{"securityAudit":null,"logoUrl":"/logos/paperless-ngx.png","id":"paperless-ngx","slug":"paperless-ngx","name":"Paperless-ngx","summary":"Scans, reads and files your paper documents so you can find any of them in seconds.","type":"free_oss","hasFreePlan":false,"license":{"spdx":"GPL-3.0","type":"copyleft","needsReview":false},"trust":{"status":"verified","reasons":[]},"pricing":{"model":"free","basePrice":0,"perSeat":null,"perLocation":null,"estHostingMonthly":4.95,"label":"$0 + ~$4.95/mo hosting"},"setupEffort":null,"setupLevel":"one_click","aiMaturity":"ga","worksWith":[],"problemIds":["accounting-3","beauty-5","child-care-1","cleaning-5","health-practices-2","home-improvement-5","hvac-plumbing-5","landscaping-4","real-estate-3","restaurants-1","accounting-1","child-care-4"],"rating":null,"securityAudits":[],"url":"https://docs.paperless-ngx.com","aiCapabilities":"Built-in OCR + automatic tagging/matching (non-LLM). Optional LLM features (off by default): AI-assisted suggestions, similar-document retrieval, document chat — use a local backend (Ollama) or an OpenAI-compatible provider (documents leave your server if remote). Companion MIT project paperless-ai also adds LLM tagging.","byoAiKey":true,"priceNotes":"Free license. Hosting estimate: From $4.95/mo on PikaPods","pricingSourceUrl":null,"priceCheckedAt":"2026-11-05","complianceFlags":[],"affiliate":false,"oss":{"repoUrl":"https://github.com/paperless-ngx/paperless-ngx","licenseSpdx":"GPL-3.0","licenseType":"copyleft","licenseReview":"auto","copyleftNote":"GPL-3.0: commercial use allowed; share source only if distributing modifications.","openCoreNote":null,"stars":47741,"lastReleaseAt":"2026-11-03","latestReleaseTag":null,"backing":"Community-maintained (paperless-ngx GitHub org, volunteer team); no company.","hostedOptions":"No official cloud. One-click managed: PikaPods (from $4.95/mo), Cloudron. Self-host via Docker.","securityNote":"14 advisories in last 12 months (0 critical; 1 high privilege escalation to superuser in UserViewSet); all patched. One medium advisory concerns AI classification workflows leaking info on ownerless documents (patched)."},"trustChecks":[{"key":"admin_verified","label":"Admin-verified listing","pass":true,"note":"Reviewed by the Catervas team: links and prices checked Nov 5, 2026","checkedAt":"2026-11-05"},{"key":"license","label":"License verified","pass":true,"note":"GPL-3.0 is on the license allow-list","evidenceUrl":"https://github.com/paperless-ngx/paperless-ngx","checkedAt":"2026-11-05"},{"key":"maintenance","label":"Active maintenance","pass":true,"note":"Last release or commit 2026-11-03","evidenceUrl":"https://github.com/paperless-ngx/paperless-ngx","checkedAt":"2026-11-05"},{"key":"security","label":"No open critical security advisories","pass":true,"note":"No unpatched critical or high advisories found. Keep it on the latest release.","evidenceUrl":"https://github.com/paperless-ngx/paperless-ngx/security/advisories","checkedAt":"2026-11-05"},{"key":"privacy","label":"Privacy and data policy","pass":true,"note":"Self-hosted: your data stays on your own hosting.","checkedAt":"2026-11-05"},{"key":"backing","label":"Company or foundation backing","pass":true,"note":"Community-maintained (paperless-ngx GitHub org, volunteer team); no company.","evidenceUrl":"https://github.com/paperless-ngx/paperless-ngx","checkedAt":"2026-11-05"}],"problems":[{"id":"accounting-1","industryId":"accounting","rank":1,"title":"Staff shortage and tax-season burnout","summary":"Finding qualified staff is a top issue for most CPA firms, and the pipeline of new accountants is thin. Workload peaks every tax season.","theme":"hiring","strength":0.6,"howItHelps":"Turns the flood of client tax documents, closing paperwork, leases or payer letters into a searchable, auto-tagged archive. Clients just email or upload, and staff stop hand-sorting PDFs during tax season."},{"id":"accounting-3","industryId":"accounting","rank":3,"title":"Chasing client documents and information","summary":"Most firms report delays getting the documents they need from clients. Fewer than a third fully use automated reminders.","theme":"admin-paperwork","strength":1,"howItHelps":"Turns the flood of client tax documents, closing paperwork, leases or payer letters into a searchable, auto-tagged archive. Clients just email or upload, and staff stop hand-sorting PDFs during tax season."},{"id":"beauty-5","industryId":"beauty","rank":5,"title":"Licensing, CE tracking, sales tax and bookkeeping","summary":"From 2026, Maryland cosmetology licensees must complete continuing education each renewal cycle. Owners also handle salon permits, sales tax and bookkeeping.","theme":"compliance","strength":1,"howItHelps":"Scan or email in supplier invoices, receipts, permits, staff certificates and background-check records; OCR makes them searchable and auto-tagged, so food-cost invoices, tax paperwork and licensing/inspection files are findable in seconds."},{"id":"child-care-1","industryId":"child-care","rank":1,"title":"Hiring, keeping and onboarding qualified staff","summary":"Staffing is the top challenge for child care centers, and burnout is common. Maryland lost an estimated 27% of its child care workers between 2019 and 2022.","theme":"hiring","strength":1,"howItHelps":"Scan or email in supplier invoices, receipts, permits, staff certificates and background-check records; OCR makes them searchable and auto-tagged, so food-cost invoices, tax paperwork and licensing/inspection files are findable in seconds."},{"id":"child-care-4","industryId":"child-care","rank":4,"title":"Licensing compliance and paperwork (MSDE, EXCELS, training hours)","summary":"Maryland providers must track ratios, staff credentials, training hours, immunizations and incidents. Providers say the paperwork is heavy and often requested more than once.","theme":"compliance","strength":0.6,"howItHelps":"Scan or email in supplier invoices, receipts, permits, staff certificates and background-check records; OCR makes them searchable and auto-tagged, so food-cost invoices, tax paperwork and licensing/inspection files are findable in seconds."},{"id":"cleaning-5","industryId":"cleaning","rank":5,"title":"Cash flow and back-office overload: invoices, payroll, sales tax","summary":"Many cleaners juggle five to seven apps for payroll, accounting and invoicing. Overdue invoices are getting more common for small businesses.","theme":"cash-flow","strength":1,"howItHelps":"Scan or email in supplier invoices, receipts, permits, staff certificates and background-check records; OCR makes them searchable and auto-tagged, so food-cost invoices, tax paperwork and licensing/inspection files are findable in seconds."},{"id":"health-practices-2","industryId":"health-practices","rank":2,"title":"Prior authorizations and payer paperwork eat staff time","summary":"Practices complete about 39 prior authorizations per physician each week, taking around 13 hours. Most physicians say this paperwork adds to burnout.","theme":"admin-paperwork","strength":1,"howItHelps":"Turns the flood of client tax documents, closing paperwork, leases or payer letters into a searchable, auto-tagged archive. Clients just email or upload, and staff stop hand-sorting PDFs during tax season."},{"id":"home-improvement-5","industryId":"home-improvement","rank":5,"title":"MHIC licensing, contract rules and admin paperwork","summary":"Maryland home improvement contractors need an MHIC license, insurance and specific notices in every contract. Contract mistakes can bring fines of $500 to $5,000.","theme":"compliance","strength":1,"howItHelps":"Scan or email in permits, licenses, insurance certificates, signed contracts, pesticide application records, receipts and equipment manuals; OCR makes them searchable and AI auto-files them, so compliance documents are found in seconds during an inspection or dispute."},{"id":"hvac-plumbing-5","industryId":"hvac-plumbing","rank":5,"title":"Admin overload: scheduling, dispatch, paperwork and job records","summary":"Owner-operators spend nights and weekends on quotes, scheduling, invoices and records instead of paid work. Techs often can't quickly pull warranty data or service history on site.","theme":"admin-paperwork","strength":1,"howItHelps":"Scan or email in permits, licenses, insurance certificates, signed contracts, pesticide application records, receipts and equipment manuals; OCR makes them searchable and AI auto-files them, so compliance documents are found in seconds during an inspection or dispute."},{"id":"landscaping-4","industryId":"landscaping","rank":4,"title":"Fertilizer, pesticide and licensing records","summary":"About a third of landscapers worry about equipment, water and chemical rules. Compliance means certifications, renewals and application logs.","theme":"compliance","strength":1,"howItHelps":"Scan or email in permits, licenses, insurance certificates, signed contracts, pesticide application records, receipts and equipment manuals; OCR makes them searchable and AI auto-files them, so compliance documents are found in seconds during an inspection or dispute."},{"id":"real-estate-3","industryId":"real-estate","rank":3,"title":"Transaction paperwork, deadlines and compliance","summary":"Since the 2024 NAR settlement, buyer agreements, disclosures and contract deadlines must be documented carefully on every deal. Deadline tracking and document checks are still mostly manual for solo agents.","theme":"compliance","strength":1,"howItHelps":"Turns the flood of client tax documents, closing paperwork, leases or payer letters into a searchable, auto-tagged archive. Clients just email or upload, and staff stop hand-sorting PDFs during tax season."},{"id":"restaurants-1","industryId":"restaurants","rank":1,"title":"Rising food costs: food-cost control, inventory and invoices","summary":"Nearly all operators name food costs as their top concern, and food costs are up about a third from before the pandemic. Tracking invoices and inventory is key to control.","theme":"inventory","strength":1,"howItHelps":"Scan or email in supplier invoices, receipts, permits, staff certificates and background-check records; OCR makes them searchable and auto-tagged, so food-cost invoices, tax paperwork and licensing/inspection files are findable in seconds."}],"integrations":[],"setupGuide":null,"reviews":[]}