# Stirling PDF

Open-core PDF editing and processing platform for self-hosted servers and a hosted service, with a REST API.


Source: https://findsoftware.frbit.cloud/stirling-pdf/
Last reviewed: 2026-11-03
Listed since: 2026-11-03

## Record

### Links

- home: https://www.stirling.com
- repository: https://github.com/Stirling-Tools/Stirling-PDF
- docs: https://docs.stirlingpdf.com
- pricing: https://stirling.com/pricing
- x: https://x.com/StirlingPDF
- discord: https://discord.com/invite/Cn8pWhQRxZ

### Identity

- status: active
- maintainer: Stirling PDF Inc.
- maintainerType: company
- parent: unknown
- firstRelease: 2023
- hqCountry: US

### Kind

- category: media
- hosting: java
- language: javascript
- runtime: jvm
- runtimeMin: unknown
- basedOn: unknown

### Content

- contentStore: not applicable
- databases: postgres
- adminUi: yes
- headlessApi: rest
- templating: not applicable
- i18n: yes, interface in 40+ languages

### Rendering and deploy

- runsAs: always-on, local
- renderingModes: not applicable
- installMethod: docker

### License

- licenseModel: open-core
- license: MIT, Stirling PDF User License (production use needs a license)

### Releases

- currentMajor: 3
- latestReleaseDate: 2026-10-24

### Adoption

- githubStargazers: 95656
- packagistDownloads: not applicable
- npmWeeklyDownloads: unknown
- contributors: 300
- pluginCount: unknown
- packagistMonthlyDownloads: unknown
- ecosystemsMonthlyDownloads: unknown
- httpArchiveSites: unknown
- wordpressActiveInstalls: unknown
- dependentRepos: unknown
- dependentPackages: unknown

### Sources

- urls: https://www.stirling.com (read 2026-11-03)
- urls: https://docs.stirlingpdf.com (read 2026-11-03)
- urls: https://github.com/Stirling-Tools/Stirling-PDF (read 2026-11-03)
- language: https://github.com/Stirling-Tools/Stirling-PDF (read 2026-11-03)
- maintainer: https://github.com/Stirling-Tools/Stirling-PDF/blob/main/LICENSE (read 2026-11-03)
- hqCountry: https://www.stirling.com/legal/privacy-policy (read 2026-11-03)
- firstRelease: https://github.com/Stirling-Tools/Stirling-PDF/releases/tag/v0.3.0 (read 2026-11-03)
- category: https://docs.stirlingpdf.com (read 2026-11-03)
- headlessApi: https://docs.stirlingpdf.com/Developers/API/ (read 2026-11-03)
- runtime: https://docs.stirlingpdf.com/Server/Install/JAR/ (read 2026-11-03)
- installMethod: https://docs.stirlingpdf.com/Server/Install/Docker/ (read 2026-11-03)
- installMethod: https://docs.stirlingpdf.com/Server/Install/Kubernetes/ (read 2026-11-03)
- installMethod: https://docs.stirlingpdf.com/Server/Install/JAR/ (read 2026-11-03)
- installMethod: https://docs.stirlingpdf.com/Server/Install/JAR/ (read 2026-11-03)
- installMethod: https://docs.stirlingpdf.com (read 2026-11-03)
- runsAs: https://docs.stirlingpdf.com/Server/Install/Docker/ (read 2026-11-03)
- runsAs: https://github.com/Stirling-Tools/Stirling-PDF/blob/main/README.md (read 2026-11-03)
- databases: https://docs.stirlingpdf.com/Server/Storage/Database/ (read 2026-11-03)
- i18n: https://github.com/Stirling-Tools/Stirling-PDF/blob/main/README.md (read 2026-11-03)
- adminUi: https://docs.stirlingpdf.com/Server/Configuration/ (read 2026-11-03)
- license: https://github.com/Stirling-Tools/Stirling-PDF/blob/main/LICENSE (read 2026-11-03)
- license: https://github.com/Stirling-Tools/Stirling-PDF/blob/main/engine/LICENSE (read 2026-11-03)
- urls: https://www.stirling.com/pricing (read 2026-11-03)
- githubStargazers: https://github.com/Stirling-Tools/Stirling-PDF (read 2026-11-03)
- contributors: https://github.com/Stirling-Tools/Stirling-PDF (read 2026-11-03)
- currentMajor: https://github.com/Stirling-Tools/Stirling-PDF/releases/tag/v3.2.2 (read 2026-11-03)
- latestReleaseDate: https://github.com/Stirling-Tools/Stirling-PDF/releases/tag/v3.2.2 (read 2026-11-03)

## Notes

Stirling PDF is a PDF editing and processing platform. It runs as a desktop app, in the browser, or as a server on the user's own infrastructure, installed with Docker, a Helm chart for Kubernetes, or a Java JAR. Every server-side tool has a [REST API](https://docs.stirlingpdf.com/Developers/API/) endpoint, so a site or app can call PDF operations from its own code. The server keeps users and teams in a built-in H2 database or in PostgreSQL, and the interface is available in 40+ languages.

## Worth knowing

The license is open-core. The MIT license covers most of the code, but the engine and proprietary directories need a Stirling PDF User License for production use. A self-hosted server runs on a free plan until a Team or Enterprise license is added: an external PostgreSQL database needs Team, SAML single sign-on needs Enterprise, and Enterprise is sold by the company. A hosted service, Stirling Cloud, is offered alongside the self-hosted server.

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Data licensed CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Attributes are recorded, never scored; absent means unknown.
Credit, in full: FindSoftware, CC BY 4.0