Documents & filing
Open sourcePaperless-ngx for businesses
Paperless-ngx is an open-source document management system that makes scanned and digital documents searchable via text recognition (OCR) and automatically tags them with keywords, correspondents and document types. We use Paperless-ngx to digitize filing and inbox and make the documents usable for automation and AI search.
- Licence
- GPL-3.0
- Operation
- Self-hosted in Germany or at your premises
- Official website
- docs.paperless-ngx.com
What we use Paperless-ngx for
Paperless office
Incoming mail, invoices and contracts are scanned, made searchable via OCR and stored centrally.
Auto-Match
Paperless-ngx learns from previous assignments and assigns keywords, senders and document types itself.
Transfer email attachments
Attachments from specified mailboxes end up in the filing cabinet without a detour.
Basis for AI search
The recognized texts feed the AI document search, so that questions about one's own document stock can be answered.
Why Paperless-ngx?
No license costs
Paperless-ngx is under the GPL-3.0 and does not cost any fees per user or document.
Open shelf
Original files and archive PDFs are available in normal files. You can change them at any time.
Good full-text search
OCR makes every document findable by its content, not just by the file name.
Active community
The project is further developed and regularly updated by a large community.
What we take care of with Paperless-ngx
- Setup on a server in Germany or on your network
- Filing structure, keywords and document types to suit your processes
- Connection of scanners, mailboxes and network folders
- Linking to n8n and AI Document Search
- Backups, updates and support with questions about audit-proof filing
Implementation and consulting can often be subsidised through German BAFA or INQA funding.
What it is not meant for
Paperless-ngx is an archive and search system, not a workflow tool for approvals or contract negotiations. Whether a repository is GoBD-compliant depends not only on the software, but also on procedural documentation, authorizations and backups.
Our solutions with Paperless-ngx
Frequently asked questions about Paperless-ngx
What is Paperless-ngx?
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An open-source document management system: It records scanned or digital documents, recognizes the text via OCR, automatically assigns them and makes them searchable.
Is Paperless-ngx GoBD compliant?
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The software provides important building blocks such as unaltered originals and traceable storage. However, GoBD conformity only comes about together with process documentation, access rights and data backup – this is where we support.
Can Paperless-ngx work with AI?
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Yes. The documents can be transferred to a language model via n8n, for example to read invoice data or suggest keywords, and the texts can be incorporated into an AI document search.
How many users can Paperless-ngx manage?
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Paperless-ngx knows several users with their own permissions. This is good enough for small and medium-sized teams; for very large organizations with complex rights, we check the requirements in advance.
Go deeper
- AI automation
- Paperless-ngx or commercial DMS: When is open source enough?
- Introducing Paperless-ngx in the company: 6 steps to digital filing
- Paperless-ngx workflows: Automatically assign and forward documents
- Paperless-ngx: The paperless office with open source
- Paperless-ngx + AI: Automatically tag and classify documents
- Digital filing in accordance with GoBD using open-source tools: What works, what does not
- Digital Filing in Companies: Structure, Software and GoBD
Product names and logos mentioned are trademarks of their respective owners. bettersorted uses this software and operates it for clients; there is no official partnership.
A 30-minute conversation, free of charge.
A 30-minute consultation, free of charge. We’ll take a look at your processes and give you our honest opinion on whether automation is worthwhile.