# Paperless-ngx vs Pulse

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

| | Paperless-ngx | Pulse |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 86/100 ✓ | 71/100 |
| Rank in category | #3 of 46 in Document Management | #2 of 19 in Infrastructure Monitoring |
| GitHub stars | 47 220 ✓ | 6 973 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +1 264 ✓ | +232 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 26 | 43 ✓ |
| Latest release | v3.3.4 · 22 Oct 2026 | helm-chart-6.6.0 · 25 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Moderate | Easy ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Main language | Python | Go |

## Which one should you pick?

Paperless-ngx scores 86/100 against 71/100 for Pulse, so it is the safer default.

Pulse ships more often: 43 stable releases in the past year, against 26 for Paperless-ngx.

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

Paperless-ngx is growing faster right now (+1 264 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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

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