Edit PDFs on any device with Stirling-PDF, a tool for startup founders, backed by 80k+ GitHub stars
intermediateโฑ 30 minutes๐ต Free (self-hosted)
85,321 stars7,413 forksTypeScriptQuality 9/10Updated 6/30/2026100% free ยท open source
What it is
Edit PDFs online on any device using your browser
What you can make with it
Custom, interactive PDFs for your business presentations and documents
How it helps
It provides flexibility to edit PDFs anywhere, and offers basic features without the need for specialized software downloads.
Real use case example
"A marketing manager needs to update the PDF version of their company's brochure to include a new product release. They can sign in to the Stirling-PDF application, upload the current brochure, edit the PDF to add the new product details, and then download the updated version for distribution to sales teams and partners."
If you're new
Beginners can use this to edit basic PDFs for small projects and presentations.
If you're senior
Senior engineers and professionals will reach for this for its ease of use and flexibility to integrate with existing workflows.
Common confusion cleared up
The confusion is whether it can edit scanned PDFs, but it's best used for PDFs that can be edited by text, images, or other editable content.
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Pairs with
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Why we list it on WorkflowStacks: It's included in this marketplace because it's a popular, free, open-source tool that simplifies PDF editing.
What it does
Stirling-PDF is a TypeScript-based application that allows users to edit PDFs on any device, anywhere, making it a versatile tool for managing and modifying PDF documents.
โขWhen you need to make changes to a PDF document on a device without a traditional PDF editor
โขWhen collaborating with others and need to edit PDFs in real-time, regardless of the device or location
โขWhen you want a free, open-source solution for editing PDFs without relying on proprietary software
Quick start
1Clone the Stirling-PDF repository using the command 'git clone https://github.com/Stirling-Tools/Stirling-PDF.git'
2Navigate to the cloned repository using 'cd Stirling-PDF'
3Install required dependencies by running 'npm install' or 'yarn install' depending on your package manager
4Start the application using 'npm start' or 'yarn start'
5Open a web browser and navigate to 'http://localhost:3000' to access the Stirling-PDF interface
Ready-to-paste prompt
To edit a sample PDF, navigate to the Stirling-PDF interface, click on 'Open PDF', and select a sample PDF file from your device, such as 'sample.pdf', to begin editing.
Heads up: Before running the application, ensure you have Node.js (version 14 or higher) and a compatible package manager (npm or yarn) installed on your system, as Stirling-PDF relies on these dependencies to function properly.
Saves to your device
Topics
docker
hacktoberfest
java
pdf
pdf-converter
pdf-editor
pdf-manipulation
pdf-merger
pdf-ocr
pdf-tools
pdf-web-apps
pdfmerger
self-hosted
What's inside โ free to inspect
No purchase needed
Read the entire source before you build โ unlike paid marketplaces that hide it behind a buy button.