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ReadCube Papers vs Paperlib: catalog facts
ReadCube Papers	Paperlib
Paid Paid product with a free trial.	Free Free and open source, supported by donations.
Web, Browser extension	Windows, macOS, Linux
PDF annotation combined with reference management Imports papers with full metadata and citations	Accurate metadata scraping, including conference papers Tags, flags, folders and Markdown notes
Paid after the trial Much of the product is aimed at companies and research teams	No mobile app Smaller ecosystem than Zotero
Downloadable app, Web application, Browser extension	Downloadable app
Closed source	Open source
License not stated	License not stated
Account needed	No account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 26, 2026

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