Evergreen 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?
Evergreen
Highly-scalable software for libraries that helps library patrons find
VS
Paperless-ngx
Document management for scanning, indexing and archiving
| Feature | Evergreen | Paperless-ngx |
|---|---|---|
| Category | E-books & Media Library | E-books & Media Library |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | PLpgSQL | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 153 | ★ 44,077 |
| First released | 2020 | 2022 |
| Replaces | — | Evernote, DEVONthink |
Why pick each one
Choose Evergreen if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Written in PLpgSQL
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Evergreen 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 Evergreen and Paperless-ngx free and open-source?
Yes. Evergreen is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Paperless-ngx under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Evergreen and Paperless-ngx with Docker?
Evergreen: check the project docs for container support. Paperless-ngx: yes.