Which is better, Dropbox Paper or Overleaf?

Dropbox Paper edges out Overleaf based on user ratings across 4,616 reviews. That said, the best pick depends on your workflow — Overleaf may be a stronger fit for specific team sizes or use cases. Review the full comparison to decide.

What are the main differences between Dropbox Paper and Overleaf?

Key differences between Dropbox Paper and Overleaf include pricing (Dropbox Paper starts at undisclosed vs Overleaf at $15); target audience (Dropbox Paper targets Medium Business while Overleaf serves Individuals); free trial availability (Overleaf offers one, Dropbox Paper does not). Use the Spotsaas comparison table to evaluate each dimension before deciding.

Do both Dropbox Paper and Overleaf offer a Free trial?

Overleaf offers Free Trial, but Dropbox Paper does not.

Who are the typical users of Dropbox Paper?

Dropbox Paper is designed for Medium Business, Small Business.

Who are the typical users of Overleaf?

Overleaf is designed for Individuals, Large Enterprises, Medium Business, Small Business.

What is the starting price of Dropbox Paper and Overleaf?

The starting price of Overleaf is $15/Month. Pricing for Dropbox Paper is unavailable.

What are the best alternatives to Dropbox Paper?

Some top alternatives to Dropbox Paper include Evernote, Nimbus Note, Easynote, Notion, MeisterNote.

What are the best alternatives to Overleaf?

Some top alternatives to Overleaf include Manuscripts, Etherpad, PleaseReview, Documint, Microsoft Word.

Dropbox Paper vs Overleaf vs Formstack Documents Comparison

Last updated: May 22, 2026

Dropbox Paper

4.3(4,616 reviews)

Starting at Contact for pricing

Medium Business
Small Business

Dropbox Paper is a document creation app for teams to create and collaborate on any type of document. Designed for teams, user can invite their whole team or just the individuals needed, and start creating in minutes. Ad…

View Pricing Read Reviews

Overleaf

4.2(59 reviews)

Starting at $15 /Month

Free Trial
Individuals
Large Enterprises

Overleaf is an online document creation tool that connects people who write with people who design. It takes the hassle out of the traditional document production workflow so that user can focus on writing and content wi…

View Pricing Read Reviews

Formstack Documents

4.7(183 reviews)

Starting at $92 /Month

Free Trial
Large Enterprises
Medium Business

Create custom legal forms, contracts, letters and more with Formstack's extensive library of fully customizable standard and legal documents. Create, customize and fill out documents online using our cloud-based software…

View Pricing Read Reviews

Dropbox Paper leads on user satisfaction with a 4.3-star rating across 4,616 reviews.

Dropbox Paper vs Overleaf vs Formstack Documents — at a glance

Feature	Dropbox Paper	Overleaf	Formstack Documents
Rating	4.3 / 5	4.2 / 5	4.7 / 5
Reviews	4,616	59	183
Starting price	Contact for pricing	$15 /Month	$92 /Month
Free trial	No	Yes	Yes
Free version	No	No	No
Best for	Medium Business, Small Business	Individuals, Large Enterprises, Medium Business	Large Enterprises, Medium Business, Small Business
Category	Document Creation Software	Document Creation Software	Document Creation Software
Platforms	SaaS/Web/Cloud, Mobile - Android, Mobile - iOS, Installed - Windows, Installed - Mac	SaaS/Web/Cloud	SaaS/Web/Cloud
API	Available	—	Available
Support modes	24/7 (Live rep), Business Hours, Online	Online	Business Hours, Online
Certifications	SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR, ISO 27001	GDPR	SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR
Data residency	US	Global	Global

Key differences between Dropbox Paper and Overleaf

Pricing: Overleaf starts at $15 /Month. Dropbox Paper pricing is not publicly listed.
Free trial: Overleaf offers a free trial; Dropbox Paper does not.
Target audience: Dropbox Paper is built for Medium Business and Small Business, while Overleaf targets Individuals and Large Enterprises.
User satisfaction: Dropbox Paper scores higher with a 4.3-star average.
Deployment: Dropbox Paper supports SaaS/Web/Cloud, Mobile - Android, Mobile - iOS, Installed - Windows, Installed - Mac; Overleaf supports SaaS/Web/Cloud.

Compare Dropbox Paper vs Overleaf vs Formstack Documents — and walk away knowing which one fits.

Which tool fits your team best

Which is actually cheaper for your team size

Where each product wins, per real buyers

Most Document Creation Software tools look identical on paper. This comparison cuts to the differences that matter — pricing structure, team fit, and what real buyers found after signing up.

Biggest differences

Features

Pricing

Buying details

Security

Buyer feedback

Integrations

Product tour

Other options

	Dropbox Paper (290) Talk to an expert Talk to an expert	Overleaf (50) Talk to an expert Talk to an expert	Formstack Documents Talk to an expert Talk to an expert

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Biggest differences

Affiliate Disclosure

Start here before you go deeper into features.

Dropbox Paper

Best for small to medium teams needing simple, collaborative document creation with code support.

Choose if

You want seamless real-time commenting and feedback within documents.
Your team includes developers needing inline code snippet reviews.
You prefer a quick, low-complexity setup with an intuitive interface.

Consider alternatives if

You require advanced document formatting and version control features.
Your team depends heavily on offline editing capabilities.

Overleaf

Best for collaborative LaTeX document creation and academic publishing online.

Choose if

You need real-time, in-browser collaboration on LaTeX documents.
Your team consists of researchers or technical writers focused on academic or technical content.
You want a simple, streamlined workflow that minimizes formatting hassles.

Consider alternatives if

Your team requires offline document editing capabilities.
You need advanced design customization beyond LaTeX formatting.

Formstack Documents

Best for legal and HR teams needing customizable, collaborative document creation.

Choose if

You require a broad library of customizable legal and standard document templates.
Your team needs real-time collaboration and version control across multiple devices.
Your organization is mid-sized to large, benefiting from cloud-based document workflows.

Consider alternatives if

You are a freelancer or sole proprietor with minimal document automation needs.
Your company demands highly specialized or industry-specific document automation beyond standard templates.

Dropbox Paper: Best for small to medium teams needing simple, collaborative document creation with code support. Overleaf: Best for collaborative LaTeX document creation and academic publishing online.

Description	Dropbox Paper is a document creation app for teams to create and collaborate on any type of document. Designed for teams, user can invite their whole team or just the individuals needed, ... Read More about Dropbox Paper	Overleaf is an online document creation tool that connects people who write with people who design. It takes the hassle out of the traditional document production workflow so that user can ... Read More about Overleaf	Create custom legal forms, contracts, letters and more with Formstack's extensive library of fully customizable standard and legal documents. Create, customize and fill out documents online ... Read More about Formstack Documents
Entry Level Pricing	Not Available	Starts from $15	Starts from $92 , Billed Yearly
Free Trial Availability	No free trial	Get Free Trial	Get Free Trial
User Ratings Based on verified Spotsaas reviews	4.3 (4616)	4.2 (59)	4.7 (183)
Best Company Size	1-50 employees51-500 employees	Small BusinessMedium Business	51-500 employees500+ employees
	Get pricing help	Get pricing help	Get pricing help

Software Demo

Demo

Need a second opinion?

Get shortlist help from a software advisor

Share your priorities, budget, and team needs, and we’ll help you narrow the options and understand the tradeoffs before you talk to vendors.

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Compare Dropbox Paper, Overleaf and Formstack Documents on pricing

Review starting price, plan structure, and free-trial access side by side so you can see which option fits your budget and buying process.

Pricing Option
Starting From	Not Available	$15	$92 , Billed Yearly
Pricing Plans	Not Available	Not Available	Starter Get Started 150 merges per month 10 templates Pro Get Started 500 merges per month 20 templates Business Get Started 2,000 merges per month 50 templates
Pricing Page	Pricing information not available
	View detailed pricing	View detailed pricing	View detailed pricing

Other Details

Organization Types supported	Small Business Freelancers Medium Business Large Enterprises Individuals	Small Business Freelancers Medium Business Large Enterprises Individuals	Small Business Freelancers Medium Business Large Enterprises Individuals
Platforms Supported	Browser Based (Cloud) Mobile - iOS Mobile - Android Installed - Windows Installed - Mac Mobile - Windows Browser Based (Cloud)	Browser Based (Cloud) Mobile - iOS Mobile - Android Installed - Windows Installed - Mac Mobile - Windows Browser Based (Cloud)	Browser Based (Cloud) Mobile - iOS Mobile - Android Installed - Windows Installed - Mac Mobile - Windows Browser Based (Cloud)
Modes of support	24/7 (Live rep) Business Hours Online	24/7 (Live rep) Business Hours Online	24/7 (Live rep) Business Hours Online
API Support	Available	Not Available	Available
	Get help choosing	Get help choosing	Get help choosing

Security & Compliance

Certifications, data handling, and security controls for IT and compliance evaluators.

SOC 2	✓ Yes	—	✓ Yes
HIPAA	✓ Yes	✗ No	✓ Yes
GDPR	✓ Yes	✓ Yes	✓ Yes
ISO 27001	✓ Yes	—	—
Single Sign-On (SSO)	✓ Yes	✓ Yes	✓ Yes
Multi-Factor Auth (MFA)	✓ Yes	—	✓ Yes
Data Encryption	✓ Yes	✓ Yes	✓ Yes
Audit Logs	✓ Yes	—	✓ Yes
Data Residency	🇺🇸 US	🌐 Global	🌐 Global

Dropbox Paper vs Overleaf User Reviews & Rating Comparison

User Ratings	4.3 (based on 4616 reviews)	4.2 (based on 59 reviews)	4.7 (based on 183 reviews)
Rating Distribution	198 67 20 4 1	38 12 0 0 0	0 0 0 0 0
Spotsaas Editor’s POV generated by AI	Buyer sentiment Users generally appreciate Dropbox Paper for its ease of use and collaboration features, though some desire more advanced formatting and offline capabilities. What buyers like Ease of use Collaboration features Integration with code snippets Common complaints Limited formatting options Offline functionality	Buyer sentiment Users appreciate Overleaf for its ease of collaboration and simplifying complex document formatting, though some note limitations in design flexibility and reliance on internet connectivity. What buyers like Ease of collaboration Simplifies LaTeX formatting Real-time editing Common complaints Limited design customization Requires internet connection	Buyer sentiment Users generally express high satisfaction with the platform's document customization and collaboration features, though some note pricing and integration limitations. What buyers like Customizability of document templates Ease of collaboration and real-time editing Cloud accessibility and version control Common complaints Pricing transparency Integration options
Pros and Cons	Easy team collaboration with real-time commenting Supports embedding code snippets with inline feedback Quick setup and intuitive interface Limited advanced formatting compared to traditional word processors Lacks extensive offline functionality	Real-time collaborative editing in-browser Simplifies LaTeX document creation and formatting Enables early and late stage collaboration between writers and designers Limited advanced design customization compared to desktop publishing tools Dependent on internet connection for live collaboration	Extensive library of customizable legal and standard documents Cloud-based platform enabling real-time collaboration across devices Version control with quick retrieval of document history Pricing details are not publicly available, requiring sales contact May require some learning curve to fully customize complex documents
Positive Reviews	No reviews available for the product	No reviews available for the product	No reviews available for the product
	Read reviews	Read reviews	Read reviews

List of Customers

Customers	No Customers information available.	Caltech The University of Queensland York	No Customers information available.

Media and Screenshots

Screenshots	No screenshots available.	2 Screenshots	No screenshots available.
Videos	2 Videos	1 Videos	2 Videos

Alternatives

Alternatives	Evernote 4 Nimbus Note 4.7 Easynote 3.8	Manuscripts Etherpad PleaseReview	Paperform 4.7 Smart Forms 5 SimplyDocs

Disclaimer: This research has been collated from a variety of authoritative sources. We welcome your feedback at [email protected].

Frequently asked questions

Which is better, Dropbox Paper or Overleaf?: Dropbox Paper edges out the other on user ratings (4.3 vs 4.2). That said, the best pick depends on your use case — use the comparison tables above to evaluate each dimension.
Do Dropbox Paper and Overleaf offer a free trial?: Overleaf offers a free trial. Dropbox Paper does not.
What is the starting price of Dropbox Paper vs Overleaf?: Dropbox Paper starts at Contact for pricing. Overleaf starts at $15 /Month.
What are the top alternatives to Dropbox Paper?: Top alternatives to Dropbox Paper include Evernote, Nimbus Note, Easynote, Notion, MeisterNote.
What are the top alternatives to Overleaf?: Top alternatives to Overleaf include Manuscripts, Etherpad, PleaseReview, Documint, Microsoft Word.

Dropbox Paper vs Overleaf vs Formstack Documents Comparison

Dropbox Paper

Overleaf

Formstack Documents

Dropbox Paper vs Overleaf vs Formstack Documents — at a glance

Key differences between Dropbox Paper and Overleaf

Compare Dropbox Paper vs Overleaf vs Formstack Documents — and walk away knowing which one fits.

Dropbox Paper

Overleaf

Formstack Documents

Download this Dropbox Paper vs Overleaf vs Formstack Documents comparison

Biggest differences

Description

Entry Level Pricing

Free Trial Availability

User Ratings

Best Company Size

Software Demo

Demo

Get shortlist help from a software advisor

How big is your team?

Compare Dropbox Paper, Overleaf and Formstack Documents on pricing

Other Details

Organization Types supported

Platforms Supported

Modes of support

API Support

Security & Compliance

Dropbox Paper vs Overleaf User Reviews & Rating Comparison

List of Customers

Customers

Media and Screenshots

Screenshots

Videos

Alternatives

Frequently asked questions