Full-text search
Find the one sentence you remember.
Search inside scanned PDFs—not just filenames. Search by type or tag, and filter the document library by upload date.
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Search documents“orthodontic lifetime maximum”
3 results Free & open source
The private document vault
Master your documents.
Keep your freedom.
DocManFu turns scans, statements, bills, and PDFs into an organized, searchable library on infrastructure you control. Keep AI local with Ollama—or disable it entirely.
- MIT licensed
- Docker ready
- Hosted version coming soon
✦
AI ANALYSISNamed, tagged & filed
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STORAGE100% on your server
OCREvery scan becomes searchable
AIAutomatic names, types & tags
LOCALStorage on hardware you control
OPENMIT licensed and community built
Document management for the lazy
Let the panda do the filing.
Scan it, drop it in, and walk away. DocManFu reads, names, tags, and files your paperwork so you can get back to more important things—like doing nothing.
See what it handles for you →Less filing. More finding.
Document management that works like you wish it did.
Drop in a PDF or photo. DocManFu applies OCR, makes the processed document searchable, and can suggest a useful name and tags.
Optional AI
Your tireless filing assistant.
Classify documents, suggest clear filenames, extract useful metadata, and auto-tag—with OpenAI, Anthropic, or local Ollama.
TaxMedicalInsurance2026
Built-in OCR
Paper becomes data.
Turn PDF scans and images into selectable, searchable text with OCRmyPDF and Tesseract.
✓ Text recognized
Bill tracking
Never lose a due date in a PDF.
Store bill amounts, due dates, and payment status directly beside each document.
Rocky Mountain Power$128.47Due Aug 12 · Unpaid
Private by architecture
Your filing cabinet should not have a landlord.
Run DocManFu with Docker on your NAS, home server, or VPS. You choose where files live, who can access them, and whether to keep AI local, use a hosted provider, or disable it.
Why self-host your documents →PDFJPGOCR
Your serverPrivate by default
Your serverPrivate by defaultA civilized workflow
From paper pile to useful archive.
DocManFu quietly handles the repetitive parts while keeping you in charge.
- 01
Upload or watch
Drag in PDFs and images, import Evernote ENEX files, or use the companion CLI to watch a scanner folder.
- 02
Read and enrich
OCR extracts text. Optional AI classifies, names, tags, and captures useful metadata.
- 03
Find anything
Search every word, filter the library, preview the original, and download it whenever you need it.
A practical Evernote alternative
Leave the subscription.
Keep the useful part.
DocManFu focuses on what a personal document archive needs: capture, retrieval, smart organization, and ownership. Cloud-service capabilities vary by provider and plan.
See the full comparisonDocManFuTypical cloud notes app
Self-hosted file storageYesNo
Search inside scanned PDFsYesVaries by plan
Local AI with OllamaYesProvider-dependent
Evernote ENEX importYesProvider-dependent
Monthly subscription$0Often required
Open-source codeYesUsually no
terminal
$ git clone https://github.com/DocManFu/DocManFu.git
$ cd DocManFu
$ cp .env.production.example .env
$ ./prod up -d
✓ DocManFu is ready at http://localhost:8080Open by design
Inspect it. Improve it. Make it yours.
DocManFu is MIT licensed and built in the open with FastAPI, Svelte, PostgreSQL, Redis, Celery, and Docker. No proprietary export format. No hostage negotiation with your own data.
Coming soon
Don’t want to run a server?
A hosted version of DocManFu is on the way for people who want the same organized, searchable archive without managing Docker, backups, or updates. Self-hosting will always stay free and open source.
Your documents. Your rules.
Ready to master the paper pile?
One Docker Compose command puts a private, searchable document vault on hardware you control. Prefer not to self-host? A hosted version is coming soon—ask @DustinDavis on X.