Flatnotes vs Paperless-ngx
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted apps from related categories — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Flatnotes
Self-hosted, database-less note-taking web app
VS
Paperless-ngx
Document management for scanning, indexing and archiving
| Feature | Flatnotes | Paperless-ngx |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | E-books & Media Library |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Vue | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,172 | ★ 44,077 |
| First released | 2021 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Evernote, Simplenote | Evernote, DEVONthink |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Flatnotes or Paperless-ngx better?
Neither is universally better. Paperless-ngx has the larger community, while Flatnotes is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Flatnotes and Paperless-ngx free and open-source?
Yes. Flatnotes is licensed under MIT and Paperless-ngx under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Flatnotes and Paperless-ngx with Docker?
Flatnotes: yes. Paperless-ngx: yes.