I, Librarian vs Mayan EDMS
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?
I, Librarian
Organize PDF papers and office documents
VS
Mayan EDMS
Free electronic document management with workflows
| Feature | I, Librarian | Mayan EDMS |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Document Management | Document Management |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | PHP | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 346 | ★ 1,100 |
| First released | 2025 | 2011 |
| Replaces | — | DocuWare, M-Files |
Why pick each one
Choose I, Librarian if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Written in PHP
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is I, Librarian or Mayan EDMS better?
Neither is universally better. Mayan EDMS has the larger community, while I, Librarian is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are I, Librarian and Mayan EDMS free and open-source?
Yes. I, Librarian is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Mayan EDMS under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run I, Librarian and Mayan EDMS with Docker?
I, Librarian: check the project docs for container support. Mayan EDMS: yes.