Docuseal
Create, fill, and sign digital documents (alternative to DocuSign).
Docuseal 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
| Docuseal | Paperless-ngx | |
|---|---|---|
| Description | Create, fill, and sign digital documents (alternative to DocuSign). | Scan, index, and archive all of your paper documents with an improved interface (fork of Paperless). |
| GitHub stars | 18,993 | 47,709 |
| Forks | – | 3.3k |
| Open issues (incl. PRs) | – | 11 |
| Commits (12 months) | 967 | 1.7k |
| Last activity | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-04 |
| Latest release | 3.3.5 (2026-11-02) | v3.4.2 (2026-11-03) |
| Maintenance health | Active | Active |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language / platform | Docker | Python, Docker |
| Docker Hub image | – | – |
| Docker pulls | – | – |
| Est. server size | ~2 GB, 1 vCPU | ~2 GB, 1 vCPU |
| Est. hosting from | $10/mo | $10/mo |
| Categories | Document Management | Document Management, Archiving and Digital Preservation (DP) |
| Links | Website · Source | Website · Source |
What the numbers say
- Paperless-ngx is more popular on GitHub: 47.7k stars vs 19k for Docuseal.
- Paperless-ngx had more commits in the last 12 months (1,747 vs 967).
- Paperless-ngx published a release more recently (v3.4.2 on 2026-11-03; Docuseal's latest is 3.3.5 on 2026-11-02).
- Docuseal is licensed under AGPL-3.0, Paperless-ngx under GPL-3.0.
- Paperless-ngx is written in Python; the language of Docuseal is not listed upstream.
- Deployment options listed upstream: Docuseal: Docker; Paperless-ngx: Docker.
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 Docuseal or Paperless-ngx more popular?
Paperless-ngx has more GitHub stars (47,709 vs 18,993 for Docuseal, as of 2026-11-05). Stars measure interest, not quality.
Which is more actively maintained, Docuseal or Paperless-ngx?
Paperless-ngx had more commits over the last 12 months (1,747 vs 967). The last recorded activity was 2026-11-02 for Docuseal and 2026-11-04 for Paperless-ngx. Our health labels: Docuseal is “Active”, Paperless-ngx is “Active”.
What licenses do Docuseal and Paperless-ngx use?
Docuseal: AGPL-3.0. Paperless-ngx: GPL-3.0.
Can I run Docuseal 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 Docuseal and Paperless-ngx. Check each project's documentation for install options.
Read more
Paperless-ngx
Scan, index, and archive all of your paper documents with an improved interface (fork of Paperless).
Browse all self-hosted Document Management apps.