# openpencil vs Stirling-PDF

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

| | openpencil | Stirling-PDF |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 73/100 | 87/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #2 of 7 in Design | #1 of 46 in Document Management |
| GitHub stars | 9 415 | 95 299 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +814 | +2 337 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 14 | 25 ✓ |
| Latest release | v0.16.0 · 14 Oct 2026 | v3.2.2 · 24 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Easy ✓ | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes ✓ |
| License | MIT | Other |
| Main language | Typescript | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

Stirling-PDF scores 87/100 against 73/100 for openpencil, so it is the safer default.

Stirling-PDF ships more often: 25 stable releases in the past year, against 14 for openpencil.

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

Stirling-PDF is growing faster right now (+2 337 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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