SHSelfHostIndex

Audiobookshelf-tools 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.

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AU Audiobookshelf-tools Self-hosted e-book and library management server VS PA Paperless-ngx Document management for scanning, indexing and archiving
FeatureAudiobookshelf-toolsPaperless-ngx
CategoryE-books & Media LibraryE-books & Media Library
LicenseGPL-3.0GPL-3.0
LanguageJavaPython
Setup difficultyEasyMedium
Min. RAM512 MB2,048 MB
Deploymentdockerdocker, bare-metal
GitHub stars★ 760★ 44,077
First released20242022
ReplacesKindle, GoodreadsEvernote, DEVONthink

Why pick each one

Choose Audiobookshelf-tools if…

  • Tidy library management
  • Web reader included
  • Active development
Audiobookshelf-tools details

Choose Paperless-ngx if…

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

Frequently asked questions

Is Audiobookshelf-tools or Paperless-ngx better?

Neither is universally better. Paperless-ngx has the larger community, while Audiobookshelf-tools is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.

Are Audiobookshelf-tools and Paperless-ngx free and open-source?

Yes. Audiobookshelf-tools is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Paperless-ngx under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Audiobookshelf-tools and Paperless-ngx with Docker?

Audiobookshelf-tools: yes. Paperless-ngx: yes.

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