# PaddleOCR vs Proliferate

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

| | PaddleOCR | Proliferate |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 85/100 ✓ | 49/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 4 in OCR | #52 of 124 in AI |
| GitHub stars | 91 938 ✓ | 519 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +497 ✓ | +0 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 7 ✓ | 4 |
| Latest release | v3.7.0 · 11 Jun 2026 | proliferate-v0.4.29 · 27 Aug 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Moderate ✓ | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes ✓ |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Python | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

PaddleOCR scores 85/100 against 49/100 for Proliferate, so it is the safer default.

PaddleOCR ships more often: 7 stable releases in the past year, against 4 for Proliferate.

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

PaddleOCR is growing faster right now (+497 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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

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