# orb vs Stirling-PDF

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

| | orb | Stirling-PDF |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 51/100 | 87/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #21 of 48 in Network Monitoring | #1 of 46 in Document Management |
| GitHub stars | 682 | 95 309 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +0 | +2 347 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 0 | 25 ✓ |
| Latest release | — | v3.2.2 · 24 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | MPL-2.0 | Other |
| Main language | Go | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

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

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

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

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

## Details

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