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Citations vs Paperpile: catalog facts
Citations	Paperpile
Free Free and open source under the GPL-3.0 or later.	Paid Paid subscription with a 30-day free trial.
Linux	Android, iOS, Web, Browser extension
Works directly with plain BibTeX files Native GNOME interface	Built-in PDF viewer with annotation tools Citation plugins for Google Docs and Word
Linux only Limited to the BibTeX format	Requires a Google account Sign-up only on Chrome for now, Safari and Firefox in beta
Downloadable app	Downloadable app, Web application, Browser extension
Open source	Closed source
License: GPL-3.0-or-later	License not stated
No account needed	Account needed
Works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 1, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 1, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.