head to head · open source
LibreTranslate vs PyMuPDF
LibreTranslate has 17,269 GitHub stars, 1,794 forks, 126 open issues and last shipped 10 days ago. PyMuPDF has 11,057 stars, 831 forks, 58 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. LibreTranslate leads on adoption by 56% (17,269 vs 11,057 stars). LibreTranslate is written in Python under AGPL-3.0; PyMuPDF is written in Python under AGPL-3.0. LibreTranslate has attracted 10% as many forks as stars, PyMuPDF 8%. PyMuPDF was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
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
| LibreTranslate | PyMuPDF | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 17K | ★ 11K |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Python | Python |
| Last push | 2026-10-26 | 2026-11-03 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.8K | ⑂ 831 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick LibreTranslate if
- You weight community size — 17K stars and counting
- You want the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick PyMuPDF if
- You want the PyMuPDF feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and PyMuPDF fits your workflow better
About LibreTranslate
LibreTranslate Try it online! API Docs Community Forum Bluesky Free and Open Source Machine Translation API, entirely self hosted. Unlike other APIs, it doesn't rely on proprietary software such as Google or Azure to perform translations. Instead, its translation engine is powered by the open source Argos Translate library. Getting Started Quickstart Usage Instructions Community Resources Credits This work is largely possible thanks to Argos Translate, which powers the translation engine. License GNU Affero General Public License v3 Trademark See Trademark Guidelines
read the full LibreTranslate overview →
About PyMuPDF
PyMuPDF The PDF engine behind over 50 million monthly downloads, powering AI pipelines worldwide. PyMuPDF is a high performance Python library for data extraction, analysis, conversion, rendering and manipulation of PDF (and other) documents. Built on top of MuPDF — a lightweight, fast C engine — PyMuPDF gives you precise, low level control over documents alongside high level convenience APIs. No mandatory external dependencies. Why PyMuPDF? Fast — powered by MuPDF, a best in class C rendering engine Accurate — pixel perfect text extraction with font, color, and position metadata Versatile — read, write…
read the full PyMuPDF overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is LibreTranslate or PyMuPDF more popular?
LibreTranslate has 17,269 GitHub stars and PyMuPDF has 11,057. LibreTranslate has the larger community by that measure.
Are LibreTranslate and PyMuPDF free?
Both are open source. LibreTranslate is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and PyMuPDF under AGPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between LibreTranslate and PyMuPDF?
LibreTranslate is written in Python and PyMuPDF in Python. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, LibreTranslate or PyMuPDF?
Choose LibreTranslate if you want the larger community (17,269 stars) or its AGPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose PyMuPDF if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.