Stirling PDF
People land here looking for a PDF editor they can self-host. Stirling PDF is the open source PDF editor we point them to. Official docs list 55+ tools, including signing, converting, merging, editing, OCR, and redaction. Processing stays local.
Upload-based tools are fine for a flyer. They are a poor fit for contracts, IDs, or medical scans. A self-hosted editor keeps the work on a laptop or a server you run.
Stirling processes files locally. You install it, you open it, and the PDF stays on the machine you control.
Signing, converting, merging, editing, OCR, and redaction are on that list. The usual jobs (merge, split, rotate, convert) are there too.
Run a Windows desktop app, or stand up a container and open port 8080. If you want a browser tab with no server of your own, see Stirling PDF vs Bento PDF.
Useful commands live here. Official GitHub releases and docs stay one click away, in a new tab.
winget install StirlingTools.StirlingPDF
Scoop is also listed in official docs. We do not host exe, msi, or jar files.
docker-compose up -d, then open http://localhost:8080.admin and password stirling. Change that immediately.services:
stirling-pdf:
image: docker.stirlingpdf.com/stirlingtools/stirling-pdf:latest
container_name: stirling-pdf
ports:
- '8080:8080'
volumes:
- ./stirling-data:/configs
restart: unless-stopped
To run without login, official docs set SECURITY_ENABLELOGIN=false.
This is not the official Stirling PDF site. We map the install paths and keep the cited facts on one page.
Most of the public repo is MIT (Copyright 2025 Stirling PDF Inc.). Some directories, such as proprietary, saas, engine, desktop, cloud, and portal, use other licenses defined in those folders. Read the LICENSE if that matters for your use. We do not claim the whole product is only MIT.
Server JARs also live on GitHub releases. Official docs say Java JDK 25 is required for those JARs. We do not host them.
These open in a new tab. Use them when you need source, license text, or extra install flags.