# openpencil vs Paperless-ngx

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

| | openpencil | Paperless-ngx |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 73/100 | 86/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #2 of 7 in Design | #3 of 46 in Document Management |
| GitHub stars | 9 407 | 47 259 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +806 | +1 268 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 14 | 26 ✓ |
| Latest release | v0.16.0 · 14 Oct 2026 | v3.3.4 · 22 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Easy ✓ | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes ✓ |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Typescript | Python |

## Which one should you pick?

Paperless-ngx scores 86/100 against 73/100 for openpencil, so it is the safer default.

Paperless-ngx ships more often: 26 stable releases in the past year, against 14 for openpencil.

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

## Details

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

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