# scalar vs Stirling-PDF

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

| | scalar | Stirling-PDF |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 76/100 | 87/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #3 of 13 in API | #1 of 46 in Document Management |
| GitHub stars | 16 335 | 95 266 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +156 | +2 353 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 46 ✓ | 25 |
| Latest release | release-2026-10-28-0d01943 · 28 Oct 2026 ✓ | v3.2.2 · 24 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Easy ✓ | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | MIT | Other |
| Main language | Typescript | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

Stirling-PDF scores 87/100 against 76/100 for scalar, so it is the safer default.

scalar ships more often: 46 stable releases in the past year, against 25 for Stirling-PDF.

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

Stirling-PDF is growing faster right now (+2 353 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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