# Answer vs Stirling-PDF

> Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | Answer | Stirling-PDF |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 71/100 | 87/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #5 of 69 in Social Networks & Forums | #1 of 46 in Document Management |
| GitHub stars | 15 702 | 95 289 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +21 | +2 327 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 6 | 25 ✓ |
| Latest release | v2.0.3 · 22 Sept 2026 | v3.2.2 · 24 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Easy ✓ | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Other |
| Main language | Go | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

Stirling-PDF scores 87/100 against 71/100 for Answer, so it is the safer default.

Stirling-PDF ships more often: 25 stable releases in the past year, against 6 for Answer.

If you want the quickest setup, Answer is easier to run; Stirling-PDF needs more configuration.

Stirling-PDF is growing faster right now (+2 327 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [Answer](https://selfhost.directory/project/answer) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/answer.md)
- [Stirling-PDF](https://selfhost.directory/project/stirling-pdf) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/stirling-pdf.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/answer-vs-stirling-pdf