BentoPDF vs Islandora
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?
BentoPDF
Powerful, privacy-first, client-side PDF toolkit that allows you to
VS
Islandora
Drupal module for browsing and managing Fedora-based digital
| Feature | BentoPDF | Islandora |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Document Management | Document Management |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 14,551 | ★ 157 |
| First released | 2026 | 2026 |
| Replaces | — | — |
Why pick each one
Choose BentoPDF if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 14.6k GitHub stars
- Written in JavaScript
Choose Islandora if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Written in PHP
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is BentoPDF or Islandora better?
Neither is universally better. BentoPDF has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are BentoPDF and Islandora free and open-source?
Yes. BentoPDF is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Islandora under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run BentoPDF and Islandora with Docker?
BentoPDF: yes. Islandora: check the project docs for container support.