Comparison

pdf-lib vs PyMuPDF

No leader: the top candidate pdf-lib has only 0.20 confidence (low), below the 0.35 needed to declare a winner. The attribute-by-attribute breakdown below, with a source and date on every value, is the honest way to compare them.

Machine formatsJSONMarkdownGraphQLor send Accept: application/json
pdf-lib59
PyMuPDF55
Score
Vioscale score
pdf-lib59 / 100low · 20%
PyMuPDF55 / 100low · 24%
Pricing
Free tier
pdf-lib
PyMuPDF
Model
pdf-libcommercial
PyMuPDFfreemium
Price level
pdf-libfree
PyMuPDFlow
Transparent
pdf-lib
PyMuPDF
Adoption
Dependent repos
pdf-lib2,364
PyMuPDF1,798
Github stars
pdf-lib8,605
PyMuPDF10,576
Activity
Commits last 30d
pdf-lib0
PyMuPDF38
Release
Cadence days
pdf-lib19
PyMuPDF35
History
pdf-lib20 items
PyMuPDF20 items
License
Spdx
pdf-libMIT
PyMuPDFAGPL-3.0
Language
Primary
pdf-libTypeScript
PyMuPDFPython

Capabilities

Feature-by-feature on the axes that matter for pdf editors. “-” means undocumented, not absent.

Capabilities
Deployment model
pdf-lib-
PyMuPDF-
Base text and image editing within PDF
pdf-lib-
PyMuPDF-
Page merging extraction and splitting
pdf-lib-
PyMuPDF-
OCR optical character recognition scanning
pdf-lib-
PyMuPDF-
Permanent blackout redaction engine
pdf-lib-
PyMuPDF-
Password protection and encryption
pdf-lib-
PyMuPDF-
Interactive form field creation
pdf-lib-
PyMuPDF-
Digital signature certification enforcement
pdf-lib-
PyMuPDF-
Microsoft office docx xlsx conversion
pdf-lib-
PyMuPDF-
File size compression engine
pdf-lib-
PyMuPDF-
SOC2 type ii
pdf-lib-
PyMuPDF-
ISO 27001
pdf-lib-
PyMuPDF-
Pricing model
pdf-lib-
PyMuPDF-

What each one is

The product in its own terms, so the numbers below have context.

pdf-lib

A pure JavaScript PDF manipulation toolkit that runs across any JavaScript environment including web browsers, Node.js, Deno, and React Native. It enables creating new PDFs, editing existing documents, filling forms with various field types, embedding fonts, and merging or splitting pages.

Independently observed

PyMuPDF

A Python library built on the MuPDF engine for reading, manipulating, converting, and annotating PDF and document files with integrated OCR support. Designed for local processing in air-gapped and regulated environments.

Independently observed

Pricing

List pricing as published by each vendor, with the date we read it. Always verify at the source before you buy.

pdf-lib

FreeFree tier

Free

as of verify ↗

PyMuPDF

HybridFree tier
as of verify ↗

Platform & deployment

Where each product runs and how it can be hosted. A dash means undocumented, not unsupported.

Platforms
Web
pdf-lib
PyMuPDF
macOS
pdf-lib
PyMuPDF
Windows
pdf-lib
PyMuPDF
Linux
pdf-lib
PyMuPDF
Deployment
Self-hosted
pdf-lib
PyMuPDF
On-premise
pdf-lib
PyMuPDF
Air-gapped
pdf-lib
PyMuPDF

Comparison generated from independently-sourced facts. Every value links to its source and retrieval date. See the method.