Paperwork vs Teedy
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted document management options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Paperwork | Teedy |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | Document Management | Document Management |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Python | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | source, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,400 | ★ 2,566 |
| First released | 2014 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Evernote | Evernote, SharePoint |
What are Paperwork and Teedy?
Paperwork
OpenPaper.work (Paperwork's successor project family) helps individuals scan, OCR, and organize personal documents into a searchable archive on their own machine. It emphasizes a simple desktop-and-server workflow for going paperless.
- Scanner integration
- Automatic OCR
- Tag-based organization
- Local-first storage
Teedy
Teedy, formerly Sismics Docs, is an open-source document management system for organizing scanned and digital documents. It offers full-text search, OCR, tagging, and granular access control for teams.
- Document management
- OCR and full-text search
- Tagging and workflows
- LDAP and access control
Paperwork vs Teedy: key differences
Paperwork is written in Python, while Teedy is built with Java. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Paperwork versus GPL-2.0 for Teedy. Paperwork is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Teedy. Paperwork is the more established project (first released 2014), while Teedy arrived in 2016. Teedy lists first-class Docker deployment; Paperwork does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Paperwork if…
- Privacy friendly
- Good for personal archives
Watch out for
- Desktop oriented
- No multi-user mode
Choose Teedy if…
- Good team features
- Mature codebase
Watch out for
- Java memory footprint
- Interface feels dated
Frequently asked questions
Is Paperwork or Teedy better?
Neither is universally better. Teedy has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Paperwork and Teedy free and open-source?
Yes. Paperwork is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Teedy under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Paperwork and Teedy with Docker?
Paperwork: check the project docs for container support. Teedy: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Paperwork or Teedy?
Paperwork has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Teedy. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.