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I, Librarian vs Paperpile: catalog facts
I, Librarian	Paperpile
Freemium The open source version is free to self-host; the hosted and professional editions are…	Paid Paid subscription with a 30-day free trial.
Web, Self-hosted	Android, iOS, Web, Browser extension
Imports references from major academic databases Boolean search and bulk tagging for literature reviews	Built-in PDF viewer with annotation tools Citation plugins for Google Docs and Word
Needs Apache and PHP when installed manually AI research features belong to the commercial edition	Requires a Google account Sign-up only on Chrome for now, Safari and Firefox in beta
Self-hosted, Hosted service	Downloadable app, Web application, Browser extension
Open source	Closed source
License: GPL-3.0	License not stated
Not stated if an account is needed	Account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 2, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 1, 2026

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