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Research · head to head

Mendeley vs Paperpile

Mendeley logo

Mendeley

Research

The free all-in-one reference manager

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Paperpile logo

Paperpile

Research

Reference management essentials

From
$4.15/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Mendeley has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Mendeley free tier limited to 5 Reading Assistant questions per month and 2GB storage; Paperpile no monthly billing option; annual billing only
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 28 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Mendeley and Paperpile actually diverge.

Attributes where Mendeley and Paperpile differ
AttributeMendeleyPaperpile
Starting priceFree$4.15/month
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo

Identical on both: platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Research).

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Mendeley

  • Storing and organizing large research librariesnot Paperpile
  • Searching and querying PDFs in librarynot Paperpile
  • Uncovering patterns and connections across referencesnot Paperpile
  • Comparing experimental data across multiple studiesnot Paperpile

Paperpile

  • Organizing research papers and managing academic citationsnot Mendeley
  • Creating citations in multiple styles and BibTeX for writingnot Mendeley
  • Collaborating on research through shared reference librariesnot Mendeley
  • Integrating citations into Google Docs and Microsoft Wordnot Mendeley

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Mendeley

  • Free tier limited to 5 Reading Assistant questions per month and 2GB storage
  • Annual billing required to receive one free month equivalent discount
  • Storage limits restricted on Plus (5GB) and Pro (10GB) tiers

Paperpile

  • No monthly billing option; annual billing only
  • Regular plan lacks full-text PDF search and annotations
  • Safari and Firefox browser extensions currently in beta
  • Chrome signup initially required

Pricing, plan by plan

Mendeley

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 2GB storage
    • 5 Reading Assistant questions per month
  • Plus$4.99/month
    • Unlimited Reading Assistant
    • 5GB storage
    • $55/year annual billing
  • Pro$9.99/month
    • Unlimited Reading Assistant
    • Compare Experiments
    • Ask My Library
  • Max$14.99/month
    • Unlimited Reading Assistant
    • Compare Experiments
    • Ask My Library

Paperpile

$4.15/month
  • Regular$4.15/month
    • Basic reference management
    • PDF storage and citation generation
    • Integrations with Word, Google Docs, and academic databases
  • Expert$5.75/month
    • All Regular features
    • Full-text PDF search
    • Notes and annotations

Which should you pick?

Choose Mendeley if

  • You want to start without paying.
Mendeley review

Choose Paperpile if

Nothing in the data separates Paperpile from Mendeley on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Paperpile review

Questions people ask

Is Mendeley or Paperpile better?
Neither clearly leads. Mendeley starts at Free and Paperpile at $4.15/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Mendeley or Paperpile?
Mendeley has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Mendeley and $4.15/month for Paperpile.
Does Mendeley or Paperpile run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Mendeley for free?
Yes. Mendeley has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Paperpile starts at $4.15/month.
What is Mendeley best used for?
Mendeley is most often used for storing and organizing large research libraries, searching and querying pdfs in library, uncovering patterns and connections across references, comparing experimental data across multiple studies. Of those, storing and organizing large research libraries and searching and querying pdfs in library are not what Paperpile is typically brought in for.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Mendeley: How much does Mendeley Premium cost?

Mendeley Plus costs $4.99 per month or $55 per year. Pro tier costs $9.99 per month or $110 per year. Max tier costs $14.99 per month or $165 per year. All annual plans include one free month of service.

Source
Paperpile: How much does Paperpile cost?

Paperpile costs $4.15 per month for the Regular plan or $5.75 per month for the Expert plan, both billed annually.

Source
Mendeley: Is there a free version of Mendeley?

Yes, Mendeley offers a free tier with 2GB of storage and 5 Reading Assistant questions per month. No credit card is required for the free plan.

Source
Paperpile: Is there a free trial available for Paperpile?

Yes, Paperpile offers a 30-day free trial for both plans.

Source
Mendeley: What storage do different Mendeley plans include?

The free tier includes 2GB storage. Plus tier provides 5GB storage. Pro tier includes 10GB storage. Max tier offers unlimited storage across all your research libraries.

Source
Paperpile: Does Paperpile offer academic or group discounts?

Yes, students, faculty, and researchers receive 50% off, and group discounts up to 20% off Expert plans are available when purchasing multiple seats.

Source
Paperpile: What billing options does Paperpile offer?

Paperpile accepts credit cards and PayPal, with additional payment options by location. Purchase orders are accepted for Enterprise customers.

Source
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