PDF-XChange Editor vs Stirling PDF (2026): which should you pick?

Pick PDF-XChange Editor if

• Fits if you are on Windows and want a one-time purchase
• Works for people who can live with the free edition for markup

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you use a Mac, Linux or a phone, as it is Windows only
• Tight if you need forms or compare, because those need Editor Plus at $79
• Watch out: licensed features add watermarks in the free version
• Watch out: updates cover 1 year, then renewals cost about 25% of the license price a year
• Not for you if you want a refund, as none is given once license keys are released

Pick Stirling PDF if

• Fits if you want PDF tools that keep files on your own machine
• Works for developers who want an API for PDF jobs

Look elsewhere if

• Tight if you run a team, as SSO and the team workspace are not on the free plan
• Pricey if you need Team, at $99 a month for up to 100 users
• Watch out: air-gapped use, SCIM, data residency and audit logs need the sales-only Enterprise plan
• Watch out: automation credits cost 1 cent each after the first 1,000 a month
• Skip it if you want a phone app, as none is listed

PDF-XChange Editor

• It runs on Windows 10 and later only; there is no Mac, Linux or browser edition.
• The vendor gives no refunds after license keys are released, so test the free version first.
• Maintenance (updates) covers 1 year; renewals within 30 days of expiry cost about 25% of the license price per year.
• Form creation, document compare and the enhanced OCR need Editor Plus, not the standard license.

Stirling PDF

• The Team plan is $99 a month for 100 users; SSO and the team workspace are not on the free plan.
• Air-gapped deployment, SCIM, data residency and audit logs need the sales-only Enterprise plan.
• Automation through the PDF Processor uses credits: 1,000 free each month, then 1 cent per credit, prepaid or as used.
• The Linux desktop download is a .jar file that you run manually.

PDF-XChange Editor

Editing and markup

Edit text and images and annotate PDFs, with over 400 features in all, 145 of them licensed.

OCR

Built-in OCR makes scanned documents searchable; Editor Plus uses a more accurate engine.

Forms (Plus)

Editor Plus creates and edits fillable forms and can turn non-interactive PDFs into forms with Identify Forms.

Compare documents (Plus)

Editor Plus compares two documents and summarizes insertions, deletions, replacements and style changes.

AI Assistant

Analyzes and answers questions about PDFs using OpenAI, Anthropic or Google models; it needs your own API key.

Signing tools

The FreeSign tool adds signatures and initials, and Plus can add placeholders where signers should sign.

Stirling PDF

60+ PDF tools

The editor offers 60+ tools, including redaction, OCR, compression and conversion, on the web, desktop or your own server.

Private by design

Stirling says the editor runs on your machine and the source is public, so files do not have to go to a third-party site.

Self-hosting

Run it with the official Docker image, on Kubernetes with Helm, or from a .jar file on a server.

API and MCP

Every PDF operation can be called from your own systems, with webhooks when a job finishes.

Pipelines and policies

The PDF Processor chains operations and applies rules to files as they arrive, with each action logged.

In-editor assistant

An assistant can redact, translate, summarize or convert the file you have open when you ask.

PDF-XChange Editor

• Free$0

  Free for private and commercial use; features marked as licensed add watermarks to saved output.

• Editor, single user$62

  one-time purchase per user

  Perpetual license with 1 year of maintenance; 2 or 3 years can be added at purchase.

• Editor Plus, single user$79

  one-time purchase per user

  Adds a more accurate OCR engine, form creation, document compare, Identify Forms and dynamic stamps.

• Editor, 3 user pack$168

  one-time purchase for 3 users

  Perpetual licenses for 3 users; larger packs run up to 1000 users and site licenses.

Stirling PDF

• Free$0

  60+ PDF tools on web, desktop and self-hosted, open source, with 1,000 monthly credits; no card required.

• Team$99

  per month for up to 100 users

  Adds single sign-on, a team workspace and invites, and central control of the tool catalog; more capacity in blocks of 100 users.

• EnterpriseCustom

  Sold through sales: air-gapped deployment, SCIM provisioning, data residency, audit logs, uptime SLAs and custom terms.

PDF-XChange Editor

• Education

  Charity and academic offers

  PDF-XChange lists a page of registered charity and academic offers; the free version may also be used in academic settings.

• Other savings

  Cheaper extended maintenance at purchase

  Adding 2 or 3 years of maintenance when buying costs less than renewing later; the pricing page shows examples.

Stirling PDF

No public discounts listed.