Archivematica vs Papermerge
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted document management options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Archivematica
Digital preservation system for long-term archives
VS
Papermerge
Document management system for scanned documents
| Feature | Archivematica | Papermerge |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Document Management | Document Management |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Python | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 4,096 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 512 | ★ 521 |
| First released | 2010 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Preservica | Evernote, DEVONthink |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Archivematica or Papermerge better?
Papermerge is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Archivematica if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Archivematica and Papermerge free and open-source?
Yes. Archivematica is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Papermerge under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Archivematica and Papermerge with Docker?
Archivematica: check the project docs for container support. Papermerge: yes.