# Stirling-PDF vs Thesys

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

| | Stirling-PDF | Thesys |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 87/100 ✓ | 41/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 46 in Document Management | #5 of 5 in Research |
| GitHub stars | 95 309 ✓ | 177 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +2 347 ✓ | +0 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 25 ✓ | 5 |
| Latest release | v3.2.2 · 24 Oct 2026 ✓ | v0.4.0 · 23 Sept 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate ✓ | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes ✓ | No |
| License | Other | AGPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Typescript | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

Stirling-PDF scores 87/100 against 41/100 for Thesys, so it is the safer default.

Stirling-PDF ships more often: 25 stable releases in the past year, against 5 for Thesys.

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

## Details

- [Stirling-PDF](https://selfhost.directory/project/stirling-pdf) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/stirling-pdf.md)
- [Thesys](https://selfhost.directory/project/thesys-core) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/thesys-core.md)

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