Paperless-AI 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?
Paperless-AI
Automated AI tagging and analysis for Paperless-ngx
VS
Stirling PDF
Powerful locally hosted web-based PDF toolkit
| Feature | Paperless-AI | Stirling PDF |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Document Management | Document Management |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | JavaScript | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 5,883 | ★ 89,077 |
| First released | 2024 | 2023 |
| Replaces | DocuWare | Adobe Acrobat, Smallpdf |
Why pick each one
Choose Paperless-AI if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 5.9k GitHub stars
- Written in JavaScript
Frequently asked questions
Is Paperless-AI or Stirling PDF better?
Stirling PDF is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Paperless-AI if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Paperless-AI and Stirling PDF free and open-source?
Yes. Paperless-AI is licensed under MIT and Stirling PDF under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Paperless-AI and Stirling PDF with Docker?
Paperless-AI: yes. Stirling PDF: yes.