Thinking about setting up Paperless-ngx and wondering whether to use your Synology, QNAP, or a VPS? The answer depends on how you plan to use the system, how many documents you process, and whether you need access from outside your home network. This comparison covers the pros and cons of each option, with rough benchmarks for performance and costs, plus concrete VPS recommendations. Paperless-ngx ships an official Docker Compose template and install script, so you are not starting from scratch.
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The best VPS for your paperless office with automatic OCR text recognition.
Paperless-ngx on NAS (Synology, QNAP)
Supported Devices
Paperless-ngx runs via Docker on most current NAS models. The important requirement: the device needs Docker support and enough RAM.
Synology:
- DS220+ (Intel Celeron J4025, 2 GB RAM): The entry model with an x86 CPU. Docker runs through "Container Manager" (formerly the Docker package). For Paperless-ngx you should upgrade RAM to 6 GB — the stock 2 GB get tight during OCR processing.
- DS224+ (Intel Celeron J4125, 2 GB RAM): The successor with a slightly faster processor. Same RAM recommendation: upgrade to 6 GB.
- DS923+ and DS1522+: Overkill for Paperless, but no problem if you already own one.
QNAP:
- TS-233 (ARM Cortex-A55, 2 GB RAM): The cheapest model with Container Station. The ARM CPU is noticeably slower at OCR, though. Acceptable for occasional scanning, frustrating for daily use.
- TS-264 (Intel Celeron N5095, 8 GB RAM): Much better for Docker workloads. Container Station is pre-installed.
Advantages
- One-time purchase, no monthly subscription
- Data stays physically in your home
- Easy setup via Docker (Synology Container Manager, QNAP Container Station)
- Ideal if you already own a NAS
- Idle power draw: roughly 10–20 watts depending on model and drives
Disadvantages
- Weaker CPUs mean slow OCR processing (see the performance comparison below)
- Remote access requires VPN or port forwarding (a security risk)
- Backup problem: fire, theft, or water damage affects both the NAS and your documents at once
- Electricity costs are often underestimated: 15–20 watts around the clock adds up to a noticeable yearly amount at typical household rates
- RAM upgrades on Synology are often expensive (original modules) or excluded from warranty (third-party RAM)
Who Should Choose NAS
NAS hosting makes sense if you already own a NAS, scan fewer than 50–100 documents per month, and don't need remote access. Typical scenario: you scan a stack of letters once a month and only access them from your home network.
Paperless-ngx on VPS
Why a VPS for Productive Use
A VPS plays to its strengths the moment you use Paperless-ngx seriously. "Seriously" means daily or weekly scanning, access from multiple devices (phone, laptop, tablet), and several family members or colleagues using the archive.
The biggest practical advantage: you reach your document archive over HTTPS and your own domain from anywhere. No VPN, no port forwarding, no DynDNS. You simply open documents.your-domain.com in the browser and get to work. For families this is a game changer, because you can give your partner, kids, or housemates their own login without setting up VPN software for them first.
Advantages
- Modern x86 CPUs: OCR runs noticeably faster on many documents than on an entry-level NAS (depending on CPU, document quality, and configuration)
- Accessible from anywhere with HTTPS and your own domain
- Multiple users without any network configuration
- Professional backups: snapshots, daily backups, off-site
- Scalable as your archive grows (upgrade to a larger plan in minutes)
- Fixed monthly costs, no hardware surprises
- No fan noise in your living room
Disadvantages
- Monthly costs (check the offer cards for gross prices including VAT)
- Data is stored with the provider (encryption is possible and recommended)
- Basic Linux knowledge is helpful for the initial setup
Who Should Choose VPS
VPS hosting is the better choice for productive use: daily scanning, families with shared access, freelancers, and small businesses. Also for anyone who wants a reliable off-site backup of their documents.
Performance Comparison: OCR Speed (Rough Estimates)
The OCR timings in this section are rough estimates that depend on document quality and configuration. The actual duration depends on several factors:
- CPU type and clock speed: By far the most important factor. Modern x86 CPUs often process OCR significantly faster than small ARM processors, especially for batch jobs.
- Language models: German OCR models (Tesseract "deu") are more compute-intensive than English. Loading "deu_frak" for Fraktur script on top increases processing time again.
- Image quality: Skewed scans, low contrast, or handwritten margins force the OCR engine through more passes.
- PDF type: A "digitally created" PDF (e.g. exported from Word) needs almost no OCR time. A photographed or scanned PDF runs the full pipeline.
As a rough guide for a 10-page scanned PDF with standard text:
| Environment | Typical CPU Class | OCR Time (Estimate) |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level NAS (ARM) | ARM Cortex-A55 (QNAP TS-233) | 60–180 seconds |
| Plus-class NAS (x86) | Intel Celeron J4125 (DS224+) | 20–60 seconds |
| VPS (2 vCPU) | Modern AMD EPYC / Intel Xeon | 5–20 seconds |
| VPS (4 vCPU) | Modern AMD EPYC / Intel Xeon | 3–10 seconds |
The difference grows with batch processing. If you scan 50 documents at once, you may wait considerably longer on an ARM NAS. On a VPS with 4 vCPUs the same batch can finish far faster, depending on scan quality, OCR languages, and Paperless configuration.
Cost Comparison Over 3 Years (Example Calculation)
This calculation gives you a sense of the scale. The hardware and electricity figures are rough gross examples including VAT. Your actual costs depend on existing equipment, electricity rates, and the chosen VPS plan. For VPS offers, the daily gross prices in the offer cards apply.
| Solution | Assumptions | 3-Year Cost |
|---|---|---|
| New NAS (Synology DS224+) | Device ~€350, 2× 4 TB HDD ~€200, RAM upgrade ~€40, power ~€55/year | ~€755 |
| New NAS (QNAP TS-233) | Device ~€190, 2× 4 TB HDD ~€200, power ~€45/year | ~€525 |
| Existing NAS | Power only ~€50–60/year | €150–180 |
| Entry VPS (2 vCPU, 4 GB) | Daily gross price per the offer card | Depends on provider |
| Production VPS (4 vCPU, 8 GB) | Daily gross price per the offer card | Depends on provider |
If you don't already own a NAS, a VPS is often the cheaper option while offering better performance and accessibility. If you already have a NAS, compare the ongoing electricity costs against a cheap VPS plan.
An often-overlooked point: a new NAS will see drive failures after 3–5 years. A replacement drive often costs in the low three-digit range each. With a VPS, the hardware is included in the price.
VPS Recommendations for Paperless-ngx
Prices and availability change regularly. Use our Paperless-ngx VPS Calculator for current recommendations based on your requirements.
Minimum Requirements by Use Case
Beginner (1–2 users, up to 500 documents)
- 2 vCPU
- 4 GB RAM
- 40 GB SSD or NVMe
- Snapshot feature recommended
Family/Team (3–5 users, up to 5,000 documents)
- 4 vCPU
- 8 GB RAM
- 80 GB NVMe preferred
- Automatic backups
Production/Business (5+ users, over 10,000 documents)
- 4–8 vCPU
- 8–16 GB RAM
- 160 GB+ NVMe
- Backup strategy with regular restore tests
IONOS VPS: Easy to Set Up, Solid to Run
IONOS is well suited for beginners without a Linux background. The control panel is clean, the initial setup is guided, and German-language support helps when you run into problems. For Paperless-ngx the VPS Linux S (2 vCPU, 4 GB RAM) is enough to start. If you need more OCR power, go for the VPS Linux M.
More details in our IONOS review 2026.
Strato V-Server: German Provider, Family-Friendly
Strato is a good starting point for family setups. Prices are predictable, support is German-speaking, and the V-Servers run stably. For Paperless-ngx with 2–3 family members, a V-Server with 4 GB RAM is enough. Strato also offers snapshot backups that you can create manually or automatically.
More details in our Strato review 2026.
Hetzner Cloud: Best Performance for OCR
Hetzner offers very fast CPUs in comparison (AMD EPYC) and fast NVMe SSDs. If you regularly process large document batches, you'll notice the difference. The CX22 (2 vCPU, 4 GB RAM, 40 GB NVMe) is enough for single users. For families or teams, the CX32 (4 vCPU, 8 GB RAM, 80 GB NVMe) is recommended. The hourly billing is handy if you want to test the server first.
More details in our Hetzner review 2026.
Contabo VPS: Maximum Storage for Large Archives
Contabo traditionally offers a lot of resources per euro. That matters if your document archive is large or growing fast. For users with 10,000+ documents or large scan files (photos, blueprints, multi-page contracts), Contabo can be a good choice. Check the exact specs and current gross price in the offer card, as the plan data changes regularly.
More details in our Contabo review 2026.
| Anbieter | Produkt | vCPU | RAM | Storage | Preis/Mo | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | VPS XS | 1 | 2 GB | 60 GBSSD | 2.90 | Angebot |
 | VPS S+ | 2 | 2 GB | 90 GBNVMe SSD | 4.00 | Angebot |
 | AX41 | 6 | 64 GB | 37952 GBNVMe SSD | 70.20 | Angebot |
 | AMD Ryzen 12 Cores | 12 | 64 GB | 1000 GBNVMe SSD | 159.58 | Angebot |
On our VPS comparison page you'll find current offers from all providers side by side.
Security and Encryption
Your Paperless-ngx archive contains sensitive documents: tax assessments, payslips, contracts, medical letters. Security deserves special attention.
Set Up HTTPS (Mandatory)
Every Paperless-ngx installation reachable over the internet needs HTTPS. With a reverse proxy like Caddy or Traefik you get automatic Let's Encrypt certificates. Caddy is the simplest option: you provide your domain, and Caddy fetches and renews the certificate automatically. Setup takes 5 minutes.
Disk Encryption (LUKS)
Most VPS providers don't offer native disk encryption. You can set up LUKS (Linux Unified Key Setup) manually to encrypt the partition holding your documents. This protects against physical access to the drives in the data center. The downside: after every server reboot you have to enter the passphrase manually (or use a key server).
For most private setups, disk encryption is optional. The host has no incentive to read your data, and data centers are physically secured. For businesses with specific compliance requirements, LUKS is recommended.
Further Security Measures
- Fail2Ban: Protects against brute-force attacks on SSH and the Paperless web interface.
- Regular updates: Run
apt update && apt upgradeat least monthly. Update Paperless-ngx itself via Docker withdocker compose pull && docker compose up -d. - Strong passwords and 2FA: Paperless-ngx supports TOTP (Google Authenticator, Authy). Enable it for all users.
- SSH keys instead of passwords: Disable password login for SSH and use key-based authentication only.
- Firewall (ufw): Open only port 443 (HTTPS) and port 22 (SSH). Everything else stays closed.
Backup Strategies
A document archive without a backup is a risk. Whether NAS or VPS: you need a strategy that protects you from data loss.
Snapshots at the VPS Provider
Most VPS providers offer snapshots — point-in-time images of the entire server that you can restore with one click. IONOS, Strato, Hetzner, and Contabo all support this. Schedule at least one automatic snapshot per week.
Snapshots protect against misconfiguration and accidental deletion, but they don't replace a real off-site backup — the snapshot sits in the same data center as your server.
Rsync to a Second Location
For a true off-site backup, sync your document directory with rsync to a second server or a storage service (e.g. Hetzner Storage Box, BorgBase). A cron job handles it automatically:
rsync -avz --delete /opt/paperless/media/ user@backup-server:/backups/paperless/
Encrypt the backups with borgbackup or restic before transferring them, so your documents are protected on the backup server too.
Paperless-ngx Document Exporter
Paperless-ngx has a built-in export command that exports all documents, metadata, and tags as a structured archive:
docker compose exec webserver document_exporter ../export
You can compress this export directory and copy it to external storage. The advantage over a plain file backup: you can fully restore the export on a fresh Paperless installation, including all tags, correspondents, and document types.
Recommended Combination
- Daily: Automatic snapshot at the VPS provider
- Weekly: Encrypted
borgbackupto a second location - Monthly: Paperless Document Exporter, archive to external storage
Conclusion
Choose NAS if: You already own a NAS, scan infrequently, and don't need remote access. A solid option for hobbyists and tinkerers. Expect slower OCR processing and plan a separate off-site backup.
Choose VPS if: You want productive use, need access from anywhere, and require reliable backups. The better choice for families, freelancers, and small businesses. Providers like IONOS and Strato make getting started easy, Hetzner offers the best performance, and Contabo delivers the most storage.
Our recommendation: start with an affordable VPS from the offer cards and test Paperless-ngx in daily use. You can always scale up as your archive grows.
