Kempt
The short answer
Paperless-ngx is a free server you host and maintain; Kempt is a Mac app with nothing to install beyond the app itself. Choose Kempt for one person’s Mac; choose Paperless-ngx for a shared archive on a home server.
Kempt $39 founding, then $49, one-time · Paperless-ngx Free, open source; you pay for hosting
Feature by feature
| Feature | Kempt | Paperless-ngx |
|---|---|---|
| Organizing | ||
| Names files from what’s inside them | YesApple’s on-device model, OCR and Vision | PartlyTags and types by machine learning |
| Names new downloads live, in the notch | Yes | No |
| Never moves a file it’s unsure about | Yes“Needs a look” | PartlyInbox for new documents |
| Undo any move, with the reason it moved | YesPer file, batch or day, each with its reason | NoDocuments live in its library |
| Rules written as plain sentences | YesEnglish and French | NoMatching rules |
| Learns from your corrections | YesSuggests a rule; never applies it alone | YesLearns tags from your choices |
| Finding | ||
| Searches inside PDFs, scans and photos of paper | Yes | YesOCR and full-text search |
| Answers questions, citing the source page | YesA figure must appear on the cited page | PartlyWith third-party AI add-ons |
| Ask out loud, in many languages | YesTranscribed and translated on your Mac | No |
| Finds what’s said in voice notes and videos | YesTranscribed on your Mac | No |
| Paperwork | ||
| Turns a landlord’s or bank’s email into a checklist | Yes | No |
| Ready-made rental, visa and mortgage dossiers | Yes | No |
| Monthly pack for your accountant (PDF + CSV) | YesTotals read from each document; ⚠ when unsure | No |
| Matches bank debits to receipts | Yes | No |
| Clean Up | ||
| Finds installers, duplicates and re-saved copies | YesSimilar copies are never pre-ticked | No |
| Never deletes: everything goes to the Trash | YesWith Undo | No |
| Privacy and security | ||
| Reads your documents on your Mac (no upload) | YesNo upload, no analytics | YesOn your own server |
| No account needed | Yes | PartlyYou run the accounts |
| Nothing to set up or host | Yes | NoNeeds a server (often Docker) |
| Price and requirements | ||
| Price | Yes$39 founding, then $49, one-time | YesFree, open source; you pay for hosting |
| Runs on | PartlymacOS 26, Apple silicon; Apple Intelligence for naming | YesA server or NAS |
Proof, not promises
Measured on a real Mac (macOS 26) with about 1,600 real documents. Each test is re-run whenever the app changes.
- SpeedSearch time
- ≈10 msMedian search over 1,575 indexed documents; the first search after launch takes 25 ms.
- SpeedTo name a file
- 1.0–1.4 sWith Apple’s on-device model; 25 files in under 20 s in batches.
- SpeedFull Clean Up scan
- 0.86 sDown from 8.2 s; 83 MB of memory instead of 1.74 GB.
- AccuracyRight file first
- 12 / 13Scored search suite run on every change; answers cited from the right document in 0.9–2.2 s.
- AccuracyAccountant pack, right documents
- 48 / 50Against 50 hand-verified labels over three months; amounts 11 / 11.
- AccuracyItems read from real published lists
- 25 / 25Rental, mortgage and visa lists published by a rental site, a bank and an insurer.
- AccuracyWrong bank matches
- 0Three real statements, 74 operations, each balancing to the cent.
- SafetyFiles held for review
- 6.7 %Of 540 real downloads, the doubtful ones wait for you instead of being moved.
- SafetyFiles deleted by Kempt
- 0Moves are journaled before they happen and undoable even after a crash; cleanup only uses the Trash.
- PrivacyDocument uploads
- 0Reading, naming, search, answers and voice all run on your Mac with Apple’s on-device model. No analytics, no account.
How we compare: Kempt’s rows come from its own measured tests. Every other app’s row comes from that maker’s public pages on the date shown. When a page is silent or unclear, we say so instead of guessing.
When Paperless-ngx is the better choice
- A household or office shares one document archive across many devices.
- You’re comfortable running and backing up a server.
Questions people ask
Is Kempt better than Paperless-ngx?
Paperless-ngx is a free server you host and maintain; Kempt is a Mac app with nothing to install beyond the app itself. Choose Kempt for one person’s Mac; choose Paperless-ngx for a shared archive on a home server.
Does Paperless-ngx upload my files?
Paperless-ngx: On your own server. Kempt: No upload, no analytics.
How much do Kempt and Paperless-ngx cost?
Kempt: $39 founding, then $49, one-time. Paperless-ngx: Free, open source; you pay for hosting.
When should I choose Paperless-ngx instead?
A household or office shares one document archive across many devices. You’re comfortable running and backing up a server.
Can I use Kempt and Paperless-ngx together?
Yes. Kempt keeps your files as ordinary files in ordinary Finder folders, so every other app still sees and uses them.
Sources
How we compare: Kempt’s rows come from its own measured tests. Every other app’s row comes from that maker’s public pages on the date shown. When a page is silent or unclear, we say so instead of guessing. $39.
Guides
- How to find a document on a Mac by what’s inside itSearch inside PDFs, scans and photos of paper on macOS: Spotlight tips, and how Kempt answers questions like “what’s my IBAN?” with the page cited.
- Rental application documents: the checklist, and how to send it fastWhat landlords usually ask for in a US rental application, how to gather it on a Mac, and how Kempt turns the landlord’s email into a ready checklist.
- How to send your accountant a clean monthly pack from a MacA simple monthly routine for receipts, invoices and bank statements, and how Kempt builds the accountant pack (PDF + CSV) with amounts read from each document.
Other comparisons
- Kempt vs HazelRule-based folder automation for Mac
- Kempt vs SparkleAI cleanup and folder organizer, by subscription
- Kempt vs FilesMagic AIAI renamer and organizer for Mac
- Kempt vs DEVONthinkDocument database and research workspace
- Kempt vs SpotlightSearch built into macOS
- Kempt vs NameQuickAI file renamer for Mac and Windows
- Kempt vs Shortcuts + Apple IntelligenceBuild-it-yourself automation, built into macOS
Try Kempt free
Names, files and finds your documents with Apple’s on-device model. Nothing leaves your Mac. $39.