PDFsam Basic vs. Stirling PDF
Side by side, with sources. Checked Oct 3, 2026.
PDFsam Basic
Open source
Stirling PDF
Open sourcePrice
Completely free, at home or at work. The same company sells separate paid editions (PDFsam Visual and Enhanced).Source: pdfsam.org
Free for individuals on desktop, web and self-hosted (self-hosted free plan up to 5 users). Team is US$99 a month or US$999 a year for 100 users.from $99/monthSource: stirling.com
Pricing model
Open source · Free plan available
Open source · Free plan available
License
Open source · AGPL-3.0-or-laterGNU Affero GPL v3 or later.
Open core · MITMost code is MIT, but some folders — including the desktop app’s own code — are under Stirling’s proprietary user licence.
Works on
- ✓ Windows
- ✓ Mac
- ✓ Linux
- – Web browser
- – Your own server
- ✓ Windows
- ✓ Mac
- ✓ Linux
- ✓ Web browser
- ✓ Your own server
Where your data lives
Entirely on your computer; files are never uploaded and no internet connection is needed.
The desktop app works locally by default. The hosted version processes files on Stirling’s servers; self-hosting keeps them on yours.
Getting started
Difficulty: Easy Official installers for Windows, Mac and Linux with Java bundled; no account or internet needed.
Difficulty: Easy The desktop app installs like any other and needs no login for local tools. Running your own server with Docker is the advanced path.
Hosted version
NoneThere is no browser version; it is a desktop app.
Stirling CloudFree plan with no card. Files you upload are processed on Stirling’s servers.