# BentoPDF vs polar

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

| | BentoPDF | polar |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 77/100 ✓ | 71/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 12 in Document Processing | #1 of 13 in Billing |
| GitHub stars | 16 190 ✓ | 10 436 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +479 ✓ | +157 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 15 ✓ | 1 |
| Latest release | v2.8.10 · 19 Oct 2026 ✓ | @polar-sh/cli@3.0.0 · 16 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Easy ✓ | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | Yes ✓ | No |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | JavaScript | Python |

## Which one should you pick?

BentoPDF scores 77/100 against 71/100 for polar, so it is the safer default.

BentoPDF ships more often: 15 stable releases in the past year, against 1 for polar.

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

BentoPDF is growing faster right now (+479 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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

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