# RapidForge vs Stirling-PDF

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

| | RapidForge | Stirling-PDF |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 37/100 | 87/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #27 of 32 in Workflow Automation | #1 of 46 in Document Management |
| GitHub stars | 44 | 95 289 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +0 | +2 327 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 2 | 25 ✓ |
| Latest release | v0.15.0 · 2 Jul 2026 | v3.2.2 · 24 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Easy ✓ | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Other |
| Main language | JavaScript | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

Stirling-PDF scores 87/100 against 37/100 for RapidForge, so it is the safer default.

Stirling-PDF ships more often: 25 stable releases in the past year, against 2 for RapidForge.

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

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

## Details

- [RapidForge](https://selfhost.directory/project/rapidforge) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/rapidforge.md)
- [Stirling-PDF](https://selfhost.directory/project/stirling-pdf) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/stirling-pdf.md)

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