The tools I rely on every day might be tools you barely touch, and I'm sure it works the other way around too. That's the special thing about software: the tools we choose typically reflect how we think and work. But even then, there are a few outliers. For instance, when most people hear the word "AI," their mind just naturally defaults to ChatGPT. It's just the way it works!
Similarly, Adobe Acrobat seems to be the default in the world of PDFs. Acrobat is great, and it's the Adobe tool I find myself using most. However, as with all the other Adobe tools, Acrobat too comes with the usual heavy price tag. Fortunately, I found something that does everything I need without locking me into a subscription: Stirling PDF. In fact, this tool is so great that I don't even feel the need to keep Acrobat around anymore.
What is Stirling PDF?
Your all-in-one PDF toolkit
Stirling PDF is an all-in-one web-based PDF editor that provides a comprehensive suite of tools for manipulating PDF files. I came across this tool when looking for apps to replace the expensive subscriptions I pay for, and it didn’t take long for me to realize that it offers everything the average person needs for day-to-day PDF editing.
As mentioned in the title of the article, Stirling PDF is open source, and you can find and modify its entire codebase on its GitHub page. You can also self-host the tool and run it on your own server if you prefer keeping everything local and fully in your control. The best part, of course, is that the tool is completely free to use (unless you want to use the Enterprise option). Stirling PDF supports over 40 languages, and most importantly, it offers over 50 PDF operations.
This tool has every PDF operation most people look for
All for free too
While I don't mind paying for paid tools, the reason why I instantly unsubscribed from Adobe Acrobat when I tried out Stirling PDF is because it offers all the core PDF manipulation features the average person reaches for. For instance, you can merge multiple PDFs, split a PDF into several files, extract specific pages, delete pages, rearrange them, rotate them, crop, resize, and more.
Beyond these basic organizational capabilities, Stirling PDF also offers a variety of options to convert files to PDF and from PDF. According to the tool's Github page, you can convert the following formats to PDF: Image files, Common file types, HTMLs documents, Markdown files, CBZ and CBR files, Email files, eBook formats (EPUB, MOBI, AZW3, FB2, TXT, DOCX), and vector images (PS, EPS, EPSF).
I tried a dozen free PDF editors and finally found the best one
From splitting and merging to OCR, this one's got it all
Similarly, you can also convert a PDF file to multiple different file formats including: Word, Image, RTF (Text), Presentation (PPTX, PPT, ODP), CSV, XML, HTML, PDF/A, Markdown, CBZ, CBR, Vector image (EPS, PS, PCL, XPS), and Video Slideshow. In addition to converting to and from PDFs, Stirling PDF also has a bunch of other additional PDF manipulation features. In addition to the above, Stirling PDF comes loaded with a lot more features.
You can handle signing and security tasks like adding digital signatures, certificate-based signing, watermarks, stamps, redactions (manual or automatic), and password protection. It also offers viewing and editing features such as OCR for scanned documents, adding or extracting images and attachments, editing metadata, advanced color adjustments, comparing PDFs, adding page numbers, flattening layers, unlocking forms, and more.
On top of that, the tool includes advanced operations for power users. For example, compressing files, chapter-based splitting, section-based splitting, overlaying, and more. So, essentially, if there’s a PDF task you can think of, Stirling PDF probably has a feature for it.
Stirling PDF has a minimalist interface
Just a few clicks and you’re done
The last thing I want to do when I'm in a hurry and want to manipulate a PDF quickly is dig through menus and menus. Similarly, I don't want to go through a complex installation process just to run a simple thing. Fortunately, with Stirling PDF, I don't need to worry about either of these. While you can self-host Stirling PDF via Docker if you'd like, the tool is web-based.
This means all you need to do is head to the website, log in (or sign up as a guest), and get going. All you need is a stable internet connection and a browser. That's it! Stirling PDF's interface is also as simple as it gets. There's a Quick Access tab in the left sidebar, which includes recommended tools like Merge, Compress, Convert, etc. The other tools are all listed under All Tools. You can also create automations to speed up repetitive tasks, letting you run multistep actions in a single go.
Stirling PDF's focus on privacy is what makes it stand out
No more compromising privacy for convenience
Beyond the high subscription cost, Stirling PDF also addresses something most people don’t think about until it’s too late — what happens to your files once you upload them. With many online PDF tools, your documents sit on a server you know nothing about.
Adobe Acrobat, for example, processes everything in the cloud, which means you’re essentially handing over your documents and trusting that they’ll be stored, handled, and deleted responsibly. Since you can self-host Stirling PDF on your machine, you can ensure every single file stays local and never leaves your system. That alone removes a huge layer of uncertainty, especially if you deal with confidential documents in your nature of work.
I wish I found Stirling PDF before
When I think of fully free tools, my mind automatically goes to apps that are either limited, filled with ads, or missing key features. Stirling PDF, fortunately, doesn't fall into any of those categories and is genuinely free without cutting corners on functionality. My only regret is that it took me so long to discover it!