Paperwork

Paperwork is an open-source desktop personal document manager for individuals who want to scan, organize, and quickly find personal papers and records.

Key capabilities include:

• Scan or import documents, then run OCR to convert pages into searchable PDFs
• Keyword search across document content, including searching within PDF files
• Colorful labels for sorting, plus automatic label application based on learned patterns
• Automatic page orientation detection and quick page editing for cleaner scans

Pricing: Free (open-source).

What makes it notable: it stores documents in a single directory for straightforward backups and syncing with tools like Nextcloud or Syncthing, and it uses open formats such as JPEG, hOCR, and PDF to avoid vendor lock-in. It is maintained on GNOME’s GitLab and is available for Linux and Windows (including Flatpak on Linux).