# pocketpaw vs Stirling-PDF

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

| | pocketpaw | Stirling-PDF |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 48/100 | 87/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #52 of 120 in AI Assistant | #1 of 46 in Document Management |
| GitHub stars | 903 | 95 289 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +2 | +2 327 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 10 | 25 ✓ |
| Latest release | v0.4.18 · 29 Apr 2026 | v3.2.2 · 24 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Easy ✓ | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes ✓ |
| License | MIT | Other |
| Main language | Python | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

Stirling-PDF scores 87/100 against 48/100 for pocketpaw, so it is the safer default.

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

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

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

## Details

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