chromavsStirling-PDF
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| chroma | Stirling-PDF | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 79/100 | 87/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 5 in Vector Database | #1 of 46 in Document Management |
| GitHub stars | 29 603 | 95 346 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +234 | +2 384 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 7 | 25 |
| Latest release | latest · 24 Jun 2026 | v3.2.2 · 24 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Easy | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Other |
| Main language | Rust | Typescript |
Which one should you pick?
Stirling-PDF scores 87/100 against 79/100 for chroma, so it is the safer default.
Stirling-PDF ships more often: 25 stable releases in the past year, against 7 for chroma.
If you want the quickest setup, chroma is easier to run; Stirling-PDF needs more configuration.
Stirling-PDF is growing faster right now (+2 384 stars in 30 days).
chroma details →Stirling-PDF details →