October 22, 2026 · 6 min read
Written by Hassan Raza, Founder & Developer of EasyPDFLoad.
Open source and self-hosted iLovePDF alternatives, compared honestly
Short answer: For a team with a server, Stirling-PDF is the broadest open-core option. For scripts, use qpdf or pdfcpu. For scanned archives, use OCRmyPDF. For a locked-down laptop or a one-off job, a browser tool that never uploads the file is simpler than running any server.
EasyPDFLoad is a competing tool and is not open source. Facts about the projects below were read in October 2026 from their own pages, including the Stirling-PDF repository, the Stirling-PDF docs, and the GitHub pages of PDFsam, pdfcpu, qpdf, OCRmyPDF, Gotenberg and BentoPDF. Projects change, so check the licence and requirements before you commit.
What are the main open source iLovePDF alternatives?
People searching for an open source or self-hosted iLovePDF alternative usually want one of three things: control over where files go, no per-use limits, or a tool they can script. These projects cover those needs in different ways, and they are not interchangeable.
| Tool | What it is | How you run it | Licence | Honest limitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stirling-PDF | 50+ PDF tools with a browser UI and a REST API | Docker, Kubernetes, bare JAR, or a desktop app | Open-core: MIT with some proprietary subdirectories | Needs about 4 GB of memory; the UI is served by a server you run |
| PDFsam Basic | Desktop app to split, merge, mix, extract and rotate | Self-contained desktop application | AGPL | Page operations only; no OCR or conversion listed |
| pdfcpu | PDF library and command-line tool in Go | Command line or Go library | Apache 2.0 | No OCR or format conversion; PDF 2.0 validation is basic |
| qpdf | Command-line tool and C++ library for content-preserving transformations | Command line or library | Apache 2.0 | Does not render PDFs or extract text |
| OCRmyPDF | Adds an OCR text layer to scanned PDFs | Command line, apt, or Docker image | MPL 2.0 | Needs Ghostscript and Tesseract installed |
| Gotenberg | Docker-based API that converts documents to PDF | Docker container with an HTTP API | MIT | API only, with no UI; aimed at developers |
| BentoPDF | Client-side PDF toolkit that you can self-host as static files | Static hosting, or the project's own site | AGPL-3.0 or a paid commercial licence | Some features need extra setup, such as a proxy for signing |
Stirling-PDF: the one most people mean
Stirling-PDF calls itself an open-source PDF editing platform. Its README says it is open-core. The licence file is MIT, with listed portions under separate licences in directories such as the proprietary and cloud parts. So it is not purely MIT throughout.
You can run it with Docker, Kubernetes or a bare JAR, and there is also a desktop app. The README lists 50+ tools, a UI in 40+ languages and REST APIs for nearly all tools. The docs recommend at least 4 GB of memory. Login is on by default.
The free plan is listed as 5 users, with larger tiers for teams. SAML single sign-on, audit logging and usage analytics are listed as Enterprise features. For OCR it uses OCRmyPDF when installed and falls back to Tesseract alone.
On telemetry, the docs describe analytics sent to PostHog and a Scarf pixel when enabled, and say document contents are never sent. You can switch everything off with SYSTEM_ENABLEANALYTICS=false. That is a setting to apply deliberately, not something to assume.
The smaller tools, and what each is for
PDFsam Basic is a desktop application for splitting, merging, mixing and rotating pages. Since version 4 it bundles its own JDK, so you do not install Java separately. It does not list OCR or conversion.
pdfcpu and qpdf are command-line tools. pdfcpu, for example, merges with a command such as pdfcpu merge merged.pdf in1.pdf in2.pdf. Its own README warns that if neither of two other viewers can open a PDF, pdfcpu is unlikely to process it reliably. qpdf transforms the file structure and does not render pages or extract text.
OCRmyPDF is the specialist for scans. It adds a text layer so a scanned PDF becomes searchable, and it supports Linux, Windows, macOS and FreeBSD. Gotenberg is not an editor at all. It turns Office documents, HTML and similar inputs into PDF through an API that your own software calls.
BentoPDF describes itself as a client-side toolkit that is self-hostable, meaning the work happens in the browser while you serve the static files. Its README lists a dual licence and some limits, for example Office conversion needs LibreOffice compiled to WebAssembly. We have only read its README, so test it before relying on it.
Where EasyPDFLoad fits, and where it does not
EasyPDFLoad is not open source. The repository carries no licence, and we do not claim otherwise. It does use open source libraries: pdf-lib (MIT), pdf.js through pdfjs-dist (Apache 2.0) and tesseract.js (Apache 2.0).
What we offer is a different use case from the table above. There is nothing to install and no server to run. The file is processed in your browser tab, so the tool itself does not upload it. You can try merge or compress on a real file. Our page on private PDF tools explains that approach, and the iLovePDF comparison covers the commercial side.
The limits are real. You cannot inspect or modify our code, we have no API and no batch scripting, and we do not offer a self-hosted version. OCR loads English only. If you need an auditable codebase, an internal deployment or automation, pick one of the projects above.
Who should pick which?
- A team with a server that wants 50+ tools: Stirling-PDF. Plan for the memory, the login setup and the licence tiers.
- A developer scripting batch jobs: qpdf or pdfcpu, depending on whether you prefer C++ tooling or a single Go binary.
- A scanned archive that must become searchable: OCRmyPDF.
- A pipeline that converts Office files to PDF: Gotenberg.
- One person merging and splitting on a desktop: PDFsam Basic.
- A locked-down laptop, a Chromebook or a one-off job: a browser tool that does the work in the tab, because you cannot or should not run a server.
Does self-hosting remove the upload?
Not quite. Self-hosting changes where the upload goes. With a browser UI served by your own Stirling-PDF server, your file is still sent from the browser to a server. That server is yours, which is a real improvement over a stranger's. But the file does move, and the server operator can see it.
Stirling's README says you can work "without sending documents to external services". That is accurate for a server you run inside your network. It is a different thing from the work happening in the tab.
How to check what a self-hosted UI sends
- Open the UI you run, press F12, and go to the Network tab. Tick Preserve log.
- Run an operation with a real file, for example a 10 MB PDF.
- Look for a request to your own host with a body roughly the size of the file. That is the upload to your server.
- Clear the log, then load a page without using a tool. Look for requests to other domains. Analytics requests would show up here, which tells you whether you switched them off.
Do the same on any browser tool. For the work-in-the-tab approach, no request carries the file, and you can see that for yourself. Our guide on whether a PDF tool uploads your file walks through it in more detail.
Straight answers (Open source and self-hosted iLovePDF)
What is the best open source alternative to iLovePDF?
Stirling-PDF is the broadest, with 50+ tools in a browser UI. It needs a server you run and about 4 GB of memory, so smaller needs suit smaller tools.
Is Stirling-PDF fully open source?
Not entirely. Its README says it is open-core: the licence is MIT, but some subdirectories carry separate proprietary licences.
Does self-hosting a PDF tool mean my files are not uploaded?
No. Files are still uploaded, but to your own server rather than a third party. You can confirm this in the browser's Network tab.
Can I turn off analytics in Stirling-PDF?
Yes. Its docs say setting SYSTEM_ENABLEANALYTICS=false turns analytics off, and that document contents are never sent.
What is the best self-hosted tool for OCR on PDFs?
OCRmyPDF adds a text layer to scanned PDFs using Tesseract. It needs Ghostscript and Tesseract installed, or you can use its Docker image.
Is EasyPDFLoad open source?
No. Its repository has no licence. It uses open source libraries, including pdf-lib, pdf.js and tesseract.js, and processes files in your browser tab.
Related to Open source and self-hosted iLovePDF
- Merge PDF: Combine multiple PDF files into a single document in seconds.
- Compress PDF: Shrink a PDF to fit email and upload limits, with a level or target size.
- OCR PDF: Make a scanned PDF searchable, or pull its text out entirely, using OCR that runs in your browser.
- How to check whether any PDF tool uploads your file
- Merge PDF Without Uploading? “No Sign-Up” Isn’t “No Upload”
- Is It Safe to Convert a PDF Online? What Actually Matters
- Is PDF24 safe to install? Creator vs the online tools
- EasyPDFLoad vs iLovePDF: an honest comparison
- Private PDF tools with no upload