head to head · open source
Paperless-ngx vs docspell
Paperless-ngx has 45,259 GitHub stars, 3,121 forks, 4 open issues and last shipped today. docspell has 2,330 stars, 184 forks, 235 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Paperless-ngx leads on adoption by 1,842% (45,259 vs 2,330 stars). Paperless-ngx is written in Python under GPL-3.0; docspell is written in Elm under AGPL-3.0. Paperless-ngx has attracted 7% as many forks as stars, docspell 8%. Paperless-ngx was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 5 topic tags (dms, document-management, document-management-system, ocr), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| Paperless-ngx | docspell | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 45K | ★ 2.3K |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Python | Elm |
| Last push | 2026-09-18 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 3.1K | ⑂ 184 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Paperless-ngx if
- You weight community size — 45K stars and counting
- You want the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick docspell if
- You want the docspell feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Elm
- You evaluated both and docspell fits your workflow better
About Paperless-ngx
Paperless ngx is a community supported, GPL 3.0 licensed document management system written in Python that turns physical paperwork into a searchable, indexed online archive, and it is built for individuals, homelab operators and small teams who want to scan, index and archive their documents on infrastructure they control.
read the full Paperless-ngx overview →
About docspell
Docspell is a self hosted document management system that helps households, families, and small groups or companies organise the piles of paper, scans, and e mails that accumulate from scanners and other sources, using machine learning and OCR to cut down the manual effort of adding metadata.
read the full docspell overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Paperless-ngx or docspell more popular?
Paperless-ngx has 45,259 GitHub stars and docspell has 2,330. Paperless-ngx has the larger community by that measure.
Are Paperless-ngx and docspell free?
Both are open source. Paperless-ngx is licensed under GPL-3.0 and docspell under AGPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Paperless-ngx and docspell?
Paperless-ngx is written in Python and docspell in Elm. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Paperless-ngx or docspell?
Choose Paperless-ngx if you want the larger community (45,259 stars) or its GPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose docspell if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.