Comparison

Paperless Document Scanner vs Archi

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Scan and edit documents
  • Select from Files or Photos
  • Assign correspondents, types, and tags
  • Upload to Paperless-ngx
  • Configure default settings
Read full description

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

About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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

Paperless Document Scanner3 screens
Archi4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Archi sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Paperless Document Scanner asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Paperless Document Scanner ships an update fortnightly, Archi weekly. Both last shipped on October 11, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Paperless Document Scanner versus Archi: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPaperless Document ScannerArchi
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (6 ratings) — better2.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews75.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings6 — better1
Update frequencyFortnightlyWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB57 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDennis App DevelopmentArne Stenmanns

Customer experience

Paperless Document Scanner

All ratings6 ratings
Positive83.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative16.7%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

Archi

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%

In-app purchases

None

Paperless Document Scanner

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Archi

One-time1
  • Full Version$3.99

Questions

Is Paperless Document Scanner free?
Paperless Document Scanner is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Archi free?
Archi is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Paperless Document Scanner or Archi?
Paperless Document Scanner is rated higher. Paperless Document Scanner averages 4.5 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while Archi averages 2.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Paperless Document Scanner or Archi have ads?
Neither Paperless Document Scanner nor Archi shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Paperless Document Scanner or Archi?
Paperless Document Scanner ships an update fortnightly, and Archi weekly. Most recently, Paperless Document Scanner was updated on October 11, 2026 and Archi on October 11, 2026.

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