# PaddleOCR vs Pharos

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

| | PaddleOCR | Pharos |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 85/100 ✓ | 44/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 4 in OCR | #80 of 125 in AI |
| GitHub stars | 91 881 ✓ | 241 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +440 | — |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 8 ✓ | 0 |
| Latest release | v3.7.0 · 11 Jun 2026 | — |
| Setup | Moderate ✓ | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | No | No |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Main language | Python | Python |

## Which one should you pick?

PaddleOCR scores 85/100 against 44/100 for Pharos, so it is the safer default.

PaddleOCR ships more often: 8 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for Pharos.

If you want the quickest setup, PaddleOCR is easier to run; Pharos needs more configuration.

PaddleOCR is growing faster right now (+440 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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

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