# PyMuPDF vs Stirling-PDF

| Attribute | PyMuPDF | Stirling-PDF |
|---|---|---|
| **vioscaleAI score** | 57.2 (63% (medium)) | 59 (67% (medium)) |
| activity.commits_last_30d | 100 | 100 |
| adoption.dependent_repos | 1,798 | 0 |
| adoption.github_stars | 10,910 | 94,282 |
| content.faq | `[{"answer":"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. It is indexed under PDF Editors.","source":"https://pymupdf.readthedocs.io/","question":"What is PyMuPDF?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"PyMuPDF offers a free tier, so you can start without paying. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://pymupdf.readthedocs.io/","question":"Is PyMuPDF free?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"PyMuPDF supports Windows, macOS and Linux. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://pymupdf.readthedocs.io/","question":"What platforms does PyMuPDF support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. PyMuPDF can be deployed on-premise, air-gapped and self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.","source":"https://pymupdf.readthedocs.io/","question":"Can PyMuPDF be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. PyMuPDF is published under the AGPL-3.0 licence, a copyleft licence, so check its terms before embedding it in a closed-source product. Licence terms can change between releases, so verify against the repository for the version you intend to use.","source":"https://github.com/pymupdf/PyMuPDF","question":"Is PyMuPDF open source?","confidence":0.95}]` | `[{"answer":"A versatile PDF platform offering editing, signing, redaction, and conversion capabilities. Can run as a standalone desktop application, in a web browser, or deployed on private servers, with REST APIs for integration and workflow automation. It is indexed under PDF Editors.","source":"https://stirlingpdf.com/pricing","question":"What is Stirling-PDF?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Stirling-PDF is open source, so it can be self-hosted and used at no licence cost. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://stirlingpdf.com/pricing","question":"Is Stirling-PDF free to use?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Stirling-PDF supports the web, Windows, macOS, Linux and a command-line interface. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://stirlingpdf.com/pricing","question":"What platforms does Stirling-PDF support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Stirling-PDF can be deployed hybrid, on-premise and self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.","source":"https://stirlingpdf.com/pricing","question":"Can Stirling-PDF be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6}]` |
| deployment.options | `{"self_hosted":true}` | `{"cloud":true,"air_gapped":true,"self_hosted":true}` |
| description.long | A Python library providing efficient, precise control over PDF documents for reading, editing, and converting their contents. Built on a lightweight C engine with both low-level control and high-level convenience functions. | A comprehensive PDF platform offering 60+ tools for editing, signing, redacting, and converting documents. Available as desktop applications, a web interface, or self-hosted server with API access. |
| features.capabilities | `{"pricing_model":"freemium","deployment_model":"native_desktop","file_size_compression_engine":true,"interactive_form_field_creation":true,"password_protection_and_encryption":true,"permanent_blackout_redaction_engine":true,"microsoft_office_docx_xlsx_conversion":true,"page_merging_extraction_and_splitting":true,"base_text_and_image_editing_within_pdf":true,"ocr_optical_character_recognition_scanning":true}` | `{"pricing_model":"freemium","deployment_model":"cloud_saas","file_size_compression_engine":true,"interactive_form_field_creation":true,"permanent_blackout_redaction_engine":true,"microsoft_office_docx_xlsx_conversion":true,"page_merging_extraction_and_splitting":true,"base_text_and_image_editing_within_pdf":true,"ocr_optical_character_recognition_scanning":true,"digital_signature_certification_enforcement":true}` |
| integrations.count | 1 | 4 |
| integrations.list | `[{"name":"Tesseract","native":true,"category":"ocr"}]` | `[{"name":"SharePoint","native":true,"category":"collaboration","direction":"outbound"},{"name":"S3","native":true,"category":"storage","direction":"inbound"},{"name":"FTP","native":true,"category":"file_transfer","direction":"inbound"},{"name":"OAuth","native":true,"category":"authentication","direction":"bidirectional"}]` |
| language.primary | Python | TypeScript |
| license.spdx | AGPL-3.0 | - |
| market.availability | - | `{"primaryMarkets":["US"],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` |
| platform.support | `{"mac":true,"linux":true,"windows":true}` | `{"cli":true,"mac":true,"web":true,"linux":true,"windows":true}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"open_source","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://pymupdf.readthedocs.io/","retrievedAt":"2026-09-13T20:04:58.976Z"}` | `{"type":"hybrid","plans":[{"free":true,"name":"Free","summary":"$0/month, free forever","features":["60+ PDF tools","Web, desktop, and self-hosted options","Private and open-source","1,000 monthly credits for automation"],"components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":0,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"description":"Open-source PDF editor for individuals","contactSales":false,"includedLimits":{"credits":"1,000/month"}},{"free":false,"name":"Team","summary":"$99/month for 100 users","features":["Everything in Free","Single sign-on (SSO)","Team workspace and invites","Add capacity in blocks of 100 users","One bill instead of per-seat licenses","Central control of tool catalog and deployment"],"minSeats":100,"components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":99,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"description":"For team administration and infrastructure","contactSales":false,"includedLimits":{"users":"100"}},{"free":false,"name":"Enterprise","summary":"Custom pricing","features":["Everything in Team","Air-gapped and self-hosted deployment","SCIM provisioning","Data residency and audit logs","Uptime SLAs","Custom agreement and invoicing"],"description":"For regulated and air-gapped deployments","contactSales":true}],"addOns":[{"name":"PDF Processor Credits","components":[{"per":{"qty":1,"unit":"credit"},"kind":"metered","amount":0.01,"currency":"USD"}]}],"summary":"Free for individuals. Team plan from $99/month for 100 users. Enterprise with custom pricing.","currency":"USD","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://stirlingpdf.com/pricing","retrievedAt":"2026-10-15T21:11:27.454Z","startingPrice":{"amount":99,"period":"month","currency":"USD"},"billingPeriods":["month"]}` |
| pricing.free_tier | yes | yes |
| pricing.model | open_source | freemium |
| pricing.price_level | free | high |
| pricing.starting_price | - | `{"amount":99,"currency":"USD"}` |
| pricing.transparent | no | yes |
| release.cadence_days | 35 | 6 |
| release.history | `[{"url":"https://github.com/pymupdf/PyMuPDF/releases/tag/1.28.2","date":"2026-08-06T22:16:34Z","type":"stable","version":"1.28.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/pymupdf/PyMuPDF/releases/tag/1.28.0","date":"2026-06-29T09:18:49Z","type":"stable","version":"1.28.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/pymupdf/PyMuPDF/releases/tag/1.27.2.3","date":"2026-04-24T14:23:34Z","type":"stable","version":"1.27.2.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/pymupdf/PyMuPDF/releases/tag/1.27.2.2","date":"2026-03-20T09:56:24Z","type":"stable","version":"1.27.2.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/pymupdf/PyMuPDF/releases/tag/1.27.2","date":"2026-03-10T13:11:38Z","type":"stable","version":"1.27.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/pymupdf/PyMuPDF/releases/tag/1.27.1","date":"2026-02-11T15:12:59Z","type":"stable","version":"1.27.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/pymupdf/PyMuPDF/releases/tag/1.26.7","date":"2025-12-11T23:17:03Z","type":"stable","version":"1.26.7"},{"url":"https://github.com/pymupdf/PyMuPDF/releases/tag/1.26.6","date":"2025-11-05T16:07:35Z","type":"stable","version":"1.26.6"},{"url":"https://github.com/pymupdf/PyMuPDF/releases/tag/1.26.5","date":"2025-10-10T14:07:18Z","type":"stable","version":"1.26.5"},{"url":"https://github.com/pymupdf/PyMuPDF/releases/tag/1.26.4","date":"2025-08-25T14:34:56Z","type":"stable","version":"1.26.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/pymupdf/PyMuPDF/releases/tag/1.26.3","date":"2025-07-02T21:52:37Z","type":"stable","version":"1.26.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/pymupdf/PyMuPDF/releases/tag/1.26.1","date":"2025-06-11T22:30:03Z","type":"stable","version":"1.26.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/pymupdf/PyMuPDF/releases/tag/1.26.0","date":"2025-05-22T16:30:32Z","type":"stable","version":"1.26.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/pymupdf/PyMuPDF/releases/tag/1.25.5","date":"2025-03-31T23:25:00Z","type":"stable","version":"1.25.5"},{"url":"https://github.com/pymupdf/PyMuPDF/releases/tag/1.25.4","date":"2025-03-14T19:16:56Z","type":"stable","version":"1.25.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/pymupdf/PyMuPDF/releases/tag/1.25.3","date":"2025-02-06T13:12:40Z","type":"stable","version":"1.25.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/pymupdf/PyMuPDF/releases/tag/1.25.2","date":"2025-01-17T16:36:36Z","type":"stable","version":"1.25.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/pymupdf/PyMuPDF/releases/tag/1.25.1","date":"2024-12-11T22:51:35Z","type":"stable","version":"1.25.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/pymupdf/PyMuPDF/releases/tag/1.25.0","date":"2024-12-05T20:45:10Z","type":"stable","version":"1.25.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/pymupdf/PyMuPDF/releases/tag/1.24.14","date":"2024-11-19T11:21:54Z","type":"stable","version":"1.24.14"}]` | `[{"url":"https://github.com/Stirling-Tools/Stirling-PDF/releases/tag/v3.2.0","date":"2026-10-15T20:36:26Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v3.2.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/Stirling-Tools/Stirling-PDF/releases/tag/v3.1.0","date":"2026-10-05T22:30:24Z","type":"stable","version":"v3.1.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/Stirling-Tools/Stirling-PDF/releases/tag/v3.0.2","date":"2026-10-01T15:15:05Z","type":"stable","version":"v3.0.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/Stirling-Tools/Stirling-PDF/releases/tag/v3.0.1","date":"2026-09-26T21:51:10Z","type":"stable","version":"v3.0.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/Stirling-Tools/Stirling-PDF/releases/tag/v3.0.0","date":"2026-09-24T11:36:26Z","type":"stable","version":"v3.0.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/Stirling-Tools/Stirling-PDF/releases/tag/v2.14.3","date":"2026-08-06T18:48:12Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.14.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/Stirling-Tools/Stirling-PDF/releases/tag/v2.14.2","date":"2026-07-08T09:59:54Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.14.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/Stirling-Tools/Stirling-PDF/releases/tag/v2.14.1","date":"2026-07-07T21:56:29Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.14.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/Stirling-Tools/Stirling-PDF/releases/tag/v2.14.0","date":"2026-06-30T22:48:14Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.14.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/Stirling-Tools/Stirling-PDF/releases/tag/v2.13.2","date":"2026-06-24T21:06:14Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.13.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/Stirling-Tools/Stirling-PDF/releases/tag/v2.13.1","date":"2026-06-19T18:27:49Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.13.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/Stirling-Tools/Stirling-PDF/releases/tag/v2.13.0","date":"2026-06-18T21:29:00Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.13.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/Stirling-Tools/Stirling-PDF/releases/tag/v2.12.0","date":"2026-06-09T20:40:03Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.12.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/Stirling-Tools/Stirling-PDF/releases/tag/v2.11.0","date":"2026-05-19T10:52:27Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.11.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/Stirling-Tools/Stirling-PDF/releases/tag/v2.10.1","date":"2026-05-07T20:07:16Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.10.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/Stirling-Tools/Stirling-PDF/releases/tag/v2.10.0","date":"2026-04-24T13:12:51Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.10.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/Stirling-Tools/Stirling-PDF/releases/tag/v2.9.2","date":"2026-04-04T09:32:15Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.9.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/Stirling-Tools/Stirling-PDF/releases/tag/v2.9.1","date":"2026-04-03T16:48:50Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.9.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/Stirling-Tools/Stirling-PDF/releases/tag/v2.9.0","date":"2026-04-02T18:02:36Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.9.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/Stirling-Tools/Stirling-PDF/releases/tag/v2.8.0","date":"2026-03-24T18:58:13Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.8.0"}]` |
| security.scorecard | 5.2 | - |
| security.vulnerabilities | `{"count":1,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=pypi&package_name=pymupdf&per_page=100","last_12m":1,"max_severity":"MODERATE"}` | `{"count":0,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=nixpkgs&package_name=stirling-pdf&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":null}` |

## Capabilities (PDF Editors)

| Capability | PyMuPDF | Stirling-PDF |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Capabilities** |  |  |
| Deployment model | Native desktop | Cloud saas |
| Base text and image editing within PDF | ✓ | ✓ |
| Page merging extraction and splitting | ✓ | ✓ |
| OCR optical character recognition scanning | ✓ | ✓ |
| Permanent blackout redaction engine | ✓ | ✓ |
| Password protection and encryption | ✓ | - |
| Interactive form field creation | ✓ | ✓ |
| Digital signature certification enforcement | - | ✓ |
| Microsoft office docx xlsx conversion | ✓ | ✓ |
| File size compression engine | ✓ | ✓ |
| SOC2 type ii | - | - |
| ISO 27001 | - | - |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium |

*Source: vioscaleAI. Generated 2026-10-16T21:00:04.776Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*