Stirling PDF
Self-hosted PDF editing, conversion, OCR, and automation platform
88.2k stars 7.8k forks last commit first released
Actively maintained
Last commit 27 Jul 2026.
Stirling PDF is an open-source PDF platform for editing, converting, and automating PDF workflows through a web interface and a private REST API. It provides a broad toolkit for common PDF operations while keeping documents within your own environment.
Key Features
- 50+ PDF tools including merge, split, compress, convert, and manipulate PDFs
- OCR, redaction, and signing tools for document processing workflows
- Browser-based UI plus server deployment with API access for integrations
- Automation and reusable workflows/pipelines to batch process documents
- Enterprise-oriented capabilities such as SSO and auditing (availability may depend on edition)
- Multi-language interface (40+ languages)
Use Cases
- Internal PDF processing service for teams that cannot use third-party SaaS tools
- Automating high-volume document conversions and transformations via REST API
- Standardizing repeatable PDF workflows (e.g., OCR + compress + redact) for operations
Limitations and Considerations
- The project is open-core; some enterprise features and offerings may require a paid plan
Stirling PDF fits individuals through enterprises needing a configurable PDF toolkit with both a UI and API. It is especially useful when privacy, compliance, or on-prem processing requirements prevent sending documents to external services.
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