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Stirling PDF vs Basalt for Mac

A side-by-side comparison built from both listings. Blank cells mean the company has not given that detail; we never guess.

Stirling PDF compared with Basalt for Mac
DetailStirling PDF logo Stirling PDF Basalt for Mac
What it doesA free, private PDF editor you can run on any infrastructure. 18 PDF tools in one native Mac window, including redaction that destroys content and proves it
StageNot given Not given
FoundedNot given Not given
Based inUS Not given
Pricing modelFreemium Paid
PricingFree: $0/month includes 60+ PDF tools, web/desktop/self-hosted access, open-source editor, and 1,000 monthly credits. Team: $99/month for 100 users, includes everything in Free plus single sign-on, team workspace, and central control. Enterprise: Custom pricing for regulated and air-gapped deploymen $29 lifetime license for up to 3 Macs. No subscription. Free 24-hour trial available.
Key features
  • PDF reader with lightning-fast reading
  • 60+ PDF editing tools
  • OCR to read scanned pages
  • Classification and tagging
  • Signature validation
  • PDF redaction
  • Compression
  • Routing to multiple destinations
  • API for programmatic access
  • Connectors for tool integration
  • PDF redaction that permanently destroys content
  • Redaction verification with signed certificates
  • PDF merge and split
  • OCR to make PDFs searchable
  • Bates numbering for legal productions
  • PDF compression
  • Digital signature and PDF forms
  • Batch procedures and automation
  • PDF comparison tool
  • Privilege log generation in CSV and XLSX
What makes it different
  • Completely free editor forever with no per-seat licensing
  • Run on any infrastructure with files staying yours
  • Process thousands of PDFs with AI-powered automation
  • Every action logged and recorded for compliance
  • Redaction that destroys content permanently rather than covering it
  • Independent verifier proves destruction before any file is written
  • Byte-reproducible output verifiable by third parties
  • One-time $29 purchase with lifetime license, no subscription
Community votes00
DR (Domain Rating by Ahrefs)61 no change since last check15 no change since last check
Trust Flow (Majestic)159
Citation Flow (Majestic)4031
Referring domains (Majestic)87226

5 details filled in for both companies.

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