Stirling

Welcome to Stirling PDF

Stirling PDF provides tools for signing, converting, merging, editing, OCR and redaction, with self-hosted and desktop deployment options.

Benefits of Stirling PDF#

  • Extensive PDF Functionality: 55+ tools covering signing, converting, merging, editing, OCR, and redaction.
  • Stateful Workspace: Upload once and chain tools together, with full undo and redo history.
  • Runs Anywhere: Docker, bare metal, Kubernetes, or native desktop apps for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
  • Processing location: Self-hosted tools process files on your instance. Desktop tools use the local backend where supported; tools routed to Stirling Cloud or a connected server send their inputs there.
  • Configure In-App: Change settings from the UI, or drive everything with environment variables and settings.yml.
  • Automation & Integration: REST API and an MCP server for AI assistants.
  • Stirling Processor: Connect sources and automate document processing.
  • AI Engine: Ask questions about documents, create PDFs, and classify files.
  • Enterprise Features: SAML SSO, user management, permission controls, and audit logging. OAuth2 SSO is free on every plan.
  • Self-Hosted: Community-driven with frequent updates and GitHub support.
  • Multi-Language Support: Available in 40+ languages with active translations.

Installation#

Choose how you want to run Stirling PDF based on your needs:

Desktop Applications#

Native apps with system integration:

Platform Download Guide
Windows Installer Windows Guide
Mac (Universal) DMG Mac Guide
Linux DEB Unix Guide

Features: Fast startup, "Open with" integration, no login required, optional server connection for advanced tools

Docker Deployment#

Recommended for server deployments and organizations:

Quick Start:

bash
docker run -d \
  -p 8080:8080 \
  -v ./stirling-data:/configs \
  docker.stirlingpdf.com/stirlingtools/stirling-pdf:latest

Available versions:

  • latest - Standard version (recommended)
  • latest-fat - Extra fonts and tools for highest quality conversions and full format support
  • latest-ultra-lite - Minimal size for resource-constrained environments

Full guide: Docker Installation Guide

Manual Server Setup#

For bare metal installations or environments without Docker:

  1. Download Stirling-PDF.jar
  2. Install Java 25+
  3. Install dependencies (LibreOffice, Tesseract for OCR)
  4. Run the JAR file

Full guide: Unix Installation Guide

Documentation Guide#

For Individual Users#

Tool Reference Browse all 55+ PDF tools with descriptions

Migration Guide The upgrade path from Stirling PDF V1 to V2, and what to check before you upgrade

For Organizations & IT Teams#

Production Deployment Guide Complete walkthrough: installation - configuration - security - monitoring

Stirling Processor Sources, policies, and pipelines that run document work on a schedule, on a folder drop, or on demand

AI Overview AI features, model providers, and self-hosted setup

Paid Offerings (Team & Enterprise) External databases, Google Drive integration, SSO, advanced monitoring, and priority support

Configuration Options All configuration options for Docker and server deployments

For Developers & Integration#

API Documentation Integrate Stirling PDF into your applications and workflows

Configuration SSO, certificates, security settings, and more

Contribute Guide Help improve Stirling PDF - development setup and guidelines

Edit this page on GitHub