google Drive, giving you access to your PDFs and citations from any device. The tool integrates tightly with Google Docs, allowing users to insert inline citations and auto-generate bibliographies in any citation style without leaving their document. Paperpile's PDF scraper and import tools make it easy to capture papers from the web with a single click using its Chrome extension, and its smart metadata recognition ensures references are automatically populated correctly. Beyond the desktop experience, Paperpile offers fully featured iOS and Android apps, as well as beta support for Firefox and Safari. Users can annotate PDFs, organize references into folders, and collaborate with colleagues by sharing libraries or paper groups. The tool is particularly praised by PhD students and academics for reducing the friction in citation workflows and eliminating the frustrating data loss issues common with older reference managers. With a clean interface and deep Google Workspace integration, Paperpile is ideal for researchers who live in Chrome and Google Docs.

Key Features

Google Docs Citation Integration: Insert inline citations and auto-generate formatted bibliographies directly inside Google Docs without switching tools.
One-Click Web Import: Capture papers from the web instantly using the Paperpile Chrome extension, with automatic metadata extraction and PDF saving.
Cloud PDF Library: All PDFs sync to Google Drive, allowing you to access, read, and annotate your research library from any device, anywhere.
Mobile Apps for iOS & Android: Full-featured mobile apps let you read, annotate, and manage your reference library on the go from your smartphone or tablet.
Smart Organization & Search: Organize papers into folders and labels, and use powerful search to quickly find any reference in your library.

Use Cases

PhD students managing large collections of academic papers and needing quick citation insertion in thesis documents.
Academic researchers collaborating with colleagues by sharing reference libraries and annotated PDFs.
Writers and journalists tracking sources and building bibliographies for long-form research-backed articles.
University professors organizing course reading lists and research materials for students.
Science communicators and reviewers who need to systematically collect and cite literature across multiple projects.

Pros

Seamless Google Workspace Integration: Deep integration with Google Docs and Google Drive makes it the go-to choice for researchers already embedded in the Google ecosystem.
Clean, Intuitive Interface: Paperpile's minimalist design drastically reduces friction, making reference management feel effortless compared to legacy tools like EndNote or Mendeley.
Cross-Device Accessibility: Web, mobile (iOS/Android), and browser extension coverage ensures your library is always available wherever you work.

Cons

Requires a Google Account: Paperpile authenticates via Google, which can be a barrier for users or institutions that don't use Google Workspace.
Paid After Trial: There is no permanent free tier — after the 30-day trial, a paid subscription is required to continue using the service.
Chrome-First Experience: Full functionality is optimized for Chrome; Safari and Firefox support is still in beta, limiting users on other browsers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Paperpile is a web-based reference manager that helps researchers and students collect, organize, annotate, and cite academic papers. It integrates with Google Docs for in-document citation and bibliography generation.

Yes. Paperpile has a native Google Docs add-on that lets you search your library, insert citations, and automatically format bibliographies in hundreds of citation styles without leaving your document.

Paperpile offers a 30-day free trial. After the trial ends, a paid subscription is required to continue using the service.

Paperpile is available as a web app, a Chrome extension, and native iOS and Android apps. Beta support for Safari and Firefox is in progress.

Yes. Paperpile authenticates securely via Google and never accesses or stores your Google password. It only accesses Google Drive files that you upload through Paperpile itself.