Paperless-ngx vs Stirling PDF
Paperless-ngx, Stirling PDF compared on license, free-edition limits, deployment and project health. Change a project below to compare something else.
| Paperless-ngx | Stirling PDF | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Document Management | Document Management |
| License | GNU General Public License v3.0Open source (OSI) | MIT LicenseOpen source (OSI) |
| Free edition | Not confirmed | Some features paywalled |
| Deployment | Self-hosted | Self-hosted · Cloud |
| Self-hosting setup | Needs a database | Single container |
| SSO / SAML | Free | Not confirmed |
| Role-based access control | Free | Not confirmed |
| Audit logs | Free | Paid |
| Multi-user / teams | Free | Free |
| Backups and restore | Free | Not confirmed |
| API access | Free | Free |
| Support SLA | Not confirmed | Paid |
| GitHub stars | 47k | 94k |
| Last release | Oct 12, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
| Alternative to | DocuWare | Adobe Acrobat |
In short
- Paperless-ngx is licensed GNU General Public License v3.0 (open source (osi)). Free edition: not confirmed.
- Stirling PDF is licensed MIT License (open source (osi)). Free edition: some features paywalled.
Each project page lists the official sources behind these answers. Where the official pages do not say, the table shows “Not confirmed”.