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Version: 2.0 (Beta)

What Makes Stirling-PDF Powerful

Stirling-PDF combines server-side processing power with modern browser capabilities to give you the best PDF experience possible.

Key Features​

Work Offline with Browser Storage​

  • Your files stay in your browser - No need to re-upload files when switching between tools
  • Faster workflows - Skip the upload wait time when working with the same files
  • Preview thumbnails - See what your files look like before processing
  • Privacy first - Files are stored locally in your browser, not on our servers between operations

Undo and Redo Your Work​

  • Made a mistake? Go back to previous versions of your file
  • Try different options - Experiment with settings and revert if needed
  • Work confidently - Know you can always undo changes

File History Tracking​

  • See what you've done - Track all the operations you've performed
  • Jump back in time - Restore earlier versions of your files
  • Clear when needed - Remove local files and history whenever you want

Desktop Applications​

  • Windows, Mac, and Linux native applications available
  • Open PDFs directly - Double-click PDF files to open them in Stirling-PDF
  • No browser needed - Standalone application with all features
  • Automatic updates - Stay up to date with the latest features

Modern, Responsive Interface​

  • Fast and smooth - Modern web technology for a better experience
  • Works on any device - Responsive design for desktop, tablet, and mobile
  • Real-time previews - See changes as you make them
  • Dark mode - Easy on your eyes

Flexible Deployment Options​

  • All-in-one container - Simple Docker deployment with everything included
  • Split frontend and backend - Scale and deploy components separately
  • Serve frontend from CDN - Ultra-fast page loads worldwide
  • Run anywhere - Cloud, self-hosted, or on your desktop

The Technology Behind It​

Processing Power (Server-Side)​

Stirling-PDF uses powerful open-source tools to handle complex PDF operations:

  • PDFBox - Core PDF manipulation for most operations
  • LibreOffice - Advanced file conversions (Office documents, images, etc.)
  • qpdf - Specialized PDF operations
  • Tesseract OCR - Extract text from images in PDFs
  • OpenCV - Image processing and computer vision operations

Modern Web Experience (Browser-Side)​

A fast, modern interface built with powerful frontend technologies:

Core Framework:

  • React - Modern UI framework for responsive interfaces
  • TypeScript - Type-safe development
  • Vite - Lightning-fast build tool

PDF Rendering & Interaction:

  • EmbedPDF - Advanced PDF viewer with annotation support
  • PDF.js - Mozilla's PDF rendering engine
  • pdf-lib - Client-side PDF manipulation

UI & Components:

Enhanced Features:

  • i18next - Internationalization (30+ languages)
  • signature_pad - Canvas-based signatures
  • JSZip - Client-side ZIP handling
  • Axios - HTTP client for API communication

Desktop Applications​

Native applications built with modern desktop technology:

  • Tauri - Rust-based native app framework
    • Automatic PDF file association - Open PDFs directly in Stirling-PDF
    • Bundled processing tools - Everything you need included
    • System integration - Feels like a native application
    • One-click installers - Easy installation on all platforms
    • Small footprint - Efficient resource usage

Open Source and Transparent​

All the technologies we use are open source and well-documented:

  • View all Java application licenses on our licenses page
  • Review our source code on GitHub
  • No vendor lock-in - Deploy and customize as needed
  • Community-driven development

Privacy and Security​

Designed with privacy in mind:

  • Browser storage stays local - Files cached in your browser never leave your device
  • Open source - Audit the code yourself
  • No tracking required - Disable analytics completely if desired
  • Your data, your control - Self-host on your own infrastructure