head to head · open source
Paperless-ngx vs Zotero
Paperless-ngx has 45,259 GitHub stars, 3,121 forks, 4 open issues and last shipped today. Zotero has 15,312 stars, 1,120 forks, 1,600 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Paperless-ngx leads on adoption by 196% (45,259 vs 15,312 stars). Paperless-ngx is written in Python under GPL-3.0; Zotero is written in JavaScript under a custom or non-standard licence. Paperless-ngx has attracted 7% as many forks as stars, Zotero 7%. Paperless-ngx 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 | Zotero | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 45K | ★ 15K |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Custom / other |
| Written in | Python | JavaScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-18 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 3.1K | ⑂ 1.1K |
| 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 Zotero if
- You want the Zotero feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You evaluated both and Zotero 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 Zotero
Zotero is a free tool for research sources. It lives in the JavaScript application ecosystem and is listed under Productivity & Utilities / Note Taking & Knowledge Management. The provided GitHub metadata reports 15,272 stars, 1,117 forks, 1,600 open issues, 0 contributors, a repository age of 0 years, and a last push timestamp of 2026 09 14T16:40:51Z. The homepage is https://www.zotero.org, and no topics are listed. The license field is NOASSERTION.
read the full Zotero overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Paperless-ngx or Zotero more popular?
Paperless-ngx has 45,259 GitHub stars and Zotero has 15,312. Paperless-ngx has the larger community by that measure.
Are Paperless-ngx and Zotero free?
Both are open source. Paperless-ngx is licensed under GPL-3.0, and Zotero has no licence declared in this registry. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between Paperless-ngx and Zotero?
Paperless-ngx is written in Python and Zotero in JavaScript. 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 Zotero?
Choose Paperless-ngx if you want the larger community (45,259 stars) or its GPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose Zotero if its feature set, stack or Custom / other licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.