# HiClaw vs Stirling-PDF

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

| | HiClaw | Stirling-PDF |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 67/100 | 87/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #32 of 209 in AI Agents | #1 of 46 in Document Management |
| GitHub stars | 5 886 | 95 260 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +223 | +2 347 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 15 | 25 ✓ |
| Latest release | v1.2.5 · 16 Oct 2026 | v3.2.2 · 24 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Easy ✓ | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Other |
| Main language | Go | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

Stirling-PDF scores 87/100 against 67/100 for HiClaw, so it is the safer default.

Stirling-PDF ships more often: 25 stable releases in the past year, against 15 for HiClaw.

If you want the quickest setup, HiClaw is easier to run; Stirling-PDF needs more configuration.

Stirling-PDF is growing faster right now (+2 347 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [HiClaw](https://selfhost.directory/project/hiclaw) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/hiclaw.md)
- [Stirling-PDF](https://selfhost.directory/project/stirling-pdf) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/stirling-pdf.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/hiclaw-vs-stirling-pdf