Paperlib AlternativesResearch Managers and other similar apps like Paperlib

Paperlib is described as 'An open-source and simple academic paper management tool' and is a research manager in the education & reference category. There are more than 10 alternatives to Paperlib for a variety of platforms, including Windows, Web-based, Mac, Linux and Google Chrome apps. The best Paperlib alternative is Zotero, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like Paperlib are Mendeley, Qiqqa, JabRef and Research.

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Paperlib alternatives page was last updated Dec 4, 2025

Zotero
470 likes
Zotero is a free, easy-to-use tool to help you collect, organize, share research and cite your research sources directly in your favourite word processor, with 300 MB free online storage.
78 Zotero alternatives
Cost / License
Freemium (Subscription)
Open Source
Application type
Research Manager
Origin
United States
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
iPad
Microsoft Edge
Google Chrome
Safari
Microsoft Word
Google Docs
LibreOffice
Mozilla Firefox
+2
Is Zotero a good alternative to Paperlib?
Zotero is the most popular Windows, Android, Mac & iPhone alternative to Paperlib.
Zotero is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to Paperlib.
Zotero is Freemium and Open SourcePaperlib is Free and Open Source
Zotero is Privacy focusedPaperlib is not according to our users
Mendeley
293 likes
Mendeley helps manage and share academic knowledge: Mendeley Desktop is free academic software (Windows, Mac, Linux) for organizing and sharing research papers and generating bibliographies with 1GB of free online storage to automatically back up and synchronize your library...
81 Mendeley alternatives
Cost / License
Freemium (Pay once)
Proprietary
Application type
Research Manager
Origin
Netherlands
EU
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
+2
Is Mendeley a good alternative to Paperlib?
Mendeley is the most popular Web-based alternative to Paperlib.
Mendeley is Freemium and ProprietaryPaperlib is Free and Open Source
Qiqqa
422 likes
Qiqqa is a free research and reference manager. Search for, read and annotate your PDFs. Then review your work, write up and create bibliographies instantly.
60 Qiqqa alternatives
Cost / License
Freemium (Subscription)
Open Source
Application type
Research Manager
Origin
United Kingdom
Platforms
Windows
+2
Is Qiqqa a good alternative to Paperlib?
Ad
Anara
Advanced AI workspace tailored for students, scientists, and teams, enabling academic paper search, passage extraction, citation finding, organizing projects, creating quizzes, flashcards, and ensuring reliable answers from major...

https://anara.com
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JabRef
103 likes
Bibliography reference manager. The native file format used by JabRef is BibTeX, the standard LaTeX bibliography format.
48 JabRef alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source
Application type
Research Manager
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Microsoft Edge
Vivaldi
Google Chrome
Mozilla Firefox
Is JabRef a good alternative to Paperlib?
Research
4 likes
The Research app is designed to streamline your workflow, offering a minimalist yet powerful platform for collecting, organizing, and analyzing research materials.
Cost / License
Freemium (Subscription)
Proprietary
Origin
International
Platforms
Windows
Mac
Linux
Is Research a good alternative to Paperlib?
EndNote
44 likes
A reference management software, used for searching online publication databases, & managing publications / bibliographies, with the ability to insert the references into a word processor.
46 EndNote alternatives
Cost / License
Pay once
Proprietary
Application type
Research Manager
Origin
United Kingdom
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Online
iPhone
iPad
Is EndNote a good alternative to Paperlib?
EndNote is the most popular commercial alternative to Paperlib.
EndNote is Paid and ProprietaryPaperlib is Free and Open Source
Paperpile
57 likes
Organize your research papers in a Gmail-like web app, sync your PDFs to Google Drive and cite your references in Google Docs.
45 Paperpile alternatives
Cost / License
Pay once
Proprietary
Application type
Research Manager
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Online
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
iPad
Google Chrome
Microsoft Office Word
Google Drive
Google Drive - Docs
Google Scholar
Is Paperpile a good alternative to Paperlib?
EazyFormat
1 like
EazyFormat allows professional-looking documents creation in seconds with Google Docs add-on using format templates and custom style presets that applies on the entire document in one click.
Cost / License
Freemium (Subscription)
Proprietary
Application types
Research Manager
Document Manager
Origin
United States
Platforms
Google Drive
Google Docs
Google Workspace
+3
Is EazyFormat a good alternative to Paperlib?
Paperguide.ai
2 likes
Paperguide is an advanced platform designed to simplify the research and writing process. With the AI Research Assistant, you can easily explore, understand, and summarize complex academic content.
Cost / License
Freemium (Subscription)
Proprietary
Platforms
Online
Software as a Service (SaaS)
Is Paperguide.ai a good alternative to Paperlib?
Paperguide.ai is the most popular SaaS alternative to Paperlib.
Paperguide.ai is Freemium and ProprietaryPaperlib is Free and Open Source
Paperguide.ai is Privacy focusedPaperlib is not according to our users
Elumity
1 like
Elumity is a powerful academic tool for managing and sharing knowledge, combining research, reference management, and collaboration in one platform.
Cost / License
Freemium (Subscription)
Proprietary
Application type
Research Manager
Origin
Switzerland
Platforms
Online
Is Elumity a good alternative to Paperlib?
Anara
Like
Advanced AI workspace tailored for students, scientists, and teams, enabling academic paper search, passage extraction, citation finding, organizing projects, creating quizzes, flashcards, and ensuring reliable answers from major databases and uploaded materials.
Cost / License
Freemium (Subscription)
Proprietary
Origin
United States
Platforms
Online
Google Chrome
+2
Is Anara a good alternative to Paperlib?