# OpenEMR vs Paperless-ngx

> Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | OpenEMR | Paperless-ngx |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 72/100 | 86/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #1 of 5 in Healthcare | #3 of 46 in Document Management |
| GitHub stars | 5 555 | 47 259 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +87 | +1 268 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 6 | 26 ✓ |
| Latest release | v8_5_0 · 27 Oct 2026 ✓ | v3.3.4 · 22 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Main language | PHP | Python |

## Which one should you pick?

Paperless-ngx scores 86/100 against 72/100 for OpenEMR, so it is the safer default.

Paperless-ngx ships more often: 26 stable releases in the past year, against 6 for OpenEMR.

If you want the quickest setup, Paperless-ngx is easier to run; OpenEMR needs more configuration.

Paperless-ngx is growing faster right now (+1 268 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [OpenEMR](https://selfhost.directory/project/openemr) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/openemr.md)
- [Paperless-ngx](https://selfhost.directory/project/paperless-ngx) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/paperless-ngx.md)

---
Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/openemr-vs-paperless-ngx