ArcanevsStirling-PDF
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Arcane | Stirling-PDF | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 76/100 | 87/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 44 in Container Management | #1 of 46 in Document Management |
| GitHub stars | 8 102 | 95 260 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +533 | +2 347 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 31 | 25 |
| Latest release | v2.17.1 · 25 Oct 2026 | v3.2.2 · 24 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Easy | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | Other |
| Main language | Go | Typescript |
Which one should you pick?
Stirling-PDF scores 87/100 against 76/100 for Arcane, so it is the safer default.
Arcane ships more often: 31 stable releases in the past year, against 25 for Stirling-PDF.
If you want the quickest setup, Arcane is easier to run; Stirling-PDF needs more configuration.
Stirling-PDF is growing faster right now (+2 347 stars in 30 days).
Arcane details →Stirling-PDF details →
Swap a project
Keep Arcane, compare it with
Keep Stirling-PDF, compare it with