head to head · open source
Paperless-ngx vs Papra
Paperless-ngx has 45,259 GitHub stars, 3,121 forks, 4 open issues and last shipped today. Papra has 5,467 stars, 301 forks, 190 open issues and last shipped today. Paperless-ngx leads on adoption by 728% (45,259 vs 5,467 stars). Paperless-ngx is written in Python under GPL-3.0; Papra is written in TypeScript under AGPL-3.0. Paperless-ngx has attracted 7% as many forks as stars, Papra 6%. Papra was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
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 | Papra | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 45K | ★ 5.5K |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Python | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-18 | 2026-09-18 |
| Forks | ⑂ 3.1K | ⑂ 301 |
| 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 Papra if
- You want the Papra feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and Papra 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 Papra
Papra is a minimalistic, self hostable, open source document management and archiving platform, written in TypeScript under the AGPL 3.0 licence, for anyone who needs to store documents for the long term and find them again later.
read the full Papra overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Paperless-ngx or Papra more popular?
Paperless-ngx has 45,259 GitHub stars and Papra has 5,467. Paperless-ngx has the larger community by that measure.
Are Paperless-ngx and Papra free?
Both are open source. Paperless-ngx is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Papra under AGPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Paperless-ngx and Papra?
Paperless-ngx is written in Python and Papra in TypeScript. 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 Papra?
Choose Paperless-ngx if you want the larger community (45,259 stars) or its GPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose Papra if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.