Docspell 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?
Docspell
Personal document organizer with automatic metadata
VS
Paperless-ngx
Document management for scanning, indexing and archiving
| Feature | Docspell | Paperless-ngx |
|---|---|---|
| Category | E-books & Media Library | E-books & Media Library |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Elm | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,290 | ★ 44,077 |
| First released | 2019 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Evernote, DEVONthink | Evernote, DEVONthink |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Docspell or Paperless-ngx better?
Neither is universally better. Paperless-ngx has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Docspell and Paperless-ngx free and open-source?
Yes. Docspell is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Paperless-ngx under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Docspell and Paperless-ngx with Docker?
Docspell: yes. Paperless-ngx: yes.