Free Document Management Systems (2026): 15 Free Plans Compared

Which document management systems tools have a free plan in 2026?

Every system below stores documents at no licence cost with no end date. The hosted drives cap storage and offer light versioning (Dropbox states 30-day rollback; Google’s page does not state OCR or versioning). The open-source DMSs cap nothing and state the features a DMS exists for: OCR at Paperless-ngx, Papermerge and Teedy; versioning at Mayan, Papermerge, Teedy and OpenKM; workflows at Mayan, Teedy and OpenKM. Their licences range from Apache 2.0 (Papermerge) through LGPL (LogicalDOC, Alfresco) and GPL (Paperless-ngx, Teedy) to AGPL (Nextcloud); Mayan’s licence could not be verified and OpenKM no longer publishes source for version 7.

M-Files ($65 a seat) and DocuWare (demo only) were excluded. SharePoint is listed as what it is — a paid Microsoft 365 bundle — because readers ask. Zoho WorkDrive’s paid price and Mayan’s licence could not be confirmed; LogicalDOC’s and Alfresco’s rows are based on their repositories.

The table shows storage or hosting, OCR and versioning and the Free Score; Core job weights OCR, versioning and permissions. Open a row for licence, the paid step and the page we checked.

Company	Free as	Key limit	Card	Free Score
PPaperless-ngx	Open source	Self-hosted · GPL-3.0 · OCR 100+ languages	No	88	Scorecard ↓
MMayan EDMS	Open source	Self-hosted · versioning · workflows · API	No	82	Scorecard ↓
NNextcloud	Open source	Self-hosted · AGPL · providers offer free 2 GB+ accounts	No	78	Scorecard ↓
PPapermerge	Open source	Self-hosted · Apache 2.0 · OCR · versioning	No	76	Scorecard ↓
SSeafile	Open source	CE free · Pro free for 3 users · $48/user/yr after	No	74	Scorecard ↓
TTeedy	Open source	Self-hosted · GPL-2.0 · OCR · versioning · workflow	No	72	Scorecard ↓
GGoogle Drive	Free forever	15 GB · shared with Gmail & Photos	No	70	Scorecard ↓
LLogicalDOC Community	Open source	Self-hosted · LGPL-3.0 · roles, quotas, logs	No	66	Scorecard ↓
BBox Individual	Free forever	10 GB · 250 MB file limit · 1 user	No	64	Scorecard ↓
AAlfresco Community	Open source	Self-hosted · LGPL-3.0 · no support	No	62	Scorecard ↓
OOpenKM Community	Free forever	Free binary · source not published from v7	No	58	Scorecard ↓
ZZoho WorkDrive	Free forever	5 GB · individual · Starter price not confirmed	No	56	Scorecard ↓
OOneDrive	Free forever	5 GB free	No	54	Scorecard ↓
DDropbox Basic	Free forever	2 GB · 3 devices · 30-day restore	No	50	Scorecard ↓
SSharePoint	Startup program	Not free · in Microsoft 365 from $5.40/user	No	30	Scorecard ↓

Free tiers verified 24 October 2026 on each vendor’s pricing page (third-party sources named in the Scorecard where the vendor page was silent). Order is by Free Score only; sponsorship never changes it.

What do the free DMS plans actually include?

Open any row for the eight-field Scorecard. The “Why it ranks here” note under each row explains the score in plain terms.

1PPaperless-ngxCommunity · a self-hosted archive that OCRs every scan with Tesseract in 100-plus languages, files it by tags, correspondents and types, searches full text and keeps a PDF/A copy beside the originalOpen sourceSelf-hosted · GPL-3.0 · OCR 100+ languagesNo card88⌄

What’s free

Self-hosted; OCR via Tesseract in 100+ languages; tags, correspondents and document types; full-text search; PDF/A archive alongside originals

Hard limits

None · versioning not stated

Time limit

None

Card required

No.

Upgrade trigger

None

Cheapest paid step

None

Best free for

A small business that wants every invoice, contract and letter searchable without a subscription

Verified

Oct 2026 · docs.paperless-ngx.com and GitHub (GPL-3.0)

Free Score 88 · Duration 30 · Capacity 30 · Core job 24 · Friction 4See the free plan →

Why it ranks here. The free DMS that most small companies actually need: scan, OCR, find. Friction is the Docker install; versioning is the one thing its docs do not promise.

2MMayan EDMSCommunity · a free open-source DMS with document versions you can revert, permissions, workflows and a REST API; the licence could not be verified from its pagesOpen sourceSelf-hosted · versioning · workflows · APINo card82⌄

What’s free

Free open-source document management: versioning with revert, permissions, workflows, REST API

Hard limits

None · OCR and retention not stated on the page · licence unverified

Time limit

None

Card required

No.

Upgrade trigger

Paid support or migration services

Cheapest paid step

Not stated

Best free for

A company that needs workflow and version control more than OCR

Verified

Oct 2026 · mayan-edms.com (GitLab lists the licence as ‘Other’)

Free Score 82 · Duration 30 · Capacity 30 · Core job 20 · Friction 2See the free plan →

Why it ranks here. The most DMS-shaped of the open-source tools — versions, workflows, roles — with an unresolved licence question.

3NNextcloudGermany · an AGPL private cloud with files, office and apps, free to self-host; Nextcloud does not host, but listed providers offer free single-user accounts of 2 GB or moreOpen sourceSelf-hosted · AGPL · providers offer free 2 GB+ accountsNo card78⌄

What’s free

Server download for self-hosting under AGPL; free client apps; providers offer free single-user accounts with 2 or more GB

Hard limits

None self-hosted · Nextcloud itself offers no hosting

Time limit

None

Card required

No.

Upgrade trigger

Enterprise support

Cheapest paid step

Enterprise Files Standard €71.29/user/year from 100 users, ex VAT

Best free for

A company that wants Drive, Docs and sharing on its own infrastructure

Verified

Oct 2026 · nextcloud.com/pricing and the install page’s provider list

Free Score 78 · Duration 30 · Capacity 30 · Core job 14 · Friction 4See the free plan →

Why it ranks here. A file platform rather than a DMS — versioning yes, OCR and workflows through apps — and the broadest free private cloud there is.

4PPapermergeGermany · an Apache-2.0 DMS for scanned archives with OCR, full-text search, tags and document versioning; details from its GitHub repositoryOpen sourceSelf-hosted · Apache 2.0 · OCR · versioningNo card76⌄

What’s free

Apache-2.0; OCR; full-text search; tags; document versioning

Hard limits

None

Time limit

None

Card required

No.

Upgrade trigger

None

Cheapest paid step

Not stated

Best free for

A German-market business that needs GoBD-style archiving under a permissive licence

Verified

Oct 2026 · github.com/papermerge (Apache-2.0)

Free Score 76 · Duration 30 · Capacity 30 · Core job 14 · Friction 2See the free plan →

Why it ranks here. Paperless-ngx’s job with versioning and the lightest licence here; a smaller community.

5SSeafileGermany/China · the Community edition is free and open source, and the Pro edition is free for up to three users by registering, no licence file needed; $48 a user a year from ten usersOpen sourceCE free · Pro free for 3 users · $48/user/yr afterNo card74⌄

What’s free

Community Edition free and open source; Pro edition free for up to 3 users via the customer centre

Hard limits

Pro free: 3 users · CE licence not named

Time limit

None

Card required

No.

Upgrade trigger

A fourth Pro user

Cheapest paid step

Pro $48/user/year (10–249 users); a special 9-user bundle at $100

Best free for

A small team that wants fast sync with file versioning and a free taste of Pro

Verified

Oct 2026 · seafile.com (the CE licence is not named on the page)

Free Score 74 · Duration 30 · Capacity 26 · Core job 12 · Friction 6See the free plan →

Why it ranks here. The only open-source tool here that also gives its commercial edition free, for three; sync-first rather than archive-first.

6TTeedyFrance · a lightweight GPL-2.0 DMS with OCR, file versioning and a workflow system; details from its GitHub repositoryOpen sourceSelf-hosted · GPL-2.0 · OCR · versioning · workflowNo card72⌄

What’s free

GPL-2.0; OCR; file versioning; workflow system

Hard limits

None · hosted option price not stated

Time limit

None

Card required

No.

Upgrade trigger

Hosting

Cheapest paid step

Not stated

Best free for

An individual or small firm that wants OCR, versions and workflow in one light install

Verified

Oct 2026 · github.com/sismics/docs (GPL-2.0)

Free Score 72 · Duration 30 · Capacity 28 · Core job 12 · Friction 2See the free plan →

Why it ranks here. Everything a small DMS needs in one Java app; the vendor site’s state is the caution.

7GGoogle DriveUS · every Google account comes with up to 15 GB shared across Drive, Gmail and Photos; Google One starts at $1.99 for 100 GBFree forever15 GB · shared with Gmail & PhotosNo card70⌄

What’s free

Up to 15 GB of storage with every Google account

Hard limits

15 GB shared with Gmail and Photos · OCR and versioning not stated on the page

Time limit

None

Card required

No.

Upgrade trigger

Full storage

Cheapest paid step

Google One Basic 100 GB $1.99/month (annual saves up to 16%)

Best free for

A Docs-centric team that treats Drive as its filing cabinet

Verified

Oct 2026 · one.google.com/about/plans

Free Score 70 · Duration 30 · Capacity 20 · Core job 12 · Friction 8See the free plan →

Why it ranks here. The most storage free and the cheapest paid step; a drive, not a DMS, by what its page states.

8LLogicalDOC CommunityUS/Italy · an LGPL-3.0 DMS with roles, access control, user quotas, activity logs and automation; details from its GitHub repositoryOpen sourceSelf-hosted · LGPL-3.0 · roles, quotas, logsNo card66⌄

What’s free

LGPL-3.0; roles, access control, user quotas, activity logs, automation

Hard limits

None stated · OCR and versioning not stated on the vendor page

Time limit

None

Card required

No.

Upgrade trigger

OCR or enterprise features

Cheapest paid step

Not stated

Best free for

A self-hosted DMS that will integrate with an ERP

Verified

Oct 2026 · github.com/logicaldoc/community (LGPL-3.0)

Free Score 66 · Duration 30 · Capacity 28 · Core job 6 · Friction 2See the free plan →

Why it ranks here. Enterprise-shaped and open; the features a DMS is for — OCR, versions — are not stated for the Community edition.

9BBox IndividualUS · ten gigabytes free for a single user with a 250 MB upload limit; Personal Pro is $10 a monthFree forever10 GB · 250 MB file limit · 1 userNo card64⌄

What’s free

10 GB storage, free single user

Hard limits

250 MB file upload limit · 1 user

Time limit

None

Card required

No.

Upgrade trigger

Large files

Cheapest paid step

Personal Pro $10/month

Best free for

An individual who needs more than Google’s 15 GB minus Gmail

Verified

Oct 2026 · box.com/pricing/individual

Free Score 64 · Duration 30 · Capacity 18 · Core job 10 · Friction 6See the free plan →

Why it ranks here. Generous storage, a file-size cap that excludes scans of any length, and no team.

10AAlfresco CommunityUS (Hyland) · the Community edition of an enterprise content platform, LGPL-3.0, offered as a way to explore the platform with no supportOpen sourceSelf-hosted · LGPL-3.0 · no supportNo card62⌄

What’s free

Community Edition download, ‘a great way to explore the flexibility of the platform’

Hard limits

No support · Enterprise for support

Time limit

None

Card required

No.

Upgrade trigger

Support

Cheapest paid step

Enterprise — no price

Best free for

A developer building on an ECM platform

Verified

Oct 2026 · alfresco.com and GitHub (LGPL-3.0)

Free Score 62 · Duration 30 · Capacity 28 · Core job 4 · Friction 0See the free plan →

Why it ranks here. Enterprise ECM free to explore; the vendor’s own description of it as an exploration tool is fair.

11OOpenKM CommunitySpain · version control, workflow automation, a REST API and forum support free; OpenKM’s page says version 6.3 and earlier were GPL-2.0 and from 7.0 the source is no longer published, only a free binaryFree foreverFree binary · source not published from v7No card58⌄

What’s free

Community: version control, workflow automation, REST API, forum support; ‘if you are looking for a free cost, then Community is yours’

Hard limits

From 7.0 the source code is no longer published — distributed only as a free binary · Professional for support

Time limit

None

Card required

No.

Upgrade trigger

Support or Professional

Cheapest paid step

Professional — no price

Best free for

A team that wants OpenKM’s workflow and accepts a free binary rather than open source

Verified

Oct 2026 · openkm.com

Free Score 58 · Duration 30 · Capacity 20 · Core job 6 · Friction 2See the free plan →

Why it ranks here. Free but no longer open; listed as a forever-free binary rather than OSS, which is what its own page says.

12ZZoho WorkDriveIndia · a 5 GB free plan for individual use plus a 15-day trial of Business features; the Starter plan has a three-user minimum and its price could not be confirmedFree forever5 GB · individual · Starter price not confirmedNo card56⌄

What’s free

Free plan with 5 GB for individual use; 15-day trial of Business

Hard limits

5 GB · individual

Time limit

None (trial 15 days)

Card required

No for the trial.

Upgrade trigger

Team use

Cheapest paid step

Starter per user/month billed annually, 3-user minimum — price not confirmed

Best free for

An individual inside the Zoho suite

Verified

Oct 2026 · zoho.com/workdrive/pricing

Free Score 56 · Duration 30 · Capacity 12 · Core job 8 · Friction 6See the free plan →

Why it ranks here. OneDrive’s allowance inside Zoho, with a paid price that could not be confirmed.

13OOneDriveUS · 5 GB free with a Microsoft account; 100 GB is $1.99 a month or $19.99 a yearFree forever5 GB freeNo card54⌄

What’s free

5 GB free

Hard limits

5 GB

Time limit

None

Card required

No.

Upgrade trigger

Storage

Cheapest paid step

Microsoft 365 Basic 100 GB $1.99/month or $19.99/year

Best free for

A Windows user

Verified

Oct 2026 · microsoft.com

Free Score 54 · Duration 30 · Capacity 10 · Core job 8 · Friction 6See the free plan →

Why it ranks here. Small and ubiquitous; the yearly 100 GB price is the cheapest here.

14DDropbox BasicUS · 2 GB on up to three devices with 30-day deleted-file restore and version rollback and shared links; Plus is $9.99 a monthFree forever2 GB · 3 devices · 30-day restoreNo card50⌄

What’s free

2 GB; connect up to 3 devices; 30-day deleted-file restore and version rollback; shared links

Hard limits

2 GB · 3 devices

Time limit

None

Card required

No.

Upgrade trigger

Storage

Cheapest paid step

Plus $9.99/month billed monthly

Best free for

Light file sharing with the best-known sync client

Verified

Oct 2026 · dropbox.com/basic

Free Score 50 · Duration 30 · Capacity 6 · Core job 8 · Friction 6See the free plan →

Why it ranks here. The only drive here whose page states versioning, and the smallest allowance by far.

15SSharePointUS · not available standalone or free; included in Microsoft 365 Business Basic at $5.40 a user a month without Teams, $7 with Teams and 1 TBStartup programNot free · in Microsoft 365 from $5.40/userNo card30⌄

What’s free

Included in Microsoft 365 business plans

Hard limits

Not free standalone

Time limit

Not applicable

Card required

Yes — a subscription.

Upgrade trigger

Not applicable

Cheapest paid step

Business Basic (no Teams) $5.40/user/month paid yearly; with Teams $7, 1 TB

Best free for

A company already paying for Microsoft 365, which gets it anyway

Verified

Oct 2026 · microsoft.com

Free Score 30 · Duration 0 · Capacity 20 · Core job 8 · Friction 2See the free plan →

Why it ranks here. Listed because the question is asked; the answer is that it comes with the subscription you may already have.

Which free DMS has no credit-card requirement?

Every open-source system is a download; the cloud drives come with accounts that need no card; Zoho’s trial needs none. SharePoint is a subscription. Nothing converts on its own.

The condition in this category is operational: a self-hosted DMS is only as safe as its backups, and none of the open-source projects backs up for you. Paperless-ngx and Papermerge keep the original file beside the OCR copy, which makes a restore simple; make the restore part of the install.

When does the free plan stop being enough?

Kurums Match: which free DMS fits your situation?

How did we verify these free tiers?

We opened each vendor’s product or pricing page and, for open-source projects, the repository, and recorded storage, OCR, versioning, workflow and permission features, licence and the paid step. Mayan EDMS’s licence could not be verified (GitLab lists it as ‘Other’); LogicalDOC’s, Alfresco’s, Teedy’s and Papermerge’s rows come from their repositories; Zoho WorkDrive’s prices could not be confirmed. OpenKM’s own page states that from version 7 its Community edition is a free binary without published source. M-Files and DocuWare were excluded as having no free plan.

Prices are USD except Nextcloud Enterprise (EUR).

Frequently asked questions