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Comparison

EndNote vs Paperpile

EndNote lands on Depends, and Paperpile lands on Worth it.

Paperpile

paperpile.com

Worth it
Confidence: Medium

Buy if you're a student or academic who writes in Google Docs . it's fast, cheap, and reviewers repeatedly call it the most intuitive reference manager.

Read the full report

EndNote versus Paperpile
CompareEndNotePaperpile
VerdictDependsWorth it
Best forSystematic review teamsGoogle Docs / Workspace users
Who it's not forStudents and solo researchers on a budgetAnyone needing a free tool . use Zotero
PrivacyLow-to-moderate risk: one reported XSS on (marked patched); a US VA advisory notes a product vulnerability.15No known public vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.
Support qualityNo direct support-quality evidence foundNo support-quality evidence in sources
Public sentimentLongtime users praise its Word integration and systematic-review muscle, while many academics on Reddit complain about bugs and recommend free Zotero instead.⁵Users praise its speed, clean interface, and Google Docs citing; main gripes are library-size limits, broad permissions, and network blocks.
Biggest gotchaStandalone is $275 one-time; confirm whether future major versions cost extra²Web- and Google-account dependent; schools and workplaces have blocked it mid-writing.

Pick EndNote when

  • Systematic review teams
  • Word-heavy academic writers
  • Institutions buying site licenses
  • Researchers with large libraries and strict journal styles

When EndNote is not a fit

  • Students and solo researchers on a budget
  • Anyone writing the occasional paper . a free tool suffices
  • LaTeX/BibTeX users . JabRef or Zotero fit better
  • Teams wanting free, web-based collaboration

Pick Paperpile when

  • Google Docs / Workspace users
  • Grad students and academics
  • Labs sharing PDF libraries
  • Literature review and grant writers

When Paperpile is not a fit

  • Anyone needing a free tool . use Zotero
  • Libraries of 5,000+ papers
  • Users on locked-down school or work networks
  • Non-Google shops wanting mature Word support

Sources

  1. EndNote official siteendnote.com
    official
  2. EndNote pricing guidecasrai.org
    news
  3. EndNote free trialendnote.com
    official
  4. EndNote Pricing 2026 . TrustRadiustrustradius.com
    review
  5. EndNote Reviews . G2g2.com
    review
  6. EndNote video reviews . G2g2.com
    review
  7. EndNote customer reviews . Trustpilottrustpilot.com
    review
  8. EndNote is terrible . Reddit r/PhDreddit.com
    review
  9. Is EndNote really the best reference manager? . Reddit r/PhDreddit.com
    review
  10. Resource Review: EndNote 21 desktop version . PMCpmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
    review
  11. EndNote vs Zotero . Paperpilepaperpile.com
    review
  12. Citation management alternatives . Duke University Librarymclibrary.duke.edu
    news
  13. EndNote guide . McMaster University LibGuideslibguides.mcmaster.ca
    official
  14. EndNote . Harvard Medical School ITit.hms.harvard.edu
    official
  15. Open Bug Bounty report for endnote.comopenbugbounty.org
    security
  16. EndNote . VA Technical Reference Modeloit.va.gov
    security