A gel-based method for a mass spectrometric (MS) site-specific glycoanalysis was developed using a recombinant glycoprotein expressed in two different cell lines. Hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography at nanoscale level was used to enrich for glycopeptides prior to MS. The glycoprofiling was performed using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation MS and MS/MS. The method proved to be fast and sensitive and furthermore yielded a comprehensive site-specific glycan analysis, allowing a differentiation of the glycoprofiles of the two sources of recombinant protein, both comprising N-glycans of a highly heterogeneous nature. To test the potential of the method, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1), a secreted low-abundant N-glycosylated protein and a cancer marker, was purified in an individual-specific manner from plasma of five healthy individuals using IgG depletion and immuno affinity chromatography. The corresponding TIMP-1 glycoprofiles were determined to be highly similar, comprising mainly bi- and tri-antennary complex oligosaccharides. Additionally, it was shown that platelet-derived TIMP-1 displayed a similar glycoprofile. This is the first study to investigate the glycosylation of naturally occurring human TIMP-1 and the high similarity of the glycoprofiles showed that individual-specific glycosylation variations of TIMP-1 are minimal. In addition, the results showed that TIMP-1 derived from platelets and plasma is similarly glycosylated. This comprehensive and rapid glycoprofiling of a low-abundant glycoprotein performed in an individual-specific manner allows for future studies of glycosylated biomarkers for person-specific detection of altered glycosylation and may thus open for early detection and monitoring of diseases.