Paperless-ngx
- Paperless-ngx: open-source DMS you operate yourself. Filing and search are strong — operations, updates and compliance building blocks stay with you.
vs Paperless-ngx
PaperOffice AI vs Paperless-ngx
Paperless-ngx self-host vs. managed: field extraction, WORM and rights — without your own server — 69 types.
At a glance
- WORM + Legal Holdtamper-evident
- 69ready document types
- Full-text +semantic search
- 300+API/MCP tools
- from €9.00je 1.000 Seiten
Made for real business. Not for hype.
From inbox to archive
Product UI from August 5, 2026 · from €9 per 1,000 pages
-
1 · Workspace
Document list with fields, preview and confidence — Pristine demo universe.
-
2 · Workflow / HITL
Approval queue with approve, reject and escalate in the same job path.
-
3 · Compliance / WORM
Retention, legal hold and revision on the document — deletion blocked.
From document to fields
API output from July 14, 2026
Source document (invoice) · from €9 per 1,000 pages
Extracted fields · from €9 per 1,000 pages
Header fields
- _supplier_name Supplier Pristine Galvan Inc.
- _invoice_number Invoice number INV-59762
- _invoice_date Invoice date 07/07/2026
- _currency Currency USD
- _net_amount Net amount $2,317.27
- _vat_amount Tax amount $162.21
- _total_amount Total amount $2,527.98
Line items (3)
| # | SKU | Description | Unit | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ITEM-92912 | Multifold paper towels (case, 16 packs) | case | 40 | $42.11 | $1,684.40 |
| 2 | PN-61493 | Foaming hand soap refill, 1200 mL (case of 4) | case | 4 | $38.81 | $155.24 |
| 3 | PART-33106 | 55-gallon trash can liners (case of 100) | case | 9 | $53.07 | $477.63 |
LLM fields — natural language
Not only extract — derive and validate
-
Retention / compliance
Prompt
Check whether the retention period for this invoice has expired and whether a legal hold is active.
Result
Retention until 31 Dec 2036 (10-year GoBD class) — legal hold active, deletion blocked.
Document INV-59762 · retention + legal hold
-
Approval / escalation
Prompt
Escalate all invoices over USD 2,000 without approval older than 3 days to management.
Result
1 case escalated: INV-59762 (USD 2,527.98, open for 4 days).
Document INV-59762 · HITL approval queue
-
Duplicate check
Prompt
Is this document a duplicate in the archive?
Result
No duplicate — closest match 81% (DN-2026-00015, different document type).
Document INV-59762 · archive similarity search
Agent UI: extracted data (raw JSON)
JSON excerpt (7 fields + 3 line items)
{
"_supplier_name": {
"value": "Pristine Galvan Inc.",
"value_raw": "Pristine Galvan Inc."
},
"_invoice_number": {
"value": "INV-59762",
"value_raw": "INV-59762"
},
"_invoice_date": {
"value": "07/07/2026",
"value_raw": "2026-07-07"
},
"_currency": {
"value": "USD",
"value_raw": "USD"
},
"_net_amount": {
"value": "$2,317.27",
"value_raw": "2317.27"
},
"_vat_amount": {
"value": "$162.21",
"value_raw": "162.21"
},
"_total_amount": {
"value": "$2,527.98",
"value_raw": "2527.98"
},
"_line_items": [
{
"sku": "ITEM-92912",
"description": "Multifold paper towels (case, 16 packs)",
"qty": 40,
"unit": "case",
"rate": "$42.11",
"amount": "$1,684.40",
"amount_raw": "1684.40"
},
{
"sku": "PN-61493",
"description": "Foaming hand soap refill, 1200 mL (case of 4)",
"qty": 4,
"unit": "case",
"rate": "$38.81",
"amount": "$155.24",
"amount_raw": "155.24"
},
{
"sku": "PART-33106",
"description": "55-gallon trash can liners (case of 100)",
"qty": 9,
"unit": "case",
"rate": "$53.07",
"amount": "$477.63",
"amount_raw": "477.63"
}
]
} In the same account
More than extraction
-
Extract
AI OCR with bounding boxes — 69 types, fields with location.
from €9 per 1,000 pages
-
HITL review
Seamless in the job path — task and document also on mobile.
Web + Mobile
-
Sign
SES signatures from the same credit balance.
SES from the balance
-
WORM archive
Audit-proof filing and audit trail.
included
Comparison table
| Criterion | PaperOffice | Paperless-ngx |
|---|---|---|
| Bounding boxes (word/line level) | Yes (word/line level, Surya OCR) | not publicly documented |
| Sandwich PDF / searchable archive PDF | Yes — searchable archive PDF | not publicly documented |
| Click-to-evidence / visual validation (HITL) | Yes — click-to-evidence / HITL | not publicly documented |
| Structured IDP fields (ready types) | 69 ready document types incl. DATEV/ZUGFeRD/XRechnung | OCR + tags/metadata rather than ready structured IDP field types |
| DMS/archive included (WORM, audit, legal hold) | Yes — WORM, audit trail, legal hold | DMS core — WORM/GoBD not in core feature set |
| Native MCP server (tool count) | Yes — 300+ API/MCP Tools | not publicly documented |
| Pricing model | One credit balance for all features: from €9.00–€30.00 per 1,000 pages by quality tier | Open source / self-host (hosting cost variable) |
| Billing | from €9.00 per 1,000 pages (Elite) — same scale on every tier | n/a |
| NAS integration | Sole official DMS partner for QNAP and ASUSTOR | n/a |
Paperless-ngx core: OCR and tags/metadata per docs.paperless-ngx.com — WORM/GoBD module and structured field extraction (ready IDP types) are not in the core feature set. Source: https://docs.paperless-ngx.com/, retrieved 08/2026.
Self-hosting TCO: server cost + admin hours (updates, consume folder, backup) vs PaperOffice from 3¢/page without ops load.
Pricing model with qualification tiers
Our prices are public — including partner terms.
Unit: Price per 1,000 pages
| Tier | Elite Partner (−70%) | Partner (−40%) | Enduser |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | €9.00 | €18.00 | €30.00 |
| Premium | €12.00 | €24.00 | €40.00 |
| Ultra | €30.00 | €60.00 | €100.00 |
Billing is internal in credits; amounts follow the selected currency (base: list price).
Elite terms after qualification — criteria and program are public: Pricing · Partner program
When is Paperless-ngx the better choice?
Anyone who enjoys self-hosting, is technically proficient and needs neither GoBD/WORM nor field extraction has a great free tool in Paperless-ngx — community and Docker setup are strong.
When managed operations, GoBD/WORM and IDP fields matter, PaperOffice is the better fit.
Trusted by leading companies worldwide
Key differences
PaperOffice AI
- Document platform with API: result in the archive, one credit balance, hosted in the EU, MCP for AI agents.
Three decision axes
1
What happens to the result?
With Paperless-ngx the value often ends at download or in a specialist product. With PaperOffice it becomes a document in the archive — findable and ready for next steps.
2
Contracts & billing
Paperless-ngx ist kostenlos im Eigenbetrieb — GoBD/WORM und verwalteter Betrieb liegen beim Betreiber. Extra specialty contracts for extraction or signature add friction — PaperOffice combines this in one account.
3
Where do your data run?
Paperless-ngx stores and organizes files in its own model — residency depends on edition and hosting. PaperOffice runs its own EU servers and keeps extraction plus audit-proof filing together.
Integrated in minutes
- Copy llms-full.txt
https://api.paperoffice.ai/latest/docs/llms-full.txt - Paste into Claude, Cursor or your agent
- Say what you want to build — the agent delivers the finished integration.
Or connect directly: MCP server for Claude, Cursor and ChatGPT →
Migration in 3 steps
Import & Migration API — documented in llms-full.txt.
01
Capture consume/export from Paperless
Prepare documents from consume folders or export for PaperOffice import; calculate self-hosting TCO separately.
02
Import job in PaperOffice
Upload via the Import API and poll status — can run in parallel with Paperless-ngx.
03
Workflows & MCP
After cutting over from Paperless-ngx: connect HITL workflows and MCP tools on the same access path.
FAQ
Is PaperOffice a Paperless-ngx alternative?
Yes. PaperOffice AI can be evaluated as an alternative to Paperless-ngx — along license, self-service, GoBD/WORM and agents, API-first and without disparagement.
What does PaperOffice cost compared to Paperless-ngx?
Basic 3¢, Premium 4¢, Ultra 10¢ per page — the full price list is public. What Paperless-ngx costs is in the comparison table above, with source and date.
How do I migrate from Paperless-ngx to PaperOffice?
From Paperless-ngx: prepare inventory as ZIP/scan source, start an import job, then workflows/MCP on the same token. No mandatory partner project. llms-full.txt: Import & Migration.
Where is data processed — differently from Paperless-ngx?
On our own servers in the EU — including audit-proof filing and an audit trail. Where Paperless-ngx processes data is documented by the vendor.
What does self-hosting Paperless-ngx really cost?
The software is free — the real cost is operations: a server, regular updates, backups and admin time. How much that is depends on your setup. PaperOffice runs operations and bills from 3 ct per page; the PaperOffice pricing question is answered in the FAQ above.
More comparisons
vs DocuWare
DocuWare compared: extraction and archive in one system — or separate worlds?
PaperOffice vs DocuWare →vs ELO
ELO: partner sales — PaperOffice: self-service token.
PaperOffice vs ELO →vs d.velop
d.velop: named user + partner — PaperOffice: per-page self-service.
PaperOffice vs d.velop →vs Amagno
amagno: magnet filing — PaperOffice: LLM IDP + DMS.
PaperOffice vs Amagno →vs Dropbox
Dropbox: file sync — PaperOffice: IDP + archive + signature in the platform.
PaperOffice vs Dropbox →vs Box
Box: storage/sync — PaperOffice: document intelligence (OCR/IDP/WORM/signature).
PaperOffice vs Box →Try PaperOffice live
Get a token, review pricing, compare the feature matrix.
