Paperless-ngx vs Ubooquity
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
Ubooquity
Free to use, versatile, lightweight, multi-platform, and secure home
| Feature | Paperless-ngx | Ubooquity |
|---|---|---|
| Category | E-books & Media Library | E-books & Media Library |
| License | GPL-3.0 | ⊘ Proprietary |
| Language | Python | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 44,077 | — |
| First released | 2022 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Evernote, DEVONthink | — |
Why pick each one
Choose Ubooquity if…
- Released under the ⊘ Proprietary license
- Written in Java
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Paperless-ngx or Ubooquity 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 Ubooquity free and open-source?
Yes. Paperless-ngx is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Ubooquity under ⊘ Proprietary. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Paperless-ngx and Ubooquity with Docker?
Paperless-ngx: yes. Ubooquity: check the project docs for container support.