TL;DR:
Paperless‑ngx is a self‑hostable open‑source DMS that digitises, organises and makes all company documents (invoices, contracts, HR files, etc.) searchable via OCR and metadata (tags, types, correspondents, saved views).
It effectively replaces paper binders: ultra‑fast search, fewer lost documents, durable archival format (PDF/A), traceability and better preparation for tax, HR or legal audits.
Compared with Evernote, OneNote, Google Drive or Dropbox, it stands out by:
no licence or subscription (you only pay for the infrastructure);
heavy customisation (scripts, API, internal workflows);
a true structured document management logic, not just storage or note-taking.
Self‑hosting gives total control over data: no scraping, no advertising profiling, choice of hosting location (digital sovereignty, GDPR/Bill 25 compliance), security adapted to the company (firewall, encryption, backups).
For an SME, it is a robust, economical and sovereign solution for modernising document management while protecting sensitive information.
Introduction
Document management remains a major challenge for SMEs: paper invoices, pay slips, contracts and legal documents pile up quickly. A suitable tool allows you to digitise, classify and easily retrieve these documents, reducing the amount of paper and search time. Paperless‑ngx is an open‑source electronic document management system (EDMS) designed to help companies keep ‘less paper’ while maintaining fast access to their important documents. Available in French and with self‑hosting, Paperless‑ngx transforms physical documents into searchable digital archives while preserving data confidentiality.
What is Paperless‑ngx and how does it work?
Paperless‑ngx is the community successor to the Paperless and Paperless‑ng projects. It is an open‑source EDMS: the source code is freely accessible and modifiable, allowing users and developers to adapt it to their needs. The user installs Paperless‑ngx on their own server (local or private cloud) via Docker or on a dedicated machine. Its main features are:
Document acquisition: You place scanned or received documents (PDF, images, emails) in a directory watched by Paperless‑ngx. The software automatically imports them into its database. You can also drag and drop files into the web interface, send emails to a dedicated mailbox or use a mobile app to scan.
Text recognition (OCR): Once imported, each document goes through an open‑source OCR engine (Tesseract) that converts images to searchable text. Thus every scanned document becomes fully searchable—you can search for any word it contains.
Classification and metadata: Paperless‑ngx lets you define tags, correspondents (sender/recipient) and document types (invoice, contract, payslip, etc.). For example, you can tag a restaurant receipt with ‘accounting’ and ‘2024’, assign the correspondent ‘Restaurant X’ and the type ‘Invoice’. A single document can carry several tags, unlike traditional folders. Tags and types are used to group and filter documents. Paperless‑ngx can even suggest tags, correspondents or types automatically using machine‑learning algorithms to speed up classification.
Storage and long‑term format: Each document is stored as PDF/A, a standardised format for long‑term archiving. PDF/A ensures the document will remain readable in the future without depending on a particular software version. The archive contains both the PDF/A and the original.
Modern web interface: A customisable dashboard, advanced filters (by tags, type, dates, keywords), global full‑text search and saved views make navigation easy for non‑technical users. It also provides user and permissions management to determine who can view or edit which document.
In practice, Paperless‑ngx supports many formats (PDF, images, text, Office documents) and over 100 languages for OCR. It runs on common systems (Linux, Docker) and can integrate with other tools (scripts, API) to automate workflows. In short, it is a complete self‑hosted EDMS that converts your paper documents into a searchable digital archive without relying on third‑party services.
Benefits for SMEs
For an SME, switching to ''all digital'' brings many operational and organisational benefits. Here are some key areas where Paperless‑ngx can make a difference.
Accounting and finance
Digitisation of invoices and receipts: Supplier invoices, reimbursement receipts, expense claims, payment slips, etc., can be scanned and deposited into Paperless‑ngx. The software recognises them (OCR) and extracts the date, amount and supplier, making it easier to search later.
Time savings: Instead of rummaging through paper files, just type a keyword (''EDF'', ''2023'', ''1 234.50 €'') to instantly find the document. For example, a ‘Supplier invoice’ tag lists all invoices to be processed.
Consistency and reliability: Documents are timestamped when added and their content is stable (PDF/A). This avoids misfiling and lost paper documents. In the event of a tax audit, the SME can easily present its invoices archived in an organised and legal manner.
Legal electronic storage: Paperless‑ngx records files in PDF/A format compliant with legally binding archiving requirements (ISO 19005). This simplifies compliance with legal obligations (commercial, tax, archiving rules) during audits.
Cost reduction: Less paper and less space to store archives. Fewer photocopies and postal mailings. Although Paperless‑ngx requires some initial configuration, long‑term savings on manual filing, document searching and physical resources can be significant.
Human resources
Centralising personnel files: Employment contracts, pay slips, diplomas, certificates and administrative letters can be archived per employee. For example, you create a tag ‘LastName‑FirstName’ to gather all documents for one employee.
Fast, secure access: If an employee requests a copy of a document, the HR team retrieves it in a few clicks without needing the original paper version. Access rights can be configured so that only HR managers or management can access sensitive files.
Possible automation: Paperless‑ngx workflows can automate certain actions (notifications, assigning documents to a user) when criteria are met. For example, you can trigger an email to the manager when a new contract is added.
Archiving pay slips: Although specific rules exist for pay slips (often stored in a secure digital vault), Paperless‑ngx can still serve as an additional electronic copy with ''Payslip'' tags. The complete history of pay slips then becomes searchable at any time.
Preparing for the end of employment: When an employee leaves, the HR team can consult and export all documents related to them (certificate of employment, final pay, etc.) stored in Paperless‑ngx, speeding up administrative procedures.
Legal archiving and compliance
Contracts and legal documents: Client contracts, leases, insurance policies, meeting minutes, company bylaws, patents, etc., are often bulky and sensitive. Paperless‑ngx lets you scan them and assign types (''Contract'', ''Insurance'') and tags (e.g., ''Client X''). When needed, you can find any clause or sentence via full‑text search.
Traceability: Each archived document carries its internal archive number and date of addition, ensuring clear traceability. Changes (tags or metadata added) are recorded. This traceability is useful for internal audits or to prove the authenticity of the archive.
Long‑term storage compliance: As noted, PDF/A is suitable to ensure document integrity over the years. This is important for the ''reliable digital preservation'' required by the commercial code and other regulations.
Security and recovery: Being self‑hosted, documents stay within the company. Furthermore, Paperless‑ngx has backup and integrity tools (a ‘sanity checker’) that verify the consistency of the archive. In the event of a disaster, you can restore everything on another server to quickly recover all legal archives.
Search efficiency: During legal or contentious proceedings, just a few keywords (dates, names, numbers) extract the relevant documents. The tool also offers a ''more like this'' search to find documents with related content.
In all these areas (accounting, HR, legal), Paperless‑ngx acts as an internal search engine and central indexing box. Instead of remembering ''I have a blue binder with the invoices for July 2023,'' managers simply type what they’re looking for and let the software bring back the exact document, tagged and archived. This efficiency leads to better responsiveness and fewer errors from misplaced paper.
Comparison with proprietary solutions (Evernote, OneNote, Google Drive, Dropbox)
Many SMEs know the names Evernote, OneNote (Microsoft), Google Drive or Dropbox, which are also ways to store documents digitally. It is worth comparing these mainstream solutions with Paperless‑ngx, bearing in mind their different models:
Philosophy (open source vs proprietary): Paperless‑ngx is a ''free'' community project. Its source code is open and anyone can contribute to its improvement, reflecting a user‑ and community‑centred software model. In contrast, Evernote, OneNote, Google Drive and Dropbox are proprietary commercial services. The publisher controls all development and product evolution, and users cannot modify the software. Proprietary services are often designed to lock in users (closed ecosystems, deep integration with other services from the same vendor), whereas an open‑source solution like Paperless‑ngx focuses on freedom of use, transparency and interoperability. The open‑source approach encourages flexibility: you can adapt Paperless‑ngx to specific needs (custom scripts, bespoke fields) whereas a proprietary solution imposes fixed features.
Cost: Paperless‑ngx is free (no licence) and funded by the community. The company only has to pay for its infrastructure (computer or server) and maintenance. Proprietary solutions operate on a freemium/paid model. Some examples (from official sites): Evernote has a very limited free plan (20 MB uploads per month, 50 notes) and expensive monthly subscriptions to lift these limits. Microsoft OneNote is technically free but integrates with OneDrive, whose free tier offers only 5 GB of storage (you then pay for more space). Google Drive offers 15 GB free before requiring a Google One subscription, and Dropbox gives just 2 GB free before charging. In short, proprietary solutions charge for storage beyond a small quota or for advanced features. By self‑hosting Paperless‑ngx, the SME enjoys storage capacity limited only by its own disks, with no annual subscription for the software.
Flexibility and customisation: Open‑source software like Paperless‑ngx is extremely customisable. You can modify the configuration, add plug‑ins or use its API to connect other tools (accounting, ERP, internal messaging). For instance, you can automate importing e‑invoices or triggering internal workflows. Proprietary solutions are more rigid: Evernote and OneNote are primarily note managers, while Google Drive/Dropbox are file storage services. They offer standard functions (search, sharing, collaboration) but do not allow the user to change the internal workings. Evernote enforces its ''notebook'' and ''note'' structure and limits tags; Google Drive remains a general cloud without advanced document intelligence; Dropbox focuses on file synchronisation. Paperless‑ngx, in contrast, is designed for structured document management: you can define document types, enrich metadata and create custom views. In practice, this offers more flexibility to adapt to the specific organisation of an SME (e.g., validation processes, internal filing scopes).
Privacy and security: This is often the decisive point. By self‑hosting Paperless‑ngx, all data stays on your server and is never transmitted to a third party. You fully control who accesses it. Conversely, Evernote, Google, Microsoft and Dropbox store your documents on their servers (often in various countries). While they implement technical encryption measures (TLS in transit, at‑rest encryption), they hold the keys and can technically inspect the content. For example, services like Google Drive use text recognition systems to scan your PDFs or images to improve search (which can be perceived as ''profiling''). Moreover, these platforms collect usage data for commercial purposes (sometimes for ad targeting, even though Google and Microsoft have changed their policies). Privacy guides note that unencrypted note‑taking tools like Evernote or OneNote do not guarantee end‑to‑end protection of your data. By hosting your Paperless‑ngx instance within your internal network or in a private data centre, you eliminate the risk of third‑party scraping. As Planet Crust explains, self‑hosting makes the company the ''chief controller'' of the archive. No external provider has access to your content and you can apply your own security measures (firewalls, strong encryption, VPN). Thus privacy is maximised and digital sovereignty—control of data in France (or the EU)—is assured.
In summary of this comparison: Paperless‑ngx embodies the open‑source spirit (free, modifiable, user‑centric) and imposes no recurring cost, whereas proprietary offerings’ free versions are very limited or expire. It may be less ''plug‑and‑play'' to set up than an app from the store, but it offers great adaptability in return. It provides advanced EDMS features (OCR, PDF/A, workflows) where Evernote/OneNote remain primarily note‑taking apps and Google Drive/Dropbox are simple storage clouds without advanced document management. Finally, Paperless‑ngx prioritises security and privacy (on‑prem data, no ads, no automatic data collection), which is a key advantage for a company concerned about its trade secrets.
Self‑hosting: greater control and security
One of Paperless‑ngx’s major advantages is that it can be self‑hosted. Instead of entrusting archives to a public cloud service, the company installs the software on its own hardware or in a private cloud. This local hosting approach offers several concrete benefits:
Total control of data – Scanned documents remain within the SME’s infrastructure. Third‑party bots or partners cannot scrape or analyse the contents. As Planet Crust notes, self‑hosting makes the company the ''principal controller'' of its data, ensuring only authorised users access the documents.
Enhanced security – Internally, the IT team can implement strong disk encryption, strong authentication systems, customised firewalls, etc. Passwords or encryption keys never leave the company. Common self‑hosted solutions enforce strong passwords, end‑to‑end encryption of sensitive data and fine‑grained access control. You can segment access (e.g., only senior managers may read strategic contracts) and rigorously apply GDPR rules on document retention.
Digital sovereignty and compliance – Hosting locally makes it easier to meet legal obligations: you can choose a data centre in your country or elsewhere in Europe to comply with data localisation laws. It''s also simpler to set up an archiving register compliant with labour or commercial codes when everything is in-house. Another point: you protect yourself from widespread outages at a cloud provider; as long as the internal servers are running, access to the archives remains guaranteed.
No hidden costs – Once the installation is complete, there are no monthly subscription fees. Despite the initial investment (server, maintenance, training), the company saves in the long term on per-user or per-volume subscriptions imposed by a third‑party provider. An industry report notes that self‑hosting can lead to substantial savings by avoiding recurring fees.
Resilience and backup – Finally, the company controls its backup policy: regular snapshots, RAID redundancy, replication to another site… A tailored disaster recovery plan can be established. Documents remain available even in the event of a major IT incident, which is not always guaranteed with a typical cloud service.
In short, self‑hosting Paperless‑ngx strengthens security and confidentiality. It allows you to escape advertising models or uncontrolled analysis by cloud providers. As a specialist explains, hosting your own ''cloud'' keeps your data ''on your territory, as secure as in a digital safe.'' For SMEs wishing to protect their informational assets, this is a major strategic advantage.
Conclusion
Paperless‑ngx clearly shows how a free, open‑source solution can meet the document management needs of small and medium businesses. By replacing filing cabinets with an intelligent digital archive, it improves productivity (fast search, automation), compliance (legal archiving formats) and security (data under control). Compared with proprietary solutions like Evernote, OneNote, Google Drive or Dropbox, Paperless‑ngx offers the decisive argument of data sovereignty: with no subscription or dependence on a provider, SMEs retain full control of their archives. Its cost (apart from infrastructure) is zero, which is particularly attractive for a limited budget.
In short, if your company is looking to digitise and categorise its documents securely, thinking ''Free'' is more relevant than ever. Paperless‑ngx and other open‑source EDMS tools deserve close examination. They demonstrate that robust and economically viable alternatives to mainstream cloud offerings exist. By adopting such solutions, SMEs can modernise their document management while asserting their technological independence and respect for privacy. It is encouraging to see these open projects giving companies the means to better manage and protect their critical information.
Sources and bibliography
Official Paperless‑ngx documentation (docs.paperless‑ngx.com)
Jared Asuncion, ‘Managing documents with Paperless’ (Guissmo blog, 2022) guissmo.com
O8 Agency, ‘Open‑Source vs Proprietary Software: The Clear Winner in 2025’ (blog article) o8.agency
Privacy Guides, ‘Notebooks’ (privacy protection guide) privacyguides.org
Planet Crust, ‘Privacy Benefits of Self‑Hosted Enterprise Computing Solutions’ (article, April 2025) planetcrust.com
Perspective Digitales – Wexample, ‘Tout savoir sur les solutions auto-hébergées’ (article on the GDPR and local hosting) wexample.com
Evernote – plan comparison (official Evernote website) evernote.com
Dropbox Basic (Dropbox Basic homepage) dropbox.com
Google Drive Help (Google Drive help page on free storage) support.google.com
Microsoft OneDrive (online storage page) microsoft.com
These sources provide information on Paperless‑ngx, the comparison between free and proprietary software, and key figures on the competing solutions mentioned. They were used to verify the technical capabilities of Paperless‑ngx, the business models of the various services and the arguments in favour of self‑hosting for data protection.