# Best open source document management systems > The best open source document management system is Stirling-PDF, with 93,634 GitHub stars, the Apache-2.0 license and a Docker image; Paperless-ngx and Docuseal are strong alternatives. This page also breaks the picks down by team size and use: Stirling-PDF leads for startups, enterprise and freelancers; Paperless-ngx for small business. The overall ranking weighs GitHub stars, commits in the last year, Docker images, open-source licenses and recent commits across the 15 apps in the document management category of the appsgit catalog. ## Key facts | Fact | Value | |---|---| | Question | What is the best open source document management system? | | Picks | 25 | | Top pick | Stirling-PDF (93,634 stars) | | Data as of | Oct 7, 2026 | | Canonical URL | https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-document-management | ## Top picks 10 of the 15 apps in the document management category, ranked on GitHub stars, commits in the last year, Docker images, open-source licenses and recent commits. - [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. - [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. - [Docuseal](https://appsgit.com/apps/docuseal) (18,658 stars, AGPL-3.0, Ruby, Docker): Docuseal has 18,658 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 925 commits in the last year; it replaces DocuSign and Adobe Acrobat. - [Documenso](https://appsgit.com/apps/documenso) (15,336 stars, AGPL-3.0, TypeScript, Docker): Documenso has 15,336 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 695 commits in the last year; it replaces DocuSign and Adobe Acrobat. - [BentoPDF](https://appsgit.com/apps/bentopdf) (15,844 stars, AGPL-3.0, JavaScript, Docker): BentoPDF has 15,844 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 482 commits in the last year; it replaces Adobe Acrobat. - [Gotenberg](https://appsgit.com/apps/gotenberg) (13,228 stars, MIT, Go, Docker): Gotenberg has 13,228 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license, ships a Docker image and had 366 commits in the last year; it replaces Adobe Acrobat. - [Papra](https://appsgit.com/apps/papra) (5,539 stars, AGPL-3.0, TypeScript, Docker): Papra has 5,539 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 685 commits in the last year. - [OpenSign](https://appsgit.com/apps/opensign) (7,058 stars, AGPL-3.0, JavaScript, Docker): OpenSign has 7,058 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 77 commits in the last year; it replaces DocuSign. - [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. - [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. ## Best for startups Ranked for startups on GitHub stars, commits in the last year, Docker images, open-source licenses, project websites and recent commits. - [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. For startups it also scores on a Docker image, a permissive license (Apache-2.0) and a commit in the last 90 days. - [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. For startups it also scores on a Docker image, an open-source license, a project website and a commit in the last 90 days. - [Docuseal](https://appsgit.com/apps/docuseal) (18,658 stars, AGPL-3.0, Ruby, Docker): Docuseal has 18,658 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 925 commits in the last year; it replaces DocuSign and Adobe Acrobat. For startups it also scores on a Docker image, an open-source license, a project website and a commit in the last 90 days. - [Gotenberg](https://appsgit.com/apps/gotenberg) (13,228 stars, MIT, Go, Docker): Gotenberg has 13,228 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license, ships a Docker image and had 366 commits in the last year; it replaces Adobe Acrobat. For startups it also scores on a Docker image, a permissive license (MIT), a project website and a commit in the last 90 days. - [Documenso](https://appsgit.com/apps/documenso) (15,336 stars, AGPL-3.0, TypeScript, Docker): Documenso has 15,336 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 695 commits in the last year; it replaces DocuSign and Adobe Acrobat. For startups it also scores on a Docker image, an open-source license, a project website and a commit in the last 90 days. ## Best for small business Ranked for small business on GitHub stars, commits in the last year, Docker images, open-source licenses, project websites, recent commits and deploy guides. - [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; appsgit has a step-by-step deploy guide for it. For small business it also scores on a Docker image, an open-source license, a project website, a commit in the last 90 days and an appsgit deploy guide. - [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. For small business it also scores on a Docker image, an open-source license and a commit in the last 90 days. - [Docuseal](https://appsgit.com/apps/docuseal) (18,658 stars, AGPL-3.0, Ruby, Docker): Docuseal has 18,658 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 925 commits in the last year; it replaces DocuSign and Adobe Acrobat. For small business it also scores on a Docker image, an open-source license, a project website and a commit in the last 90 days. - [Documenso](https://appsgit.com/apps/documenso) (15,336 stars, AGPL-3.0, TypeScript, Docker): Documenso has 15,336 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 695 commits in the last year; it replaces DocuSign and Adobe Acrobat. For small business it also scores on a Docker image, an open-source license, a project website and a commit in the last 90 days. - [BentoPDF](https://appsgit.com/apps/bentopdf) (15,844 stars, AGPL-3.0, JavaScript, Docker): BentoPDF has 15,844 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 482 commits in the last year; it replaces Adobe Acrobat. For small business it also scores on a Docker image, an open-source license, a project website and a commit in the last 90 days. ## Best for enterprise and freelancers Ranked for enterprise and freelancers (the same order for each) on GitHub stars, commits in the last year, Docker images, open-source licenses and recent commits. - [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. For enterprise it also scores on an open-source license and a commit in the last 90 days. - [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. For enterprise it also scores on an open-source license and a commit in the last 90 days. - [Docuseal](https://appsgit.com/apps/docuseal) (18,658 stars, AGPL-3.0, Ruby, Docker): Docuseal has 18,658 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 925 commits in the last year; it replaces DocuSign and Adobe Acrobat. For enterprise it also scores on an open-source license and a commit in the last 90 days. - [Documenso](https://appsgit.com/apps/documenso) (15,336 stars, AGPL-3.0, TypeScript, Docker): Documenso has 15,336 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 695 commits in the last year; it replaces DocuSign and Adobe Acrobat. For enterprise it also scores on an open-source license and a commit in the last 90 days. - [BentoPDF](https://appsgit.com/apps/bentopdf) (15,844 stars, AGPL-3.0, JavaScript, Docker): BentoPDF has 15,844 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 482 commits in the last year; it replaces Adobe Acrobat. For enterprise it also scores on an open-source license and a commit in the last 90 days. ## How this list was made - Candidates: the 15 apps in the document management category. Archived projects and projects with no commit in the last two years are left out. - Base score: GitHub stars on a log scale plus commits in the last 12 months (log scale, capped at 1,000). - Bonus points for a published Docker image, an OSI-approved open-source license and a commit in the last 90 days. - Each "Best for" section re-ranks the same apps with that audience's profile (for example startups add points for permissive licenses, project websites and recent commits; small business for Docker images and deploy guides). - Source-available apps can rank, but they are labelled and never described as open source. ## FAQ ### Is Stirling-PDF free? Yes. Stirling-PDF is open-source software released under the Apache-2.0 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. ### Which open source document management system is best for a startup? Stirling-PDF ranks first for startups, with 93,634 GitHub stars, the Apache-2.0 license and a Docker image; Paperless-ngx and Docuseal follow. The startups ranking adds points for Docker images, permissive licenses, project websites and recent commits on top of stars and activity. ### Which open source document management system is best for a small business? Paperless-ngx ranks first for small business, with 46,308 GitHub stars, the GPL-3.0 license and a Docker image; Stirling-PDF and Docuseal follow. The small business ranking adds points for Docker images, open-source licenses, project websites, recent commits and deploy guides on top of stars and activity. ### Can I self-host these document management systems with Docker? Yes, all of them. Stirling-PDF, Paperless-ngx and Docuseal publish Docker images, so you can run them on a VPS or home server with Docker Compose. ### Are all of these document management systems open source? All 10 apps on this list are open source. You can self-host and modify each one under its license. ## Related questions - [What is the best open source PDF editor you can self-host?](https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-pdf-tools) - [What is the best open source OCR software?](https://appsgit.com/best/ocr-tools) - [What is the best open source workflow automation tool?](https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-workflow-automation) - [What is the best open source budgeting app?](https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-budgeting-software) - [What is the best open source CMS?](https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-cms) - [What is the best open source team chat app?](https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-team-chat) - [What is the best open source file sharing app?](https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-file-sharing) - [What is the best open source HR software?](https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-hr-software) ## See also - [Best open source PDF editors and tools (self-hosted)](https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-pdf-tools) - [Best open source OCR tools you can self-host](https://appsgit.com/best/ocr-tools) - [All document management apps](https://appsgit.com/categories/document-management) - [All archiving apps](https://appsgit.com/categories/archiving) - [All automation & workflows apps](https://appsgit.com/categories/automation) - [Open-source alternatives to Adobe Acrobat](https://appsgit.com/alternatives/adobe-acrobat) - [Open-source alternatives to DocuSign](https://appsgit.com/alternatives/docusign) - [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) --- Canonical page: https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-document-management Source: appsgit (https://appsgit.com), the app store for github. Data from the GitHub API, refreshed nightly. Machine access: JSON API https://appsgit.com/api/v1/apps (OpenAPI: https://appsgit.com/openapi.json), MCP server https://mcp.appsgit.com/mcp, full index https://appsgit.com/llms-full.txt.