ifmvsPaperless-ngx
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| ifm | Paperless-ngx | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 49/100 | 86/100 |
| Rank in category | #19 of 34 in File Management | #3 of 46 in Document Management |
| GitHub stars | 370 | 47 231 |
| Stars, last 30 days | — | +1 275 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 2 | 26 |
| Latest release | v4.1.2 · 20 Aug 2026 | v3.3.4 · 22 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Easy | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Main language | PHP | Python |
Which one should you pick?
Paperless-ngx scores 86/100 against 49/100 for ifm, so it is the safer default.
Paperless-ngx ships more often: 26 stable releases in the past year, against 2 for ifm.
If you want the quickest setup, ifm is easier to run; Paperless-ngx needs more configuration.
Paperless-ngx is growing faster right now (+1 275 stars in 30 days).
ifm details →Paperless-ngx details →