Archivematica vs Stirling PDF
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted document management options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Archivematica
Digital preservation system for long-term archives
VS
Stirling PDF
Powerful locally hosted web-based PDF toolkit
| Feature | Archivematica | Stirling PDF |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Document Management | Document Management |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | Python | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 4,096 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 512 | ★ 89,077 |
| First released | 2010 | 2023 |
| Replaces | Preservica | Adobe Acrobat, Smallpdf |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Archivematica or Stirling PDF better?
Stirling PDF is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Archivematica if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Archivematica and Stirling PDF free and open-source?
Yes. Archivematica is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Stirling PDF under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Archivematica and Stirling PDF with Docker?
Archivematica: check the project docs for container support. Stirling PDF: yes.