# Paperless-ngx vs Docspell

> Pick Paperless-ngx if you want the most popular, easiest-to-run scanned document archive; pick Docspell if you want richer metadata, email import and a JVM-based stack.

## Verdict

Paperless-ngx is the default choice for a home or small-office paperless setup: it has the larger community, a polished web UI and a simple Docker Compose install. Docspell suits people who want more structured metadata (correspondents, custom fields, NLP-based suggestions) and strong email integration, and who do not mind running Java services.

- Best for Paperless-ngx: Households and small offices that want a polished, well-supported OCR archive
- Best for Docspell: Power users who want NLP metadata suggestions and deep email import

## Key differences

| Aspect | Paperless-ngx | Docspell |
|---|---|---|
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language/stack | Python (Django) backend with an Angular web UI | Scala backend services with an Elm web UI, runs on Java 17+ |
| Database | PostgreSQL (recommended), MariaDB or SQLite, plus a Redis-compatible broker | PostgreSQL, MariaDB or embedded H2; optional Apache Solr for full-text search |
| Standout features | OCR via OCRmyPDF, automatic matching of tags, correspondents and document types, consumption folder | Stanford CoreNLP suggestions for correspondents, tags and dates, IMAP email import, REST API |
| Mobile apps | No official app; responsive web UI and community-built mobile clients | Official Android app for uploading files; mobile-friendly web app |
| Learning curve | Low: one Compose file and a consume folder get you started | Moderate: separate REST server and job executor to configure |

## GitHub numbers

| Metric | Paperless-ngx | Docspell |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | 46,308 | 2,333 |
| Forks | 3,203 | 184 |
| Commits, last 12 months | 1,625 | 77 |
| Last commit | Oct 6, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 |
| Latest release | v3.3.0 | v0.43.0 |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| License type | Open source | Open source |
| Language | Python | Elm |
| Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| Repository | https://github.com/paperless-ngx/paperless-ngx | https://github.com/eikek/docspell |

App pages: [Paperless-ngx](https://appsgit.com/apps/paperless-ngx), [Docspell](https://appsgit.com/apps/docspell)

## FAQ

### Is Paperless-ngx better than Docspell?

For most home users, yes: Paperless-ngx is simpler to install and has a much larger community. Docspell is the better fit if you need its NLP-based metadata suggestions or heavy email import.

### Do Paperless-ngx and Docspell both do OCR?

Yes. Paperless-ngx runs OCR through OCRmyPDF and Tesseract, and Docspell runs OCR when a document has no text layer, then makes the text searchable.

### Can I run either on a Raspberry Pi?

Paperless-ngx publishes ARM Docker images and is commonly run on a Pi. Docspell runs on the JVM, so it needs more memory, but its Docker images also work on capable ARM boards.

---

Canonical page: https://appsgit.com/compare/paperless-ngx-vs-docspell
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.