Stirling-PDF
A self-hosted web app for working with PDFs: merge, split, convert, compress, OCR, sign and more.
95.4k GitHub stars · Mixed or custom · last code push Oct 29, 2026 · GitHub · Website
Free, open-source alternatives to Adobe Acrobat
Most people pay for Acrobat to merge, split, convert, sign or mark up PDFs. These open-source tools cover those jobs: Stirling-PDF and BentoPDF are all-in-one PDF toolkits in the browser, PDF Arranger reorders and merges pages on your desktop, and Xournal++ and Okular let you annotate. Editing the original text inside a PDF is still where Acrobat is strongest.
Category: PDF tools · GitHub data as of Oct 29, 2026 · FAQ · Cost & self-hosting
Adobe Acrobat price change: All Apps was renamed Creative Cloud Pro and went from $59.99 to $69.99 per month on the annual plan billed monthly. (effective Jun 17, 2025, details and sources)
| Project | What it is | License | GitHub stars | Last release | Runs as | Hosted plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stirling-PDF Active Mixed or custom | A self-hosted web app for working with PDFs: merge, split, convert, compress, OCR, sign and more. | Mixed or custom | 95.4k | Oct 24, 2026 | Self-hosted web app | Not confirmed |
| BentoPDF Active AGPL-3.0 | A privacy-focused PDF toolkit that processes files in your browser: merge, split, compress, convert and edit. | AGPL-3.0 | 16.2k | Oct 19, 2026 | Self-hosted web app | Not confirmed |
| Xournal++ Active GPL-2.0 | Handwriting and note-taking software that can annotate PDFs, with pen and tablet support. | GPL-2.0 | 15.6k | Oct 27, 2026 | Desktop app | Not confirmed |
| PDF Arranger Active GPL-3.0 | A small desktop app for merging, splitting, rotating, cropping and rearranging PDF pages. | GPL-3.0 | 6.0k | May 23, 2026 | Desktop app | Not confirmed |
| Okular Active Mixed or custom | KDE's document viewer for PDFs and other formats, with annotations and form filling. The GitHub repo mirrors KDE's own servers. | Mixed or custom | 1.6k | Oct 8, 2026 | Desktop app | Not confirmed |
Are they still maintained?
5 of 5 Adobe Acrobat alternatives here had a code push or release in the last 180 days (checked Oct 29, 2026).
- Stirling-PDF: active, last activity Oct 29, 2026 (0 days ago)
- BentoPDF: active, last activity Oct 29, 2026 (0 days ago)
- Xournal++: active, last activity Oct 27, 2026 (2 days ago)
- PDF Arranger: active, last activity Oct 1, 2026 (28 days ago)
- Okular: active, last activity Oct 29, 2026 (0 days ago)
See every project in the "Is it still maintained?" tracker →
What switching from Adobe Acrobat costs
Adobe Acrobat: current plans and prices are on Adobe Acrobat's pricing page. Its most recent price change we track took effect on Jun 17, 2025 (see the price tracker).
| Alternative | How you run it | Software cost | What you pay for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stirling-PDF | Your server | $0 (Mixed or custom, check terms) | A server you rent or own, plus your time for updates and backups. |
| BentoPDF | Your server | $0 (AGPL-3.0) | A server you rent or own, plus your time for updates and backups. |
| Xournal++ | Desktop app | $0 (GPL-2.0) | Nothing to host. Install it on your own device. |
| PDF Arranger | Desktop app | $0 (GPL-3.0) | Nothing to host. Install it on your own device. |
| Okular | Desktop app | $0 (Mixed or custom, check terms) | Nothing to host. Install it on your own device. |
Self-hosting basics: Stirling-PDF and BentoPDF need a server, which can be a small cloud server or a spare machine at home. For a sense of scale, DigitalOcean's price list shows a 1 GiB server at $6/month and 2 GiB at $12/month (checked Oct 29, 2026). Check each project's documented requirements before choosing a size, and budget time for updates and backups.
Nothing to host: Xournal++, PDF Arranger and Okular run on your own computer.
License check: Stirling-PDF and Okular do not use a single standard open-source license that GitHub can detect. Read the license before using them in a business.
The options in more detail
BentoPDF
A privacy-focused PDF toolkit that processes files in your browser: merge, split, compress, convert and edit.
16.2k GitHub stars · AGPL-3.0 · last code push Oct 29, 2026 · GitHub · Website
Xournal++
Handwriting and note-taking software that can annotate PDFs, with pen and tablet support.
15.6k GitHub stars · GPL-2.0 · last code push Oct 27, 2026 · GitHub · Website
PDF Arranger
A small desktop app for merging, splitting, rotating, cropping and rearranging PDF pages.
6.0k GitHub stars · GPL-3.0 · last code push Oct 1, 2026 · GitHub
Okular
KDE's document viewer for PDFs and other formats, with annotations and form filling. The GitHub repo mirrors KDE's own servers.
1.6k GitHub stars · Mixed or custom · last code push Oct 29, 2026 · GitHub · Website
Adobe Acrobat alternatives: common questions
What is the best open-source alternative to Adobe Acrobat?
For everyday jobs like merging, splitting, compressing, converting and signing, Stirling-PDF (self-hosted) and BentoPDF (runs in your browser) cover most of what people use Acrobat for. PDF Arranger is the simplest way to reorder or combine pages on your desktop, and Xournal++ or Okular are good for marking up a PDF.
Is there a self-hosted Adobe Acrobat alternative?
Yes. Stirling-PDF and BentoPDF run on a server you control, so your data stays with you. We have not confirmed an official hosted plan for these, so plan on running them yourself or using a third-party host.
Is there a free alternative to Adobe Acrobat?
Yes. Every project on this page can be downloaded and used at no cost from its public repository. Xournal++, PDF Arranger and Okular install on your own device, so they cost nothing to run. Server apps are free software, but you pay for the server they run on. Check the license of Stirling-PDF and Okular before using them in a business.
Are these Adobe Acrobat alternatives still maintained?
As of Oct 29, 2026, 5 of 5 had a code push or release in the last 180 days. None are flagged as inactive or archived. We re-check every project weekly.
How much does it cost to switch from Adobe Acrobat?
The software itself is free. Desktop and device apps (Xournal++, PDF Arranger and Okular) cost nothing to run. For server apps, the main cost is hosting: as a reference point, DigitalOcean lists a 1 GiB server at $6/month and a 2 GiB server at $12/month (checked Oct 29, 2026). Check each project's documented requirements before choosing a size. The hidden cost is time: moving your data and, for self-hosted apps, keeping up with updates and backups.
Are all of these really open source?
Not all under a standard license. Stirling-PDF: GitHub could not identify a single standard license for this repository (often a mix of open-source and commercial parts). Read the LICENSE file before using it. Okular: GitHub could not identify a single standard license for this repository (often a mix of open-source and commercial parts). Read the LICENSE file before using it. The others use OSI-approved open-source licenses.
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