Signature PDFvsStirling-PDF
Two self-hosted Document Management projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Signature PDF | Stirling-PDF | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 57/100 | 87/100 |
| Rank in category | #19 of 47 in Document Management | #1 of 47 in Document Management |
| GitHub stars | 837 | 96 441 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +7 | +2 618 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 3 | 26 |
| Latest release | v1.11.0 · 22 Oct 2026 | v3.3.0 · 5 Nov 2026 |
| Setup | Easy | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Main language | JavaScript | Typescript |
Which one should you pick?
Stirling-PDF scores 87/100 against 57/100 for Signature PDF, so it is the safer default.
Stirling-PDF ships more often: 26 stable releases in the past year, against 3 for Signature PDF.
If you want the quickest setup, Signature PDF is easier to run; Stirling-PDF needs more configuration.
Stirling-PDF is growing faster right now (+2 618 stars in 30 days).
Key differences
- License: Signature PDF is AGPL-3.0, Stirling-PDF is MIT.
- Language: Signature PDF is written mainly in JavaScript, Stirling-PDF in Typescript.
- Features only Signature PDF lists: Digital signature, Merge PDFs, Metadata Editing, Multi-person signature via shared link and 3 more.
- Features only Stirling-PDF lists: AI-assisted PDF processing, Audit Logging, Automation pipelines, Compression and 11 more.
Signature PDF details →Stirling-PDF details →All Document Management projects →
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