Joplin 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?
FeatureJoplinPaperless-ngx
CategoryNotes & Knowledge BaseE-books & Media Library
LicenseAGPL-3.0GPL-3.0
LanguageTypeScriptPython
Setup difficultyEasyMedium
Min. RAM256 MB2,048 MB
Deploymentdocker, bare-metaldocker, bare-metal
GitHub stars★ 55,856★ 44,077
First released20172022
ReplacesEvernote, OneNoteEvernote, DEVONthink

Why pick each one

Choose Joplin if…

  • Strong privacy with E2EE
  • Flexible sync options
  • Active development
Joplin details

Choose Paperless-ngx if…

  • Excellent for paperless offices
  • Very active community
Paperless-ngx details

Frequently asked questions

Is Joplin or Paperless-ngx better?

Joplin is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Paperless-ngx if its specific feature set fits your needs better.

Are Joplin and Paperless-ngx free and open-source?

Yes. Joplin 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 Joplin and Paperless-ngx with Docker?

Joplin: yes. Paperless-ngx: yes.

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