Paperpile
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.
Comparison
Paperpile vs JabRef
Paperpile lands on Worth it, and JabRef lands on Depends.
JabRef
Depends
Confidence: Medium
Use it if you write in LaTeX and want a free, local, BibTeX-native library.
| Compare | Paperpile | JabRef |
|---|---|---|
| Verdict | Worth it | Depends |
| Best for | Google Docs / Workspace users | LaTeX/BibTeX researchers |
| Who it's not for | Anyone needing a free tool . use Zotero | Word/Docs-only writers . BibTeX-first design gets in the way |
| Privacy | No known public vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed. | Open-source code public on GitHub; CVE tracker records 1 vulnerability; official security page not found. |
| Support quality | No support-quality evidence in sources | No support evidence found |
| Public sentiment | Users praise its speed, clean interface, and Google Docs citing; main gripes are library-size limits, broad permissions, and network blocks.⁹ | Sources describe JabRef as a powerful, free, user-friendly tool, though in-depth independent reviews are scarce. |
| Biggest gotcha | Web- and Google-account dependent; schools and workplaces have blocked it mid-writing.⁷ | Guess: migrating from Zotero/Mendeley requires BibTeX export checks before committing. |
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
Pick JabRef when
- LaTeX/BibTeX researchers
- PhD students on a budget
- Privacy-minded users wanting local storage
- Cross-platform desktop workflows
When JabRef is not a fit
- Word/Docs-only writers . BibTeX-first design gets in the way
- Casual users with a few PDFs . overkill
- Teams needing cloud collaboration or shared libraries
- Anyone expecting vendor support or SLAs
Sources
- Paperpile Pricingpaperpile.comofficial
- Paperpile subscriptions explainedpaperpile.comofficial
- Paperpile - Google Workspace Marketplaceworkspace.google.comofficial
- Zotero vs Paperpile: Complete Comparison (2026)paperguide.aireview
- Paperpile Reviews 2026 - Capterracapterra.comreview
- Paperpile Reviews, Pros and Cons - Software Advicesoftwareadvice.comreview
review
- Permissions even more unreasonable - Paperpile forumforum.paperpile.comreview
- Paperpile vs Zotero - Paperpile forumforum.paperpile.comreview
- Paperpile - Harvard Medical School ITit.hms.harvard.eduofficial
official
- JabRef vs Paperpile: Pricing and Reviewsspotsaas.comreview
- How We Rebuilt a Research SaaS Used by 200,000+ Academicscreativecomplete.comnews
- About BibGuru (Paperpile, founded 2013)bibguru.comofficial