Productivity & Business · Security, Privacy & Backup

Paperless-ngx

Paperless-ngx is free, open-source, self-hosted software that scans, OCRs and tags your paper documents into a searchable archive on your own server.

Our take: Paperless-ngx is a strong pick if you already run a home server: drop scans in a folder or forward emails and they come out OCR'd, tagged and searchable.

Best forSelf-hosted paper archive

ReviewedOct 2026Free

7.15 criteria · see breakdown

Try Paperless-ngxFree (GPL-3.0, self-hosted)

Paperless-ngx is free, open-source document management software you run on your own server, usually with Docker. It OCRs scans in more than 100 languages, tags them automatically and makes everything full-text searchable. It suits home-lab users and small offices comfortable with self-hosting; there is no paid or hosted version.

The bottom line

Excellent for self-hosters; not for anyone who wants a hosted app with support.

Our score

Reviewed by the Conversion Gems editorial team. Hover a facet to focus it; click to pin.Tap a facet to focus it.

What it is, and why we rate it

One line each. Open a row for detail.

What it really isA free, self-hosted web app that turns scans and PDFs into a searchable, auto-tagged archive.

Our takePaperless-ngx is a strong pick if you already run a home server: drop scans in a folder or forward emails and they come out OCR'd, tagged and searchable.

The features rival paid tools. The catch is that you own everything, from installation to security to backups, and documents sit unencrypted on disk.

Why we rate itPaid-tool features such as OCR, auto-tagging and email import at no cost.

The catchSelf-hosting only, and files are stored unencrypted.

Best / not good for

Best for

Households going paperless
Small offices with an IT-minded owner
Privacy-minded users who want local storage

Not good for

People who can't run Docker
Teams that need vendor support or a hosted service

Trade-offs

Friction report

Trade-offs to know before signing up.

Time to value
An hour or two with Docker experience; longer to tune OCR and matching rules.
Scale breakpoint
Large archives need a stronger server, PostgreSQL and planned backups.
Walled garden
Low: originals are stored plain on disk and there is a REST API.

Still a fit?

If none of these block you, start on the free plan.

Try Paperless-ngx

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Paperless-ngx any good?

For people willing to self-host, yes: it offers OCR in more than 100 languages, machine-learning tagging, email import and full-text search for free, and it is actively maintained (version 3.2.1 shipped on 20 September 2026). It is less suited to anyone who wants a hosted app.

Is Paperless-ngx safe?

It keeps your documents on your own server, but the project warns that files are stored in clear text without encryption, so it should never run on an untrusted host. Keep it on your local network or behind proper access controls, and back it up.

Is Paperless-ngx free?

Yes. It is open source under the GPL-3.0 license and costs nothing (checked 4 October 2026). You pay only for your own hardware or server.

How do I install Paperless-ngx?

The project recommends docker compose, and it offers an install script that sets up a compose environment. Docker images also run on arm64 hardware such as a Raspberry Pi.

What is the difference between Paperless-ng and Paperless-ngx?

Paperless-ngx is the official, team-run successor to Paperless and Paperless-ng. Existing Paperless-ng users can migrate by switching to the new Docker image.

Paperless-ngx alternatives

Other ways to store and organize documents:

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Sources checked October 4, 2026: Paperless-ngx documentation, Paperless-ngx feature list (docs source), Paperless-ngx on GitHub, Paperless-ngx releases, Paperless-ngx FAQ.

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Paperless-ngx

Frequently Asked Questions

Paperless-ngx alternatives

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