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Stirling PDF

Open-source, self-hostable PDF toolkit and editor with dozens of tools and an API.

Open sourceSelf-hostablePDF editors and e-signature tools
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About Stirling PDF

Stirling PDF began as a self-hosted web app that gathers dozens of PDF operations in one place: merging, splitting, compressing, converting, OCR, redaction, signing, watermarking, page reordering, metadata cleanup and more. It became one of the most-starred PDF projects on GitHub because it gives teams the convenience of sites like Smallpdf without uploading documents to a third party. You can run it with Docker on your own server, use desktop builds, or use the hosted cloud version. Newer releases add a full editor interface, automation pipelines, a REST API and optional AI features. The core project is free and open source; paid Team and Enterprise plans add single sign-on, team administration, air-gapped deployment and support, and a credit-based API is available for processing at scale. Self-hosting needs some technical comfort, and the interface, while improving, is more utilitarian than commercial editors, but for privacy-conscious organisations it is the standout option.

Best for: Teams that want online-style PDF tools without sending files to a third party.

Pros and cons

What works

  • Runs on your own server, so files stay private
  • Dozens of tools plus automation and an API
  • Free open-source core with optional paid support

Why people leave

  • Self-hosting needs Docker or server know-how
  • SSO and admin features sit in paid plans
  • Interface is more functional than polished

Top Stirling PDF alternatives

See all 5
  1. 1PDF24 Tools logo
    PDF24 Tools

    Free tools with a desktop app for Windows if you do not want to run a server.

    66.5
  2. 2PDFsam logo
    PDFsam

    Open-source desktop app for splitting and merging with no server needed.

    62.6
  3. 3Smallpdf logo
    Smallpdf

    Hosted, polished toolkit if self-hosting is more effort than it is worth.

    59.6
  4. 4iLovePDF logo
    iLovePDF

    Hosted tools with mobile and desktop apps and a generous free tier.

    57.2
  5. 5Adobe Acrobat logo
    Adobe Acrobat

    A full commercial editor for complex documents and accessibility work.

    55.3

Why people left Stirling PDF

In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.

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Stirling PDF: common questions

Is Stirling PDF free?

Yes. Stirling PDF is free, open-source software that you can host yourself.

Is Stirling PDF open source?

Yes. The source code is on GitHub at Stirling-Tools/Stirling-PDF. You can also run it on your own server.

What platforms does Stirling PDF run on?

Stirling PDF is available for Web, Self-hosted, Windows, macOS and Linux.

What are the best alternatives to Stirling PDF?

The highest-ranked Stirling PDF alternatives right now are PDF24 Tools, PDFsam and Smallpdf. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 5 Stirling PDF alternatives