# Nowen Reader vs Stirling-PDF

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

| | Nowen Reader | Stirling-PDF |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 51/100 | 87/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #4 of 19 in Ebook Management | #1 of 46 in Document Management |
| GitHub stars | 180 | 95 260 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | — | +2 347 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 10 | 25 ✓ |
| Latest release | v1.2.3 · 25 Oct 2026 ✓ | v3.2.2 · 24 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Easy ✓ | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Other |
| Main language | Typescript | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

Stirling-PDF scores 87/100 against 51/100 for Nowen Reader, so it is the safer default.

Stirling-PDF ships more often: 25 stable releases in the past year, against 10 for Nowen Reader.

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

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

## Details

- [Nowen Reader](https://selfhost.directory/project/nowen-reader) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/nowen-reader.md)
- [Stirling-PDF](https://selfhost.directory/project/stirling-pdf) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/stirling-pdf.md)

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