BentoPDF vs Paperless-ngx

Two self-hosted Document Management apps, compared on the facts we track: GitHub popularity and activity, license, language, Docker images and a rough hosting estimate.

Side by side

BentoPDFPaperless-ngx
DescriptionPowerful, privacy-first, client-side PDF toolkit that allows you to manipulate, edit, merge, and process PDF files directly in your browser.Scan, index, and archive all of your paper documents with an improved interface (fork of Paperless).
GitHub stars16,25147,709
Forks–3.3k
Open issues (incl. PRs)–11
Commits (12 months)5941.7k
Last activity2026-11-042026-11-04
Latest releasev2.8.11 (2026-10-31)v3.4.2 (2026-11-03)
Maintenance healthActiveActive
LicenseAGPL-3.0GPL-3.0
Language / platformNodejs, DockerPython, Docker
Docker Hub image––
Docker pulls––
Est. server size~2 GB, 1 vCPU~2 GB, 1 vCPU
Est. hosting from$10/mo$10/mo
CategoriesDocument ManagementDocument Management, Archiving and Digital Preservation (DP)
LinksWebsite · SourceWebsite · Source

What the numbers say

Summary: Paperless-ngx leads on GitHub popularity and commit activity. The right choice depends on the features you need — read both project descriptions and docs.

This summary is generated from GitHub, Docker Hub and awesome-selfhosted data as of 2026-11-05. It does not rate features or quality.

Frequently asked questions

Is BentoPDF or Paperless-ngx more popular?

Paperless-ngx has more GitHub stars (47,709 vs 16,251 for BentoPDF, as of 2026-11-05). Stars measure interest, not quality.

Which is more actively maintained, BentoPDF or Paperless-ngx?

Paperless-ngx had more commits over the last 12 months (1,747 vs 594). Both had repository activity on 2026-11-04. Our health labels: BentoPDF is “Active”, Paperless-ngx is “Active”.

What licenses do BentoPDF and Paperless-ngx use?

BentoPDF: AGPL-3.0. Paperless-ngx: GPL-3.0.

Can I run BentoPDF and Paperless-ngx with Docker?

We did not detect a Docker Hub image for either app. The upstream listing mentions Docker as a deployment option for BentoPDF and Paperless-ngx. Check each project's documentation for install options.

Read more

BentoPDF

Powerful, privacy-first, client-side PDF toolkit that allows you to manipulate, edit, merge, and process PDF files directly in your browser.

Active ★ 16.3k AGPL-3.0 🐳 Docker~$10/mo

Paperless-ngx

Scan, index, and archive all of your paper documents with an improved interface (fork of Paperless).

Active ★ 47.7k GPL-3.0 🐳 Docker~$10/mo

Browse all self-hosted Document Management apps.

Related comparisons

BentoPDF vs Stirling-PDFBentoPDF vs DocusealPaperless-ngx vs Stirling-PDFArchiveBox vs Paperless-ngxDocuseal vs Paperless-ngxPaperless-ngx vs WallabagPaperless-ngx vs Tube Archivist