We may earn a commission if you buy through links on this page. It never changes a score or a ranking. How we make money
Paid plans start at $8.30/mo.
Paperpile lists Regular at $8.30 per user per month and Expert at $11.50, with both prices billed annually. Monthly billing is unavailable, Enterprise and Institutions pricing is not published, and there is no free plan. A 30-day free trial is available. The key choice is whether you need Expert’s full-text PDF search, annotations and shared libraries. Paperpile also lists a 50% academic discount for eligible users and nonprofits.
01Every plan, line by line
| Plan | Billed annually | Billed monthly | Built for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular | $8.30 | — | Core reference management |
| Expert | $11.50 | — | Researchers managing growing libraries |
| Enterprise and Institutions | — | Quote | Institutions needing security and support |
Add-ons and overages
- Academic discount: 50% off for eligible users and nonprofits
- Expert group discounts: up to 20%; per-user price decreases as seats increase
- Multi-year subscriptions available by contacting Paperpile
What a team pays per month
| Plan | 1 seat | 5 seats | 10 seats | 25 seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular | $8.30 | $41.50 | $83 | $207.50 |
| Expert | $11.50 | $57.50 | $115 | $287.50 |
02What the plan grid doesn't tell you
Annual billing only
The listed monthly rates require annual billing. That works out to $99.60 per user yearly for Regular and $138 for Expert.
Expert adds file features
Regular includes unlimited PDF storage. Supplementary file storage is listed under Expert, so check which files you need to store.
Enterprise price not published
Paperpile does not publish an Enterprise and Institutions per-user price. Multi-year subscriptions are available by contacting the vendor.
Discounts have conditions
The listed academic discount is 50% for eligible users and nonprofits. Expert group discounts reach 20% as seat counts increase.
03Which plan should you buy?
| If you are… | Get | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Researchers managing core references | Regular | Includes unlimited PDF storage, citations in 10,000+ styles, Word and Google Docs plugins, and basic integrations. |
| Researchers with growing libraries | Expert | Adds full-text PDF search, notes and annotations, shared folders and libraries, and supplementary file storage. |
| Institutions needing security and support | Enterprise and Institutions | Adds SAML single sign-on, custom MSA and SLA, HIPAA, and vendor security reviews; pricing is not published. |
04Is Paperpile worth the money?
Paperpile’s case is its paper-to-Google-Docs workflow: the listed plans include citation plugins, and the product supports collaborative writing and research sharing. Regular starts at $8.30 per user per month, but only with annual billing; there is no free plan. That makes the 30-day trial useful for checking the workflow before committing. If a free reference manager covers your needs, Paperpile’s convenience has to justify a recurring paid subscription.
Paperpile pricing FAQ
Does Paperpile use AI?
The published Paperpile feature and pricing information does not list AI features, so we can’t confirm an AI capability from these sources. It describes collecting, organizing, reading, annotating, citing and sharing research. Check Paperpile’s current product documentation for any AI tools listed separately.
Is there a citation plugin for Google Docs?
Yes. Paperpile lists Word and Google Docs plugins with Regular, and its product description says users can cite while writing and collaborate in Google Docs. The published information does not specify plugin limits or whether any features require a particular browser or setup.
How do I use Paperpile?
Paperpile is for collecting papers and PDFs, organizing a library, reading and annotating papers, and adding formatted citations and bibliographies. Its product description also includes sharing papers, notes and ideas with a team, and collaborative citing in Google Docs.
Is Paperpile better than Zotero?
The published information does not compare Paperpile’s features or pricing directly with Zotero, so we can’t call one better. Paperpile’s listed strengths include Google Docs citation and collaboration; its trade-offs are annual-only paid plans and no free plan. Compare both against your workflow and budget.