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Paperless-ngx
What Paperless-ngx is
Paperless-ngx turns physical documents into a searchable archive stored on the user's own server. It uses Tesseract OCR to make scans searchable in more than 100 languages, then organizes documents with tags, correspondents, document types, custom fields, and workflows. It handles PDFs, common image formats, and plain text; optional Tika integration adds Office formats. Optional AI tools can suggest documents, support document chat, and retrieve similar documents, but are disabled by default. Documents stay on the user's server, although configured AI providers may receive document content when used. Mail rules can filter and act on incoming email, and the software documents Gmail and Outlook OAuth support. It offers built-in Django authentication, external authentication options, and a REST API with a browsable interface. Checksums and a scheduled sanity checker help check that stored documents remain unchanged. Paperless-ngx is free, open-source software under GPL-3.0, with community help through GitHub Discussions and Matrix. It runs on Linux; Windows is not supported.
Who it suits
Paperless-ngx suits people who want to maintain a searchable document archive on a Linux server. It may fit users who need OCR, structured organization, email rules, or an API.
What it does well
- OCR supports more than 100 languages.
- Organizes documents with tags, custom fields, and workflows.
- Optional AI features are disabled by default.
- Includes a documented REST API and browsable interface.
- Checksums and scheduled checks monitor document integrity.
What to know first
- Runs on Linux; Windows is not supported.
- Document and thumbnail encryption is no longer supported as of version 3.
- Configured AI providers may receive document content.
- No mobile apps are listed.
Limits
Paperless-ngx is listed as free as community-supported open-source software under GPL-3.0. Optional AI features are disabled by default, and Office-format handling requires optional Tika integration. Document and thumbnail encryption is no longer supported as of version 3.
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Paperless-ngx | Community-supported open-source software · GPL-3.0 | Free |
As docs.paperless-ngx.com lists them, read 11 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Getting started
- Open the Paperless-ngx documentation website.
- Use a Linux system for the server; the setup guide says Windows is not supported.
- Set up the self-hosted software using the documentation.
- Add scans or other supported documents to the archive.
- Configure tags, correspondents, document types, custom fields, or workflows to organize documents.
- Optionally enable Tika for Office formats or configure AI features and providers.
Verdict
Paperless-ngx offers OCR, organization, and access controls for a self-hosted archive. Its Linux requirement and encryption limitation are important considerations before adoption.
Questions
How much does Paperless-ngx cost?
The Paperless-ngx plan is listed as free. It is community-supported open-source software under GPL-3.0.
What platforms does it support?
The listed platforms are API, Linux, self-hosted, and web. The setup guide says it runs on Linux and that Windows is not supported.
What file types can it process?
It processes PDFs and common image formats, and supports plain text. Optional Tika integration allows it to handle Office formats.
Does it include AI features?
Optional features include document suggestions, document chat, and similar-document retrieval; they are disabled by default. Configured AI providers can receive document content when used.
Where are documents stored?
Documents are stored locally on the user’s server. Using configured AI providers can send document content to those providers.
What support is available?
Community support is available through GitHub Discussions and Matrix.
Facts from Paperless-ngx's own pages
- AI features
- Optional AI features include document suggestions, document chat, and similar-document retrieval, and are disabled by default. · docs.paperless-ngx.com, 11 Oct 2026
- API
- Paperless-ngx provides a documented REST API with a browsable interface. · docs.paperless-ngx.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Authentication
- It has built-in Django authentication and supports external authentication through remote-user authentication or OpenID Connect and social authentication. · docs.paperless-ngx.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Document integrity
- Paperless-ngx keeps checksums and runs a scheduled sanity checker to check that documents remain unchanged. · docs.paperless-ngx.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Email integration
- Mail rules can filter and act on incoming email, and Gmail and Outlook OAuth support is documented in the changelog. · docs.paperless-ngx.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Encryption limit
- Document and thumbnail encryption is no longer supported as of version 3. · docs.paperless-ngx.com, 11 Oct 2026
- File formats
- It processes PDFs and common image formats, supports plain text, and can handle Office formats with optional Tika integration. · docs.paperless-ngx.com, 11 Oct 2026
- OCR
- It uses Tesseract OCR to make scanned documents searchable and supports more than 100 languages. · docs.paperless-ngx.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Organization
- Users can organize documents with tags, correspondents, document types, custom fields, and workflows. · docs.paperless-ngx.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Platform
- The setup guide states that Paperless runs on Linux and that Windows is not supported. · docs.paperless-ngx.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Privacy
- Documents are stored locally on the user's server; using configured AI providers can send document content to those providers. · docs.paperless-ngx.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Paperless-ngx turns physical documents into a searchable online archive. · docs.paperless-ngx.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Support
- Community support is available through GitHub Discussions and Matrix. · docs.paperless-ngx.com, 11 Oct 2026
Where Paperless-ngx stands on Freedom251
- Document Management Software#11 of 63
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