head to head · open source
bentopdf vs Artefact
bentopdf has 16,355 GitHub stars, 1,460 forks, 156 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Artefact has 508 stars, 39 forks, 18 open issues and last shipped yesterday. bentopdf leads on adoption by 3,119% (16,355 vs 508 stars). bentopdf is written in JavaScript under AGPL-3.0; Artefact is written in Rust under Apache-2.0. bentopdf has attracted 9% as many forks as stars, Artefact 8%. Artefact was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 2 topic tags (pdf, pdf-editor), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| bentopdf | Artefact | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 16K | ★ 508 |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | JavaScript | Rust |
| Last push | 2026-11-12 | 2026-11-12 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.5K | ⑂ 39 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick bentopdf if
- You weight community size — 16K stars and counting
- You want the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Artefact if
- You want the Artefact feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Rust
- You evaluated both and Artefact fits your workflow better
About bentopdf
BentoPDF BentoPDF is a powerful, privacy first, client side PDF toolkit that is self hostable and allows you to manipulate, edit, merge, and process PDF files directly in your browser. No server side processing is required, ensuring your files remain secure and private. Table of Contents Join Us on Discord Documentation Licensing Stargazers over time Thank You to Our Sponsors Why BentoPDF? Features / Tools Supported Organize & Manage PDFs Edit & Modify PDFs Convert to PDF Convert from PDF Secure & Optimize PDFs Other Products Translations Getting Started Prerequisites Quick Start Static Hosting Self Hosting…
read the full bentopdf overview →
About Artefact
Artefact Free, open source PDF reader and document editor for Android. Previously known as ClearPDF. Read, sign and edit PDFs, open and edit Word, Excel and PowerPoint files, and keep notes, to do and shopping lists, photos and voice memos on one liquid glass desk. No ads, no accounts, no internet: everything stays on your phone. All releases · Discussions · Contribute · Sponsor Artefact is the next version of ClearPDF , best known for its user experience and refined features. It installs over ClearPDF as an update and keeps your files where they are. Everything runs on your phone, on one Rust engine for PDF…
read the full Artefact overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is bentopdf or Artefact more popular?
bentopdf has 16,355 GitHub stars and Artefact has 508. bentopdf has the larger community by that measure.
Are bentopdf and Artefact free?
Both are open source. bentopdf is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Artefact under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between bentopdf and Artefact?
bentopdf is written in JavaScript and Artefact in Rust. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, bentopdf or Artefact?
Choose bentopdf if you want the larger community (16,355 stars) or its AGPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose Artefact if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.