# OpenReader vs PaddleOCR

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

| | OpenReader | PaddleOCR |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 59/100 | 85/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #4 of 15 in Audiobook Management | #1 of 4 in OCR |
| GitHub stars | 550 | 91 855 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +35 | +414 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 18 ✓ | 8 |
| Latest release | v5.3.0 · 20 Oct 2026 ✓ | v3.7.0 · 11 Jun 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate ✓ | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes ✓ | No |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Typescript | Python |

## Which one should you pick?

PaddleOCR scores 85/100 against 59/100 for OpenReader, so it is the safer default.

OpenReader ships more often: 18 stable releases in the past year, against 8 for PaddleOCR.

PaddleOCR is growing faster right now (+414 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [OpenReader](https://selfhost.directory/project/openreader) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/openreader.md)
- [PaddleOCR](https://selfhost.directory/project/paddleocr) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/paddleocr.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/openreader-vs-paddleocr