Is NameQuick a Paperless-ngx alternative?

No. NameQuick names files on your Mac or Windows PC. Paperless-ngx is a self-hosted document management system. Use NameQuick if you do not want to run a server. Use Paperless-ngx if you want the archive.

Does NameQuick replace Paperless-ngx?

No. It does not give you a searchable web archive or a consume pipeline.

Do I need Docker for NameQuick?

No. NameQuick is a native Mac and Windows app.

How do I install Paperless-ngx?

The official README says the easiest way is docker compose, and it publishes an install script. Other methods are in the setup docs.

Is Paperless-ngx free?

Yes, it is an open-source community project. You still pay for hardware, electricity, backups and your time.

Is Paperless-ngx safe to run on a VPS?

The README says it should never be run on an untrusted host because documents are stored in clear text without encryption, and that the safest place is a local server in your own home with backups.

Which one should I choose?

Choose Paperless-ngx if you want a self-hosted archive and will operate it. Choose NameQuick if you want named files in Finder or Explorer. Many people should use both: NameQuick first, Paperless-ngx second.

NameQuick compared with Paperless-ngx

Paperless-ngx is a document archive.
NameQuick names the files that stay in Finder.

Paperless-ngx is a community-supported document management system that turns physical documents into a searchable online archive. NameQuick is the app that renames files based on their content, for Mac and Windows. This is not a replacement page. This comparison is a first-party source audit, not an installer test.

Choose your download Compare side by side

Paperless-ngx is open source. NameQuick Self-Managed includes 50 renames with no card. Managed (Mac and Windows) is a 14-day checkout trial with 250 renames.

NameQuick

AI reads your files and names them

Paperless-ngx

Self-hosted document management system

The short version

Paperless-ngx wins when you want a self-hosted archive: scan, index, search, keep less paper. The official README says the easiest deploy is docker compose, and that it should never run on an untrusted host because documents are stored in clear text. NameQuick wins when the job is naming and filing files that stay in Finder or Explorer, with no server to run.

Choose NameQuick: when you want named files on a Mac or Windows PC and do not want to host a DMS.
Choose Paperless-ngx: when you want a searchable home-server archive and you are willing to run docker compose.
Or use both: Name the files with NameQuick, then let Paperless-ngx consume the clean names. NameQuick’s homepage already lists Paperless as a complement. A native integration is not documented as of 22 August 2026.

At a glance

What it isNameQuick:AI file renamer and organizer that leaves files in the filesystemPaperless-ngx:Self-hosted DMS: scan, index and archive documents into a searchable archive

PriceNameQuick:Self-Managed $69 once per device, or Managed $12–$99/monthPaperless-ngx:Open source. You pay for the machine, storage and time to run it

How you run itNameQuick:Native Mac and Windows appsPaperless-ngx:Official README: easiest deploy is docker compose, with an install script and other methods in the docs

PlatformNameQuick:Mac: macOS 15.4+. Windows: x64 and ARM64 Managed EditionPaperless-ngx:Self-hosted. The README warns against untrusted hosts and recommends a local server in your own home with backups

Feature by feature

How they compare

Feature	NameQuick	Paperless-ngx
Job to be done	Read a file and write a filename, then optionally move or tag it in Finder.	Transform physical documents into a searchable online archive so you can keep less paper.
Where files live	As normal files in Finder, iCloud Drive or Explorer.	In the Paperless-ngx archive. The README states information is stored in clear text without encryption.
Content and search	On-device OCR and AI naming. Output is a filename plus optional filing.	Official docs document OCR, a consume directory for incoming files, and PAPERLESS_FILENAME_FORMAT for content-derived archive filenames. The README’s job is still a searchable archive, not a Finder rename sheet.
Setup	Download the Mac or Windows app. Self-Managed trial is 50 renames, no card.	docker compose environment, or the official install script. Alternative methods are in the setup docs.
Operations and risk	A single-user desktop app. No server to patch.	The README: never run on an untrusted host; safest on a local home server with backups. You operate it.
Windows and Mac	Native apps on both.	The archive is reached from any OS through the hosted web UI. There is no official native Mac rename app in the README.

Choose NameQuick when…

You want named PDFs in Finder today, not a server project this weekend.
You do not want to run docker compose or keep a home server patched.
The mess is Downloads, scans and screenshots, not a long-term paperless archive.

Choose Paperless-ngx when…

You want a full-text archive of everything you scan, and you will host it.
You already run Docker at home and want Paperless-ngx’s consume workflow.
You need a web archive that other devices in the house can search.

Not either/or

Name it first. Archive it second.

NameQuick is the front door. Paperless-ngx is the filing cabinet.

Scan_0042.pdf2026-05-02_Leaseweb_Invoice.pdfDrop the named file into Paperless-ngx’s consume path. The archive inherits a name a human wrote.

receipt_photo.jpg2026-03-10_Starbucks_Receipt.jpgPaperless-ngx can keep the document. It should not have to start from receipt_photo.jpg.

NameQuick’s homepage lists Paperless as a system it complements. A native integration is not documented as of 22 August 2026.

Common questions

Read the full Paperless-ngx comparison

Paperless-ngx facts and primary sources

Verified

This is a public first-party source audit of the official Paperless-ngx GitHub README and docs.paperless-ngx.com, not a Docker install test. Docs document OCR, a consume directory, and PAPERLESS_FILENAME_FORMAT. README facts kept here: DMS, searchable archive, docker compose, clear-text storage warning. NameQuick is not claimed as a Paperless-ngx replacement.