# Paperless-ngx vs Serena-MCP

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

| | Paperless-ngx | Serena-MCP |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 86/100 ✓ | 82/100 |
| Rank in category | #3 of 46 in Document Management | #4 of 166 in Developer Tools |
| GitHub stars | 47 180 ✓ | 30 795 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +1 224 ✓ | +1 041 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 26 ✓ | 15 |
| Latest release | v3.3.4 · 22 Oct 2026 ✓ | v2.1.0 · 19 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Easy ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Other |
| Main language | Python | Python |

## Which one should you pick?

Paperless-ngx scores 86/100 against 82/100 for Serena-MCP, so it is the safer default.

Paperless-ngx ships more often: 26 stable releases in the past year, against 15 for Serena-MCP.

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

## Details

- [Paperless-ngx](https://selfhost.directory/project/paperless-ngx) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/paperless-ngx.md)
- [Serena-MCP](https://selfhost.directory/project/serena-mcp) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/serena-mcp.md)

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