Papillon association
Students building for students
There’s no company behind Papillon. Just six students, a non-profit and an app we keep running between classes. 2 million downloads later, it’s still free, ad-free and open source.
It was just for me
In 2021, Vince was still in school and felt his schedule, homework and grades deserved better. So he built his own app, in the evenings after class. He showed it to a few friends, who showed it to theirs. And it never stopped.
« I started Papillon in 2021 because I wanted a more modern interface for my schedule, homework and grades. Five years later, we’re still students writing code for other students, and the code is still open. That part isn’t changing. »
Vince LinisePresident and founder
Five years on, it’s still free
The project between friends ended up in students’ pockets all over France, from middle school to university. And we still haven’t added a single ad.
- the very first version
- 2021
- downloads
- 2M+
- sessions a week
- 100K+
- on the French App Store in 2024
- #1
Six students, five cities
Rennes, Montpellier, Laon, Angoulême, Chambéry: we don’t live in the same place, so everything happens online, between classes. Hundreds of contributors lend us a hand. And whenever an event brings us together, we jump on a train.
Vince Linise
President and founder
BUT MMI, 3rd year · IUT de Lannion
He wrote the very first version in 2021. Today, he runs the product and keeps the association going.
Rennes
Lucas Lavajo
Vice President
BUT MMI, 1st year · IUT de Béziers
Here since day one, he co-leads the association and keeps an eye on everything that’s moving.
Montpellier
Tom Hélière
UI/UX Designer
BUT MMI, 2nd year · IUT de Lannion
He redid the whole app and its visual identity for v7. Since then, no screen ships without going through him.
Rennes
Raphaël Schroder
Developer
1st year · Université de technologie de Troyes
The technical jobs nobody wants? Those are his.
Laon
Rémy Godet
Developer
École 42 · Angoulême
Half dev, half designer, he turns mockups into real features.
Angoulême
Mael Duret
Developer
O’Clock School · Chambéry
He tries everything, especially when he “just wants to see what happens.”
Chambéry
What’s not going to change
Free, and staying that way
No subscription, no ads, and we don’t sell anything to anyone. The app runs on community donations, and we set up the association in 2025 precisely to keep it going.
All the code is public
Since 2022, anyone can read it on GitHub, check what the app does or suggest an idea. Hundreds of people already have.
We don’t keep your credentials
They go encrypted, straight to the school. And the rest of your data never leaves your phone.
Want to get involved?
The goal? Every student, from middle school to university, gets a free, fast app that respects their privacy. If that speaks to you, there are a few ways to lend a hand.
Work at a school? Everything we do with data is explained in our privacy policy.
Support us
Incubator, sponsor or company? Let’s talk over a coffee (or an email). And if you just want to give us a boost, donations are open.
Contribute
Dev, designer or just curious? The code is on GitHub, and the whole community hangs out on Discord.