Comparison

Paperparrot vs Swift Paperless

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Paperparrot

Organize your documents effortlessly with this native client for Paperless-ngx. Upload, scan, and secure files in various formats. Enjoy offline access, custom views, and powerful search capabilities.

Highlights
  • Connect to multiple Paperless-ngx instances
  • Add documents in various formats
  • Scan documents via camera or network scanner
  • Secure documents with Face/Touch ID
  • Extensive search and Spotlight support
  • Create custom document views
  • Offline document synchronization
Features
Read full description

Paperparrot is an app designed to make organizing your documents easy and it's completely compatible with Paperless-ngx. Features: - Connect to multiple Paperless-ngx-Instances - Add documents in various formats like PDF, JPEG, PNG, TXT or office documents - Scan documents from right within Paperparrot using your phones camera or an Airscan-capable network scanner - Secure your documents using Face-/Touch-ID - Extensive search capabilities - Support for Spotlight search to find documents from your home screen - Create custom views to easily access sets of documents - Share documents to Paperparrot from other apps - Synchronize documents from your Paperless-ng(x) server to your device for offline access - Built in support for push notifications from your server (additional setup required)* - Dark mode! * The free version of Paperparrot is limited to six documents and some features like custom queries and push notifications are unavailable. These limitation can be removed through an in-app purchase. There is both a one-time purchase or an optional auto-renewing subscription (1 month free trial included). The one-time purchase unlocks all current and future updates. With the subscription, all features are available for the duration of your subscription. Both the subscription and one-time purchase can be shared with your family. Paperparrot is licensed under the Apple standard EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Swift Paperless

This app allows users to manage documents directly from their iOS device. It seamlessly integrates with a self-hosted document management system, ensuring data privacy and control. Easily find, categorize, and add new documents on the go.

Highlights
  • Native iOS integration
  • Paperless-ngx compatibility
  • Document finding
  • Document categorization
  • Add documents from phone
Features
Read full description

Swift Paperless is a native iOS app that interacts with the popular Paperless-ngx document management software. Paperless-ngx is self-hosted, and therefore fully privacy preserving: you control your data! With Swift Paperless, it's easy to find, categorize and also add documents from your phone!

Screenshots

Paperparrot4 screens
Swift Paperless4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Swift Paperless at free against Paperparrot's free with in-app purchases. Swift Paperless also leads on review sentiment (97% vs 85%) and ratings volume (68 vs 16). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Paperparrot sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per year and Swift Paperless sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Paperparrot against 4.9 for Swift Paperless. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 16 and 68 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 85% of Paperparrot's written reviews are positive against 97% of Swift Paperless's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Paperparrot ships an update every 5 weeks, Swift Paperless every 2 months. Both last shipped on September 18, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Paperparrot versus Swift Paperless: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPaperparrotSwift Paperless
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (16 ratings) — better4.9 (68 ratings)
Positive reviews85.4% of reviews96.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1668 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size33 MB26 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLeo WehrfritzPaul Gessinger

Customer experience

Paperparrot

All ratings16 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews48 reviews
Positive85.4%
Neutral10.4%
Negative4.2%

Swift Paperless

All ratings68 ratings
Positive98.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative1.5%
Written reviews63 reviews
Positive96.8%
Neutral1.6%
Negative1.6%

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Paperparrot

Subscriptions1
  • Subscription (1 Year)1 Month trial$2.991 Year
One-time5
  • Generous Tip$0.99
  • Very Generous Tip$2.99
  • Subscription (1 Year)$2.99
Show 2 more
  • Unlock All Features$4.99
  • Super Generous Tip$9.99
4 purchases

Swift Paperless

One-time4
  • Coffee money$3.99
  • Proper thank-you$8.99
  • Above and beyond$17.99
Show 1 more
  • Legendary generosity$44.99

Questions

Is Paperparrot free?
Paperparrot is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Swift Paperless free?
Swift Paperless is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Paperparrot or Swift Paperless?
Paperparrot is rated higher. Paperparrot averages 5.0 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while Swift Paperless averages 4.9 from 68 ratings.
Do Paperparrot or Swift Paperless have ads?
Neither Paperparrot nor Swift Paperless shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Paperparrot or Swift Paperless?
Paperparrot ships an update every 5 weeks, and Swift Paperless every 2 months. Most recently, Paperparrot was updated on September 18, 2026 and Swift Paperless on September 18, 2026.

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