Paperless-ngx vs Readarr
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
Readarr
E-book and audiobook collection manager
| Feature | Paperless-ngx | Readarr |
|---|---|---|
| Category | E-books & Media Library | E-books & Media Library |
| 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 | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 44,077 | ★ 3,476 |
| First released | 2022 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Evernote, DEVONthink | Goodreads, Audible |
Why pick each one
Choose Readarr if…
- Automates collection
- Familiar Servarr interface
- Good metadata tracking
Frequently asked questions
Is Paperless-ngx or Readarr 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 Readarr free and open-source?
Yes. Paperless-ngx is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Readarr under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Paperless-ngx and Readarr with Docker?
Paperless-ngx: yes. Readarr: yes.