# Paperpile — Manage research papers

> Research paper management and annotation tool for academics. (iPhone/iPad app by Paperpile LLC.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paperpile/id1187562736 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Paperpile LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1187562735)
- Category: Productivity, Education
- Price: Free
- Rating: 4.50/5 from 129 App Store ratings · 81 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 12.0 · 242 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2020-07-21
- Data updated: 2026-06-09
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paperpile/id1187562736/reviews.md

## What is Paperpile?

Get a head start for you research and finally beat the paper chaos on your desk. With Paperpile you have all your research PDFs in one place — nice and tidy. Paperpile makes it easier than ever to collect, manage, read, and annotate your papers. 

FIND & COLLECT

- Search millions of papers from 20,000+ academic journals right in the app.
- Add new papers to your collection with one tap and the PDF will be downloaded automatically.
- Save directly from your browser to your Paperpile library
- User your university's off-campus proxy access to get restricted content behind paywalls.


MANAGE & ORGANIZE

- Bring structure to your library with folders and subfolders
- Organize your library visually with colored labels
- Mark important papers with stars.
- Search your library to find the paper you need fast.

READ & ANNOTATE

- Read like on paper with a fast and slick PDF viewer experience
- Highlight important sections in different colors
- Add notes and never forget an important idea.
- Add hand-drawn annotations - with your fingers or your Apple Pencil


The Paperpile App requires a Paperpile account.

## Key features

- Search millions of academic papers
- Collect PDFs with one tap
- Organize with folders and labels
- Read and annotate PDFs
- Highlight and add notes
- Browser integration for saving

## What do users think of Paperpile?

Overall sentiment: mixed

**Pros**

- 👍 Excellent reference library management
- 🔄 Seamless cross-device synchronization
- ✍️ Intuitive PDF annotation and highlighting
- 🎨 Clean and minimalist user interface
- 📱 Strong iPad and mobile integration
- 🏷️ Effective tagging and organization system
- 🔗 Great Google Docs integration
- 📚 Superior to Mendeley, Zotero, and Endnote
- ⚡ Fast and responsive PDF viewer
- 🔐 Institutional proxy support for PDF downloads

**Cons**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and instability
- ⏱️ Lack of updates for extended periods
- 📱 Mobile app significantly behind web version features
- 🔋 High battery drain on iPad
- 🌙 No dark mode support
- 🔗 Limited browser support (Chrome only)
- 📝 Cannot edit metadata on mobile app
- 🔐 Limited authentication options (Google login only)
- 📤 File size limitations (50-100MB)
- 🔄 Sync issues and login problems
- ⚠️ Highlighting issues on iPad with overlapping annotations
- 💾 Annotations disappearing after closing PDFs

**Commonly reported bugs**

- App crashes frequently on iPad and iOS devices
- Highlighting disappears when revisiting papers
- Overlapping annotations delete together when removing one
- Sync failures requiring logout/login cycles
- Annotations not syncing between iPad and web versions
- PDF metadata recognition failures when adding papers
- Settings reset when returning to previously edited files
- App incompatible with older iOS versions (iOS 12)
- Login authentication errors with university accounts
- App crashes without reliable internet connection
- Search functionality broken after updates
- Annotations not saving/loading on iOS 14.4.2

**Most requested features**

- Dark mode implementation
- Edit citation metadata on mobile app
- Change PDF file functionality
- Save to downloads feature
- Dictionary/lookup function for reading
- Cite while you write feature
- BibTeX export capability
- Ability to upload PDFs directly from mobile app
- Support for Safari and other browsers
- Desktop application version
- Shared library access in mobile app
- Advanced sorting options (by title, author, date)
- Custom color options for annotations
- Paste images into PDFs
- Shape snapping for drawing tools
- University email authentication
- Paper rating system beyond stars

## Recent user reviews (10 of 81)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paperpile/id1187562736/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Best app for large library of references

*2026-05-13, version 1.3.7*

Excellent app which handles large reference libraries MUCH better than Mendeley, Endnote, Zotero etc..

### 2/5 — Basic features missing

*2026-01-02, version 1.3.7*

Desktop paperpile is great but the app is missing some basic features like changing the PDF file, saving to downloads, editing metadata (!). Also in serious need of dark mode! Unfortunately the app hasn’t been updated in two years..

### 4/5 — 주석 오류

*2025-08-17, version 1.3.7*

주석 하이라이트가 겹쳐 있으면 삭제할 때 별도로 표시한 주석이라도 한꺼번에 삭제되는 오류가 있습니다.

### 5/5 — cool

*2025-07-08, version 1.3.7*

for the first time ever I have a structure in the scientific papers,user friendly, search, annotations,.. the best tool

### 2/5 — Highlighting on iPadOS still disappearing

*2025-03-28, version 1.3.7*

Every time I revisit a paper, I have to correct missing highlights because parts or entire segments of highlights are missing. It’s almost like I’m rereading the entire document. Please fix

### 2/5 — Not updated for a year

*2025-03-19, version 1.3.7*

lots of great features in the website are not in the mobile app yet, such as shared folder. I really hoped the developers can update the app.

### 5/5 — Simple and efficient

*2025-01-23, version 1.3.7*

I like this app because it’s simple

### 2/5 — No sign in option with my university email on IOS

*2025-01-20, version 1.3.7*

Really disappointing that there is just sign in option for gmail account on IOS apps!, i wish did not buy the annual membership!

### 1/5 — The app doesn‘t work

*2024-11-23, version 1.3.7*

I used to enjoy this app in iOS. But it simply doesn’t work for about couple of months. And the lastest update version is too old… need to fix this problem.

### 5/5 — Absolute favorite

*2024-10-19, version 1.3.7*

Please keep up the updates! We appreciate it!

## Frequently asked questions about Paperpile

### What does Paperpile do?

Paperpile helps you manage your research papers by collecting, organizing, reading, and annotating PDF documents. It allows you to search for papers, add them to your library with a single tap, and keep them organized with folders, labels, and stars.

### What are the key features of Paperpile?

Key features include searching millions of papers from academic journals, automatically downloading PDFs, saving papers directly from your browser, organizing your library with folders and colored labels, and a PDF viewer for reading and annotating with highlights, notes, and hand-drawn marks.

### Is Paperpile free to use?

The app itself is free to download and use, but it requires a Paperpile account. The description does not mention any costs associated with the account or any in-app purchases or ads.

### What kind of devices is Paperpile compatible with?

The description specifically mentions an 'Apple Pencil' and 'fingers' for annotation, suggesting compatibility with iOS devices, particularly iPads. It also mentions saving directly from a browser, indicating potential desktop or web integration.

### How can Paperpile help with research?

Paperpile helps researchers by centralizing all their research PDFs in one organized place, making it easier to find, read, and annotate papers. This streamlines the research process and helps users stay on top of their academic literature.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.3.7 — 2023-10-27

- Fixes and improvements for PDF imports from Science Direct and other publisher sites.

### 1.3.6 — 2023-06-09

- Improved metadata and PDF import.
- Various bug fixes and improvements.

### 1.3.5 — 2023-04-26

Share articles directly with Paperpile from news apps like the New York Times app.
Numerous updates to enhance reference and PDF imports.
Various minor fixes and improvements.

### 1.3.3 — 2021-10-28

- Bug fixes for the “Share with Paperpile” function on Chrome.
- Add “Share with Paperpile” support to Edge.

### 1.3.2 — 2021-07-07

- Fixed loading of annotations and crashes for some PDFs.
- Remember which folders are open/closed in the sidebar when the app is restarted.

## Apps similar to Paperpile

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [iAnnotate 4 — PDFs & more](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iannotate-4-pdfs-and-more/id1093924230) | 4.7 (8,828) | $9.99 | Productivity |
| [reMarkable mobile](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/remarkable-mobile/id1274957816) | 2.9 (476) | Free | Productivity |
| [PDF Viewer by Nutrient](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-viewer-by-nutrient/id1120099014) | 4.6 (9,083) | Free | Productivity |
| [LiquidText](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/liquidtext/id922765270) | 4.6 (6,341) | Free | Productivity |
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| [Markup – Highlight & Annotate](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/markup-highlight-and-annotate/id936601959) | 4.3 (421) | Free | Productivity |

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-09.*