# Best open source PDF editors and tools (self-hosted) > For working with PDFs, the best self-hosted picks are Stirling-PDF for editing, merging and converting PDFs, Docuseal for signing PDFs and Paperless-ngx for OCR and searchable archives. Each pick was chosen by hand for its job from apps whose own description or topics match it, and is shown with GitHub data from October 2026. ## Key facts | Fact | Value | |---|---| | Question | What is the best open source PDF editor you can self-host? | | Picks | 11 | | Top pick | Stirling-PDF (93,634 stars) | | Data as of | Oct 7, 2026 | | Canonical URL | https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-pdf-tools | These apps handle PDFs on your own server or in your own browser, so contracts and scans are not uploaded to an online PDF service. Stirling-PDF and BentoPDF cover everyday editing, merging and converting; the other sections cover signing and OCR archives. ## Edit, merge and convert PDFs - [Stirling-PDF](https://appsgit.com/apps/stirling-pdf) (93,634 stars, Apache-2.0, TypeScript, Docker): Stirling-PDF has 93,634 GitHub stars, uses the Apache-2.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 1,925 commits in the last year; it replaces Adobe Acrobat. - [BentoPDF](https://appsgit.com/apps/bentopdf) (15,844 stars, AGPL-3.0, JavaScript, Docker): BentoPDF has 15,844 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 482 commits in the last year; it replaces Adobe Acrobat. - [Gotenberg](https://appsgit.com/apps/gotenberg) (13,228 stars, MIT, Go, Docker): Gotenberg has 13,228 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license, ships a Docker image and had 366 commits in the last year; it replaces Adobe Acrobat. - [OmniTools](https://appsgit.com/apps/omnitools) (10,284 stars, MIT, TypeScript, Docker): OmniTools has 10,284 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license, ships a Docker image and had 514 commits in the last year. - [SnapOtter](https://appsgit.com/apps/snapotter) (2,782 stars, AGPL-3.0, TypeScript, Docker, AI features): SnapOtter has 2,782 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 689 commits in the last year. ## Sign PDFs - [Docuseal](https://appsgit.com/apps/docuseal) (18,658 stars, AGPL-3.0, Ruby, Docker): Docuseal has 18,658 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 925 commits in the last year; it replaces DocuSign and Adobe Acrobat. - [Documenso](https://appsgit.com/apps/documenso) (15,336 stars, AGPL-3.0, TypeScript, Docker): Documenso has 15,336 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 695 commits in the last year; it replaces DocuSign and Adobe Acrobat. - [Signature PDF](https://appsgit.com/apps/signature-pdf) (827 stars, AGPL-3.0, JavaScript, Docker): Signature PDF has 827 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 115 commits in the last year; it replaces DocuSign and Adobe Acrobat. ## OCR and document archives - [Paperless-ngx](https://appsgit.com/apps/paperless-ngx) (46,308 stars, GPL-3.0, Python, Docker, AI features): Paperless-ngx has 46,308 GitHub stars, uses the GPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 1,625 commits in the last year. - [Docspell](https://appsgit.com/apps/docspell) (2,333 stars, AGPL-3.0, Elm, Docker): Docspell has 2,333 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 77 commits in the last year. - [Papermerge](https://appsgit.com/apps/papermerge) (542 stars, Apache-2.0, Python, Docker): Papermerge has 542 GitHub stars, uses the Apache-2.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 193 commits in the last year. ## How this list was made - Apps were picked by hand from the appsgit catalog for each job, then checked against the snapshot: unknown or archived projects and projects with no commit in two years are dropped automatically. - Inside each section the curated order is kept, most broadly useful first; an app appears only once on the page. - Stars, license, Docker and activity facts come from the GitHub API as of October 2026. ## FAQ ### Is there a free, open source alternative to Adobe Acrobat? Stirling-PDF is a self-hosted web app for operations on PDF files such as merging, splitting and converting, and BentoPDF is a client-side PDF toolkit for editing and merging in the browser. For signing, DocuSeal and Documenso are self-hosted e-signature apps. See the Adobe Acrobat alternatives page for the full list. ### Are my PDFs uploaded anywhere? Not to a third party: self-hosted tools process files on your own server, and BentoPDF describes itself as client-side, so files are processed in your browser. Check each project's documentation if you connect optional cloud features. ### Is Stirling-PDF free? Yes. Stirling-PDF is open-source software released under the Apache-2.0 license, so you can self-host it at no cost. You only pay for the server it runs on, and some projects also offer an optional paid cloud plan. ### Can I run this stack with Docker? All 11 apps here publish Docker images, including Stirling-PDF, BentoPDF and Gotenberg, so most of the stack can run side by side with Docker Compose on one server. Size the server for the heaviest app and add off-site backups. ## Related questions - [What is the best open source document management system?](https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-document-management) - [What is the best open source YouTube downloader?](https://appsgit.com/best/youtube-downloaders) - [What is the best free, open source invoice generator?](https://appsgit.com/best/invoice-generators) - [What is the best open source alternative to AnyDesk and TeamViewer?](https://appsgit.com/best/remote-desktop) - [What is the best open source alternative to Microsoft Visio?](https://appsgit.com/best/diagram-and-flowchart-tools) - [What is the best open source alternative to Excel and Access?](https://appsgit.com/best/spreadsheet-and-database-apps) - [What is the best open source OCR software?](https://appsgit.com/best/ocr-tools) - [What is the best open source software?](https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-software) ## See also - [All document management apps](https://appsgit.com/categories/document-management) - [All utilities apps](https://appsgit.com/categories/utilities) - [Open-source alternatives to Adobe Acrobat](https://appsgit.com/alternatives/adobe-acrobat) - [Open-source alternatives to DocuSign](https://appsgit.com/alternatives/docusign) - [Paperless-ngx vs Docspell](https://appsgit.com/compare/paperless-ngx-vs-docspell) - [How to self-host Paperless-ngx with Docker Compose](https://appsgit.com/guides/paperless-ngx) --- Canonical page: https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-pdf-tools Source: appsgit (https://appsgit.com), the app store for github. Data from the GitHub API, refreshed nightly. Machine access: JSON API https://appsgit.com/api/v1/apps (OpenAPI: https://appsgit.com/openapi.json), MCP server https://mcp.appsgit.com/mcp, full index https://appsgit.com/llms-full.txt.