Paperless Document Scanner vs Archi
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Paperless Document Scanner
This app allows you to scan and edit documents directly from your phone. You can assign correspondents, document types, and tags before uploading them to your Paperless-ngx instance. It also supports configuring default settings for a streamlined workflow.
- Scan and edit documents
- Select from Files or Photos
- Assign correspondents, types, and tags
- Upload to Paperless-ngx
- Configure default settings
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Paperless Document Scanner is a document scanner app for Paperless-ngx. Features: * Scan and edit documents * Select documents from the Files or Photos app * Assign correspondents, document types, tags and ASN to a scanned document * Upload the scanned document to your Paperless-ngx instance * Configure default correspondents, document types, tags and storage paths
Archi
This app scans documents, extracts text and metadata using on-device AI and OCR, and syncs with a self-hosted server. It prioritizes user privacy with no cloud subscriptions or data sharing. Ideal for managing receipts, invoices, and personal records securely.
- On-device OCR with Apple Vision
- AI metadata extraction with Gemma 4
- Automatic title, tag, and correspondent suggestions
- Import PDFs and images via Share sheet
- Browse and search Paperless-NGX archive
- Offline queue for scanning
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Archi is the Paperless-NGX client for iPhone, iPad and Mac that runs AI and OCR entirely on your device — no cloud subscription, no data sharing, zero privacy compromises. Try it for free: the first 10 captures are included. After that, a one-time purchase unlocks the full version — no subscription, no cloud, no data collection. Note: AI metadata extraction requires a one-time download of the Gemma 4 model (approx. 2.4 GB) after installation. ■ WHAT ARCHI DOES Scan a document, recognize text, extract metadata — all in seconds, all locally. The document then lands neatly categorized in your self-hosted Paperless-NGX server. ■ ON YOUR DEVICE, NOT IN THE CLOUD • OCR with Apple Vision — fast, offline, free • AI metadata extraction with Google's Gemma 4 — runs directly on your iPhone, no server needed • Automatic title, tag and correspondent suggestions based on content • Import PDFs and images from other apps via the Share sheet ■ PAPERLESS-NGX INTEGRATION • Browse and manage your entire document archive • Full-text search across all documents • Filter by tags, document type and correspondent • Offline queue — scans saved locally until you're back online ■ REAL-WORLD USE CASES Tax Season: Scan every receipt, invoice and bill as it arrives. Archi automatically recognizes the date, vendor and amount — and suggests the right tags. Come April, your IRS paperwork is already done. Home Office & Business: Incoming invoices, delivery notes, contracts — Archi reads the document and proposes correspondent, document type and filing date without you lifting a finger. Medical & Insurance: Digitize EOBs, lab results, insurance policies and medical records securely. Your health data never leaves your device. No Wi-Fi? No Problem: Scan documents in the subway, in a basement archive or while travelling. Archi queues everything locally and syncs automatically when you're back online — unlike server-dependent alternatives. Homelab & Self-Hosting: Running Paperless-NGX on a Synology NAS, Proxmox, Docker or a Raspberry Pi? Archi was built for exactly your setup. No SaaS, no monthly fees, no vendor lock-in. ■ PRIVACY FIRST No account. No subscription. No cloud. Your documents stay on your device and your server — and nowhere else. All AI processing, all OCR, all metadata extraction runs exclusively on your iPhone. Archi never transmits document content to any external server — not Apple's, not Google's, not ours. ■ TECHNICAL DETAILS • AI model: Gemma 4 E2B INT4 (Google open weights) — runs fully on-device via LiteRT, Metal GPU accelerated • OCR: Apple Vision Framework — free, offline, privacy-preserving • Backend: Paperless-NGX (self-hosted, URL and token fully configurable) • Offline queue: SQLite-based, zero data loss when offline • On-device AI: iPhone 15 Pro or newer, or an iPad with 6 GB RAM (M-series). Scanning, uploading and your archive work on all supported devices — even without AI. • Runs on iPhone, iPad and Apple silicon Mac. Archi requires a self-hosted Paperless-NGX server.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Archi at 75% against Paperless Document Scanner's 0%. Archi also leads on update cadence (weekly vs fortnightly). Paperless Document Scanner's advantage is rating (4.5 vs 2.0) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). On price, ads and device support 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
Both are free to download. Archi sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Paperless Document Scanner asks for nothing beyond the download.
Paperless Document Scanner holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Paperless Document Scanner has 6 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 0% of Paperless Document Scanner's written reviews are positive against 75% of Archi's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Paperless Document Scanner ships an update fortnightly, Archi weekly. Both last shipped on October 11, 2026.
| Parameter | Paperless Document Scanner | Archi |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (6 ratings) — better | 2.0 (1 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | 75.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 6 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 3 MB | 57 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Dennis App Development | Arne Stenmanns |
Customer experience
Paperless Document Scanner
Archi
In-app purchases
Paperless Document Scanner
No in-app purchases
Archi
- Full Version$3.99
Questions
Is Paperless Document Scanner free?
Is Archi free?
Which has better reviews, Paperless Document Scanner or Archi?
Do Paperless Document Scanner or Archi have ads?
Which is updated more often, Paperless Document Scanner or Archi?
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