# PanWatch vs Paperless-ngx

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

| | PanWatch | Paperless-ngx |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 62/100 | 86/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #3 of 9 in Fintech | #3 of 46 in Document Management |
| GitHub stars | 2 272 | 47 259 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +121 | +1 268 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 12 | 26 ✓ |
| Latest release | 0.20.0 · 23 Oct 2026 ✓ | v3.3.4 · 22 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Easy ✓ | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Python | Python |

## Which one should you pick?

Paperless-ngx scores 86/100 against 62/100 for PanWatch, so it is the safer default.

Paperless-ngx ships more often: 26 stable releases in the past year, against 12 for PanWatch.

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

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

## Details

- [PanWatch](https://selfhost.directory/project/panwatch) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/panwatch.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/panwatch-vs-paperless-ngx