Quick comparison
| # | App | Pricing | Verified price | Open source | Platforms | Verified facts | Score |
|---|
| 1 |  Docspell | Open source | — | Yes | Web, Self-hosted, Android | 5 of 5 | 64.8 |
| 2 | PaPaperwork | Open source | — | Yes | Linux, Windows | 4 of 4 | 61.8 |
| 3 |  Nextcloud | Open source | From €71.29 per user/year (100 users) | Yes | Web, Windows, macOS +4 | 4 of 4 | 51.2 |
1Best for: Self-hosters and families who want automatic metadata and many ways to feed documents in
Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted, Android
Why switch from Mayan EDMS
Simpler self-hosted archive with automatic metadata and mailbox import.
Pros
- Suggests tags and metadata from document text
- Many import paths: IMAP, upload links, CLI, Android app
- Uploaded originals are never modified
Cons
- No document versioning or editing
- No fine-grained permission management
- Smaller community than Paperless-ngx
How this score is calculated
Editorial fit ×0.387
Reviews ×0.363
Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
Freshness ×0.15100
Votes ×0.150
0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula
Verified facts
5 of 5 verified
2PaBest for: Home users who want to scan and search their paperwork on one desktop without running a server
Open sourceLinux, Windows
Why switch from Mayan EDMS
Desktop-only option for one person who doesn't need a server.
Pros
- No server needed; it's a normal desktop app
- Stores files in open formats in one folder, easy to back up
- Learns to apply labels to new documents automatically
Cons
- No macOS version
- Single-user, with no web access or sharing
- Fewer automation features than server-based tools like Paperless-ngx
How this score is calculated
Editorial fit ×0.377
Reviews ×0.363
Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
Freshness ×0.15100
Votes ×0.150
0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula
3Best for: Organisations and tinkerers who want Google Drive features on their own server
Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Self-hosted
Why switch from Mayan EDMS
Self-hosted file platform with versioning, tags, retention rules and OCR apps, enough when you mostly need shared document storage.
Pros
- Free, open source and fully self-hostable
- Large app ecosystem beyond files
- Data stays wherever you choose to run it
Cons
- You handle updates, backups and performance
- Can feel slow on modest hardware
- Quality varies across community apps
How this score is calculated
Editorial fit ×0.341
Reviews ×0.363
Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
Freshness ×0.15100
Votes ×0.150
0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula