# Best open source OCR tools you can self-host

> To turn scans into searchable text, the best self-hosted picks are Paperless-ngx for searchable document archives, Stirling-PDF for OCR on PDFs and images and TaxHacker for reading receipts. Each pick was chosen by hand for its job from apps whose own description or topics match it, and is shown with GitHub data from October 2026.

## Key facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Question | What is the best open source OCR software? |
| Picks | 6 |
| Top pick | Paperless-ngx (46,308 stars) |
| Data as of | Oct 7, 2026 |
| Canonical URL | https://appsgit.com/best/ocr-tools |

Every app here mentions OCR (optical character recognition) in its own description or topics: PDF toolkits that run OCR on files, and document archives that OCR every scan they ingest.

## Document archives with OCR

- [Paperless-ngx](https://appsgit.com/apps/paperless-ngx) (46,308 stars, GPL-3.0, Python, Docker, AI features): Paperless-ngx has 46,308 GitHub stars, uses the GPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 1,625 commits in the last year.
- [Docspell](https://appsgit.com/apps/docspell) (2,333 stars, AGPL-3.0, Elm, Docker): Docspell has 2,333 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 77 commits in the last year.
- [Papermerge](https://appsgit.com/apps/papermerge) (542 stars, Apache-2.0, Python, Docker): Papermerge has 542 GitHub stars, uses the Apache-2.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 193 commits in the last year.

## PDF and file toolkits with OCR

- [Stirling-PDF](https://appsgit.com/apps/stirling-pdf) (93,634 stars, Apache-2.0, TypeScript, Docker): Stirling-PDF has 93,634 GitHub stars, uses the Apache-2.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 1,925 commits in the last year; it replaces Adobe Acrobat.
- [SnapOtter](https://appsgit.com/apps/snapotter) (2,782 stars, AGPL-3.0, TypeScript, Docker, AI features): SnapOtter has 2,782 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 689 commits in the last year.

## Receipts and invoices

- [TaxHacker](https://appsgit.com/apps/taxhacker) (6,734 stars, MIT, TypeScript, Docker, AI features): TaxHacker has 6,734 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license, ships a Docker image and had 69 commits in the last year.

## How this list was made

- Apps were picked by hand from the appsgit catalog for each job, then checked against the snapshot: unknown or archived projects and projects with no commit in two years are dropped automatically.
- Inside each section the curated order is kept, most broadly useful first; an app appears only once on the page.
- Stars, license, Docker and activity facts come from the GitHub API as of October 2026.

## FAQ

### Which open source OCR tool is best for scanned paper?

Paperless-ngx is built for it: scan, index and archive paper documents, with OCR so they become searchable. Docspell and Papermerge are document archives in the same spirit.

### Is Paperless-ngx free?

Yes. Paperless-ngx is open-source software released under the GPL-3.0 license, so you can self-host it at no cost. You only pay for the server it runs on, and some projects also offer an optional paid cloud plan.

### Can I run this stack with Docker?

All 6 apps here publish Docker images, including Paperless-ngx, Docspell and Papermerge, so most of the stack can run side by side with Docker Compose on one server. Size the server for the heaviest app and add off-site backups.

## Related questions

- [What is the best open source document management system?](https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-document-management)
- [What is the best open source software?](https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-software)
- [What are the most popular self-hosted apps on GitHub?](https://appsgit.com/best/most-starred-self-hosted-apps)
- [Which open source self-hosted projects are growing the fastest?](https://appsgit.com/best/fastest-growing-open-source-projects)
- [What are the best new self-hosted apps?](https://appsgit.com/best/newest-self-hosted-apps)
- [What are the best self-hosted apps?](https://appsgit.com/best/self-hosted-apps)
- [What are the best open source AI tools you can self-host?](https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-ai-tools)
- [What are the best apps to run in a homelab?](https://appsgit.com/best/homelab-apps)

## See also

- [All document management apps](https://appsgit.com/categories/document-management)
- [All accounting & invoicing apps](https://appsgit.com/categories/accounting-invoicing)
- [Open-source alternatives to Adobe Acrobat](https://appsgit.com/alternatives/adobe-acrobat)
- [Paperless-ngx vs Docspell](https://appsgit.com/compare/paperless-ngx-vs-docspell)
- [How to self-host Paperless-ngx with Docker Compose](https://appsgit.com/guides/paperless-ngx)

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Canonical page: https://appsgit.com/best/ocr-tools
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