DocumensovsStirling-PDF
Two self-hosted Document Management projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Documenso | Stirling-PDF | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 71/100 | 87/100 |
| Rank in category | #6 of 47 in Document Management | #1 of 47 in Document Management |
| GitHub stars | 15 748 | 96 455 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +378 | +2 555 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 17 | 26 |
| Latest release | v2.22.0 · 13 Nov 2026 | v3.3.0 · 5 Nov 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Main language | Typescript | Typescript |
Which one should you pick?
Stirling-PDF scores 87/100 against 71/100 for Documenso, so it is the safer default.
Stirling-PDF ships more often: 26 stable releases in the past year, against 17 for Documenso.
Stirling-PDF is growing faster right now (+2 555 stars in 30 days).
Key differences
- License: Documenso is AGPL-3.0, Stirling-PDF is MIT.
- Platforms only Documenso lists: Build from Source, Railway.
- Platforms only Stirling-PDF lists: CasaOS, Docker, Linux, Podman and 3 more.
- Features only Documenso lists: Compliance standards (ESIGN, UETA, 21 CFR Part 11), Direct signing links, Document create, send and sign, Document templates and 6 more.
- Features only Stirling-PDF lists: AI-assisted PDF processing, Audit Logging, Automation pipelines, Compression and 10 more.
- Both offer: REST API.
Documenso details →Stirling-PDF details →All Document Management projects →
Swap a project
Keep Documenso, compare it with
Keep Stirling-PDF, compare it with