# Paperless-ngx vs SmarterRouter

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

| | Paperless-ngx | SmarterRouter |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 86/100 ✓ | 47/100 |
| Rank in category | #3 of 46 in Document Management | #36 of 69 in AI Chat |
| GitHub stars | 47 299 ✓ | 155 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +1 308 ✓ | +1 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 26 ✓ | 10 |
| Latest release | v3.3.4 · 22 Oct 2026 ✓ | 2.2.5 · 18 Apr 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Main language | Python | Python |

## Which one should you pick?

Paperless-ngx scores 86/100 against 47/100 for SmarterRouter, so it is the safer default.

Paperless-ngx ships more often: 26 stable releases in the past year, against 10 for SmarterRouter.

Paperless-ngx is growing faster right now (+1 308 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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

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