Paperless-ngx vs PDFKeeper
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?
Paperless-ngx
Document management for scanning, indexing and archiving
VS
PDFKeeper
Open-source PDF document management system
| Feature | Paperless-ngx | PDFKeeper |
|---|---|---|
| Category | E-books & Media Library | Document Management |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | C# |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 44,077 | ★ 228 |
| First released | 2022 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Evernote, DEVONthink | DEVONthink, Mayan EDMS |
Why pick each one
Choose PDFKeeper if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Written in C#
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Paperless-ngx or PDFKeeper 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 PDFKeeper free and open-source?
Yes. Paperless-ngx is licensed under GPL-3.0 and PDFKeeper under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Paperless-ngx and PDFKeeper with Docker?
Paperless-ngx: yes. PDFKeeper: check the project docs for container support.