# netgoat vs Stirling-PDF

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

| | netgoat | Stirling-PDF |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 44/100 | 87/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #20 of 24 in Reverse Proxy | #1 of 46 in Document Management |
| GitHub stars | 905 | 95 289 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +0 | +2 327 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 0 | 25 ✓ |
| Latest release | — | v3.2.2 · 24 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes ✓ |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Other |
| Main language | Go | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

Stirling-PDF scores 87/100 against 44/100 for netgoat, so it is the safer default.

Stirling-PDF ships more often: 25 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for netgoat.

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

Stirling-PDF is growing faster right now (+2 327 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [netgoat](https://selfhost.directory/project/netgoat) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/netgoat.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/netgoat-vs-stirling-pdf