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Stirling PDF vs PAdES Studio

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 PAdES Studio
DetailStirling PDF logo Stirling PDF PAdES Studio
What it doesA free, private PDF editor you can run on any infrastructure. Digital PDF signatures for macOS
StageNot given Not given
FoundedNot given Not given
Based inUS Not given
Pricing modelFreemium Freemium
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 Create your first 5 signatures free, then unlock unlimited signing with a one-time purchase
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
  • Keychain signing with support for CryptoTokenKit smart cards
  • Visible signature with optional image, signer name, and signing time
  • RFC 3161 timestamping and long-term validation (LTV)
  • Signature inspection with status, certificate chains, and DSS material review
  • Multiple signatures as independent document revisions
  • Local document processing without server uploads
  • Support for PAdES-B-B, PAdES-B-T, PAdES-B-LT, and PAdES-B-LTA profiles
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
  • Real digital signatures that preserve original PDF bytes, not just image stamps
  • Incremental PDF updates preserve existing signatures as independently verifiable
  • All document processing stays local without server uploads
  • Works with macOS Keychain and supported smart cards without PKCS#11 limitation
  • Verification always unlimited while signing has free tier option
Community votes00
DR (Domain Rating by Ahrefs)61 no change since last check37 no change since last check
Trust Flow (Majestic)157
Citation Flow (Majestic)4016
Referring domains (Majestic)8725

5 details filled in for both companies.

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