head to head · open source
pdfcraft vs Artefact
pdfcraft has 20,503 GitHub stars, 7,532 forks, 68 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Artefact has 508 stars, 39 forks, 18 open issues and last shipped yesterday. pdfcraft leads on adoption by 3,936% (20,503 vs 508 stars). pdfcraft is written in Rust under Apache-2.0; Artefact is written in Rust under Apache-2.0. pdfcraft has attracted 37% as many forks as stars, Artefact 8%. pdfcraft was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (pdf), 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
| pdfcraft | Artefact | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 21K | ★ 508 |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Rust | Rust |
| Last push | 2026-11-12 | 2026-11-12 |
| Forks | ⑂ 7.5K | ⑂ 39 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick pdfcraft if
- You weight community size — 21K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Rust
- 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 pdfcraft
PdfCraft The PDF workbench; an open source, clean room reimplementation of Adobe Acrobat, rebuilt in pure Rust. Read, organize, combine, split and secure PDFs in a fast, native app, written in Rust from the ground up. macOS · Windows · Linux · FreeBSD · the web PdfCraft on getartcraft.com · ArtCraft · All Crafting Apps The PdfCraft Showcase, a 13 page specimen PDF, open with the All tools panel and threaded comments. [!NOTE] ArtCraft is a community of artists from all walks of life. Digital, generative, music, games — if you make things, you're one of us. Come say hi on Discord. Highlights · Read · Find ·…
read the full pdfcraft 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 pdfcraft or Artefact more popular?
pdfcraft has 20,503 GitHub stars and Artefact has 508. pdfcraft has the larger community by that measure.
Are pdfcraft and Artefact free?
Both are open source. pdfcraft is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Artefact under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between pdfcraft and Artefact?
pdfcraft is written in Rust 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, pdfcraft or Artefact?
Choose pdfcraft if you want the larger community (20,503 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose Artefact if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.