# BentoPDF vs MeiliSearch

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

| | BentoPDF | MeiliSearch |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 77/100 | 82/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #2 of 12 in Document Processing | #3 of 41 in Search Engines |
| GitHub stars | 16 188 | 59 704 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +477 ✓ | +300 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 15 | 33 ✓ |
| Latest release | v2.8.10 · 19 Oct 2026 | v1.56.0 · 26 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Easy ✓ | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Other |
| Main language | JavaScript | Rust |

## Which one should you pick?

MeiliSearch scores 82/100 against 77/100 for BentoPDF, so it is the safer default.

MeiliSearch ships more often: 33 stable releases in the past year, against 15 for BentoPDF.

If you want the quickest setup, BentoPDF is easier to run; MeiliSearch needs more configuration.

## Details

- [BentoPDF](https://selfhost.directory/project/bentopdf) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/bentopdf.md)
- [MeiliSearch](https://selfhost.directory/project/meilisearch) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/meilisearch.md)

## Related comparisons

- [MeiliSearch vs Typesense](https://selfhost.directory/compare/meilisearch-vs-typesense)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/bentopdf-vs-meilisearch