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Glasp vs PaperClip

Two fact sheets from our own research, side by side — pricing, platforms, API access and status re-checked by us rather than quoted from the vendors.

The short answer

Free plan
Both — Glasp has a free plan, PaperClip is free to use
Public API
Glasp has one; not confirmed by us for PaperClip
Higher Trust score
PaperClip — 81 vs 76 for Glasp
Best fit
Glasp: Students and researchers collecting cited passages across the web and PDFs · PaperClip: Keeping quotable findings from machine learning and computer vision papers while reading
Platforms
Glasp: Web, Chrome extension, iOS, Android · PaperClip: Chrome extension

From our own records as of each tool's last check. Anything we have not confirmed is left out rather than guessed. How we verify

Side by side

FactGlaspPaperClip
CategoryNote-taking & Second BrainNote-taking & Second Brain
Pricing modelFreemiumFree
Starts at$12.50/mo—
Public APIYesNot confirmed
Trust score76 / 10081 / 100
PlatformsWeb, Chrome extension, iOS, Android, APIChrome extension
CompanyGlasp Inc.Hugo Duprez
Launched2021—
Last verifiedOct 29, 2026Oct 16, 2026

What our research says

Glasp

Glasp fits students, researchers and writers who read a lot online and want every quote kept with its source and searchable later. People who want their reading private by default, or who mostly need a full note editor rather than a highlighter, should look elsewhere.

Pros

  • Free plan keeps unlimited highlighting plus exports and Notion sync
  • Works across Chrome, Safari, Edge, Brave, Firefox, Opera and mobile
  • Each highlight keeps its source metadata, so quotes stay cited
  • MCP connector and API make the library usable from other AI tools

Cons

  • Highlights are public by default; privacy is a paid feature
  • Free AI allowances are small, especially video summaries
  • Social feed is of limited use to people who read alone

PaperClip

PaperClip does one thing: highlight, right-click, and it is saved with its source, searchable later. It is local-first by design - no account, no server, works offline - which is the whole reason to pick it over a cloud read-later app. It is also a one-person side project with 675 users, so treat it as a convenience rather than a system of record.

Pros

  • Captures from PDFs, blogs and websites with a right-click, keeping the source alongside the passage
  • Everything is stored and indexed locally - no server calls and no account
  • Works offline and deletes all saved data in one click
  • Free, with a Chrome Web Store Featured badge and a clean publisher record

Cons

  • Local-only storage means no sync, no backup and total loss if the browser profile is wiped
  • Chrome and desktop only - no mobile capture path
  • 675 users and a single rating: effectively no community or support base
  • Built and maintained by one independent developer with no company behind it

Which one fits

Choose Glasp if you need

  • Students and researchers collecting cited passages across the web and PDFs
  • Writers keeping a swipe file of quotes for drafting with ChatGPT or Claude
  • Readers who want Kindle and web highlights in one library

Choose PaperClip if you need

  • Keeping quotable findings from machine learning and computer vision papers while reading
  • People who want their notes to stay on their own machine
  • Offline reading and searching without an account

Glasp vs PaperClip: the questions people ask

Is Glasp cheaper than PaperClip?

PaperClip is free to use; Glasp starts at $12.50/mo.

Does Glasp or PaperClip have a free tier?

Both: Glasp has a free tier, and PaperClip is free to use.

Which has a public API, Glasp or PaperClip?

Glasp ships a public API, as of our last verification. A public API for PaperClip is not confirmed by us — check its developer docs before you plan an integration.

Browse all Note-taking & Second Brain →