Paperless-ngx vs pdf2htmlEX
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted e-books & media library options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Paperless-ngx
Document management for scanning, indexing and archiving
VS
pdf2htmlEX
Converts PDF documents to HTML while preserving layout
| Feature | Paperless-ngx | pdf2htmlEX |
|---|---|---|
| Category | E-books & Media Library | E-books & Media Library |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | HTML |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 44,077 | ★ 5,578 |
| First released | 2022 | 2013 |
| Replaces | Evernote, DEVONthink | Commercial PDF converters |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Paperless-ngx or pdf2htmlEX better?
Neither is universally better. Paperless-ngx has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Paperless-ngx and pdf2htmlEX free and open-source?
Yes. Paperless-ngx is licensed under GPL-3.0 and pdf2htmlEX under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Paperless-ngx and pdf2htmlEX with Docker?
Paperless-ngx: yes. pdf2htmlEX: yes.