dir2opds vs Paperless-ngx
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted e-books & media library options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
dir2opds
Minimal OPDS server for personal ebook collections
VS
Paperless-ngx
Document management for scanning, indexing and archiving
| Feature | dir2opds | Paperless-ngx |
|---|---|---|
| Category | E-books & Media Library | E-books & Media Library |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 110 | ★ 44,077 |
| First released | 2018 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Calibre Content Server | Evernote, DEVONthink |
Why pick each one
Choose dir2opds if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Go
Frequently asked questions
Is dir2opds or Paperless-ngx better?
Neither is universally better. Paperless-ngx has the larger community, while dir2opds is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are dir2opds and Paperless-ngx free and open-source?
Yes. dir2opds is licensed under MIT and Paperless-ngx under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run dir2opds and Paperless-ngx with Docker?
dir2opds: yes. Paperless-ngx: yes.