Paperlike: The Mercedes of Screen Protectors
15% more value for 3x-5x the price
Paperlike screen protectors are expensive. And in my opinion, overpriced.
Their marketing machine is a behemoth. I can’t name a single large tech creator who hasn’t been sponsored by Paperlike at some point.
A $10 matte screen protector from Amazon is probably the better choice for value.
Here’s an in-depth breakdown if you’re interested.
Pricing
Paperlike Bundle Pricing
Single: $44.99
A pack of 2 Paperlike screen protectors + installation tools
Starter: $59.99
Screen protector pack
2 pencil grips
Artist: $78.99
Screen protector pack
2 pencil grips
Drawing glove
Notetaker: $82.99
Screen protector pack
2 pencil grips
An overpriced cleaning kit
Amazon
2-Pack Screen Protector: <$10
2-Pack Pencil Grips: ~$5
Drawing glove: ~$7
Cleaning kits: $10-$15
Direct Comparison by Bundle
Single (screen protector)
Paperlike: $44.99
Amazon: <$10
Starter (screen protector + pencil grips)
Paperlike: $59.99
Amazon: <$15
Artist (screen protector + pencil grips + drawing glove)
Paperlike: $78.99
Amazon: <$22
Notetaker (screen protector + pencil grips + cleaning kit)
Paperlike: $82.99
Amazon: $25-$30
Across the board Paperlike alternatives from Amazon are 3x-5x cheaper than Paperlike itself. Even the higher quality alternatives are still twice as cheap.
Quality
This is very subjective.
It also depends heavily on the brand you choose.
There are three things to consider:
Application (how easy is it to install the screen protector)
Screen quality (how is screen quality affected by the protector)
Feel (how paper-like is the screen protector)
Longevity (how does the screen protector hold up over time)
Application
Paperlike clears any other alternative. I was surprised when I saw how many tools they provide for just putting on a screen protector.
Screen Quality
This is subjective. Very subjective.
I honestly don’t see a difference. I don’t use my iPad in the sun, so it’s not a big deal for me.
From what I’ve heard though, Paperlike is slightly better. But again, this is very subjective.
Feel
Again, very subjective. Though I’ve heard Paperlike is slightly better.
Longevity
This is not as subjective as the other categories.
Matte screen protectors from Amazon tend to lose their grip quicker than Paperlike.
This actually could be an issue: 1 Paperlike > 10 rip-offs.
Make sure to check out the reviews of whatever screen protector you end up going with.
Customer Experience
This is where Paperlike dominates—their customer support is unrivaled.
I’ve heard of people getting free replacements for pretty much nothing.
They have a “100-day 100% satisfaction guarantee” for their products. I doubt any Amazon supplier will come close to that.
Final Thoughts
I would go the Amazon route. Paperlike is probably 15% better but at 300% to 500% of the cost. Evaluate carefully.
Thanks for reading!
Adi
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As someone who uses their iPad mainly for notes as a student I think these screenprotectors are very useful and feel really nice. However, I also agree that the paperlike screenprotectors are way too expensive. I also opted for the amazon alternatives and I have used two different types
The first was the bersem screen protectors but these were way too grainy. They were too matte-like. They were literally eating my pen tips and they would scratch really easily.
I then got the paperfeel screen protectors. I've been using them for about a year now. These are less matte than the bersem ones but more matte than the actual paperlike screenprotectors. They feel great and do not scratch. It doesn't wear down quickly. It will wear down your pen tips but not as quickly.
The truth is tho, the paperlike screen protectors feel the best. They were down your pen tips as quickly as the others but they ARE NOT value for money. I would recommend the paperfeel ones any day. Caught them at a great price of £7 for two.
https://amzn.eu/d/0dRGNzx
I had tried one of the inexpensive paper-feel screen protectors on my iPad Pro 10.5 and was underwhelmed...one of the big problems was it made the screen appear quite grainy, and as it was permanent I had to choose to use it or not. I chose not.
With my newer iPad Pro 11 M1, I got a different one...this one has magnetic upper and lower edges, so I can remove it when I want the full-fat iPad experience, then reapply it when I go back to note taking (and the grainy-ness is not nearly so bad). The feel still wasn't paper-like enough, but then I stumbled on replacement Pencil tips that have a little metal nib on them...they feel terrible on the plain iPad screen (even worse than the regular plastic tip!), but on the screen protector they get really close to a paper feel! I also got a pencil case/cover that looks like a pencil and provides just enough fat, as well as a faceted texture, to improve writing with the thin, slippery pencil.
Paper-like Screen Protector (currently $12)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B7NDSWXJ?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_13&th=1
Metal Pencil Nibs ($7)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09JLF3F4V?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_2&th=1
Pencil-like Pencil Case (currently $13)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08YQMZKJT?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_3&th=1
So, it's a whole 'paper writing feel' solution all for less than a use-once PaperLike screen protector.