Paperless-ngx
Scan, index, and archive all of your paper documents with an improved interface (fork of Paperless).
Paperless-ngx vs Stirling-PDF
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
| Paperless-ngx | Stirling-PDF | |
|---|---|---|
| Description | Scan, index, and archive all of your paper documents with an improved interface (fork of Paperless). | Local hosted web application that allows you to perform various operations on PDF files, such as merging, splitting, file conversions and OCR. |
| GitHub stars | 47,709 | 95,776 |
| Forks | 3.3k | 10k |
| Open issues (incl. PRs) | 11 | 501 |
| Commits (12 months) | 1.7k | 2k |
| Last activity | 2026-11-04 | 2026-11-04 |
| Latest release | v3.4.2 (2026-11-03) | v3.2.2 (2026-10-24) |
| Maintenance health | Active | Active |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language / platform | Python, Docker | Docker, Java |
| 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, Archiving and Digital Preservation (DP) | Document Management |
| Links | Website · Source | Website · Source |
What the numbers say
- Stirling-PDF is more popular on GitHub: 95.8k stars vs 47.7k for Paperless-ngx.
- Paperless-ngx published a release more recently (v3.4.2 on 2026-11-03; Stirling-PDF's latest is v3.2.2 on 2026-10-24).
- Paperless-ngx is licensed under GPL-3.0, Stirling-PDF under Apache-2.0. Stirling-PDF's license is permissive; Paperless-ngx's is copyleft (changes you distribute must stay open).
- Paperless-ngx is written in Python; Stirling-PDF in Java.
- Deployment options listed upstream: Paperless-ngx: Docker; Stirling-PDF: Docker.
Summary: Stirling-PDF leads on GitHub popularity. 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 Paperless-ngx or Stirling-PDF more popular?
Stirling-PDF has more GitHub stars (95,776 vs 47,709 for Paperless-ngx, as of 2026-11-05). Stars measure interest, not quality.
Which is more actively maintained, Paperless-ngx or Stirling-PDF?
Commits in the last 12 months: Paperless-ngx 1,747, Stirling-PDF 1,997. Both had repository activity on 2026-11-04. Our health labels: Paperless-ngx is “Active”, Stirling-PDF is “Active”.
What licenses do Paperless-ngx and Stirling-PDF use?
Paperless-ngx: GPL-3.0. Stirling-PDF: Apache-2.0. Stirling-PDF's license is permissive; Paperless-ngx's is copyleft (changes you distribute must stay open).
Can I run Paperless-ngx and Stirling-PDF with Docker?
We did not detect a Docker Hub image for either app. The upstream listing mentions Docker as a deployment option for Paperless-ngx and Stirling-PDF. Check each project's documentation for install options.
Read more
Stirling-PDF
Local hosted web application that allows you to perform various operations on PDF files, such as merging, splitting, file conversions and OCR.
Browse all self-hosted Document Management apps.