# Paperless-ngx vs Portainer

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

| | Paperless-ngx | Portainer |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 86/100 ✓ | 77/100 |
| Rank in category | #3 of 46 in Document Management | #1 of 44 in Container Management |
| GitHub stars | 47 203 ✓ | 38 737 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +1 247 ✓ | +188 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 26 ✓ | 21 |
| Latest release | v3.3.4 · 22 Oct 2026 ✓ | 2.45.3 · 21 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Easy ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Zlib |
| Main language | Python | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

Paperless-ngx scores 86/100 against 77/100 for Portainer, so it is the safer default.

Paperless-ngx ships more often: 26 stable releases in the past year, against 21 for Portainer.

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

Paperless-ngx is growing faster right now (+1 247 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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

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