Softwr

Research · head to head

Paperpile vs Schrodinger

Paperpile logo

Paperpile

Research

Reference management essentials

From
$4.15/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Schrodinger logo

Schrodinger

Research

Physics based molecular modelling and drug discovery software, licensed by token pool

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Paperpile no monthly billing option; annual billing only; Schrodinger licences are sold as token pools rather than unlimited module access, so a department can be blocked mid campaign because colleagues are consuming concurrency, and expanding the pool is a new commercial negotiation rather than a setting.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Paperpile and Schrodinger actually diverge.

Attributes where Paperpile and Schrodinger differ
AttributePaperpileSchrodinger
Starting price$4.15/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
PlatformsWebLinux, macOS, Windows, Web

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Research).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Paperpile

Nothing recorded that Schrodinger does not also cover.

Only in Schrodinger

  • Maestro
  • Glide
  • FEP+
  • Desmond
  • Jaguar
  • LiveDesign
  • Materials Science suite

What people use each for

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

Paperpile

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

Schrodinger

  • A medicinal chemistry programme using FEP+ to prioritise which analogues to synthesise, where avoiding a handful of wasted syntheses pays for the licencenot Paperpile
  • A structure based design campaign that needs docking at scale against a target with a good crystal structurenot Paperpile
  • A materials group modelling polymer or electrolyte properties before committing to formulation experimentsnot Paperpile
  • A university modelling group that qualifies for the published academic site licence and needs Maestro across a teaching and research cohortnot Paperpile

Where each one falls short

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

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

Schrodinger

  • Licences are sold as token pools rather than unlimited module access, so a department can be blocked mid campaign because colleagues are consuming concurrency, and expanding the pool is a new commercial negotiation rather than a setting.
  • Commercial pricing is not published and is negotiated against modules, cores and term, so two companies of similar size can pay very different amounts and neither can benchmark the other.
  • FEP+ needs substantial GPU capacity that is not included in the licence, so the real annual cost includes cloud or on premise hardware that often rivals the software line item.
  • The tools require trained computational chemists to produce trustworthy results, and an organisation without that function will generate predictions it cannot interpret or defend to its own medicinal chemists.
  • Schrodinger runs its own internal drug discovery pipeline alongside selling software to discovery companies, and some prospective customers treat that dual role as a conflict when discussing proprietary targets, which slows procurement even where contractual separation exists.

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Schrodinger

On request
  • Commercial licence$undefined/year
    • Quoted per customer against modules, cores and licence term
    • Applications draw from a shared token pool that caps concurrency
    • GPU compute for FEP+ and Desmond is a separate cost, on premise or cloud
  • Academic site licence$undefined/year
    • Published academic entry around 7,500 USD a year for a premium package with a token allocation
    • Restricted to academic and research use, not work supporting a commercial enterprise
    • Maestro generally unrestricted with tokens shared for compute heavy applications

Which should you pick?

Choose Paperpile if

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

Paperpile review

Choose Schrodinger if

  • You need maestro.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows, Web.
  • You also want glide.
Schrodinger review

Questions people ask

Is Paperpile or Schrodinger better?
Neither clearly leads. Paperpile starts at $4.15/month and Schrodinger at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Paperpile or Schrodinger?
Paperpile starts at $4.15/month and Schrodinger at On request.
Does Paperpile or Schrodinger run on more platforms?
Paperpile runs on Web. Schrodinger runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, Web.
What is Paperpile best used for?
Paperpile is most often used for organizing research papers and managing academic citations, creating citations in multiple styles and bibtex for writing, collaborating on research through shared reference libraries, integrating citations into google docs and microsoft word. Of those, organizing research papers and managing academic citations and creating citations in multiple styles and bibtex for writing are not what Schrodinger is typically brought in for.
What can Paperpile do that Schrodinger cannot?
Schrodinger covers Maestro, Glide, FEP+, Desmond.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Schrodinger: How is Schrodinger software licensed?

Annual licences with a shared token pool. Tokens cap how much you can run at once rather than which modules you own outright.

Paperpile: Is there a free trial available for Paperpile?

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

Source
Schrodinger: Is there published pricing?

Only for academic site licences, which start around 7,500 USD a year for a premium package. Commercial pricing is quoted.

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
Schrodinger: Do I need my own GPUs?

For FEP+ and Desmond in practice yes, or cloud GPU capacity. Compute is not included in the licence.

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
Schrodinger: Does Schrodinger compete with its customers?

It runs its own drug pipeline as well as selling software. It manages this through contractual separation, but buyers with sensitive targets should raise it during procurement.

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