head to head · open source
PyMuPDF vs WritingTools
PyMuPDF has 11,057 GitHub stars, 831 forks, 58 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. WritingTools has 2,480 stars, 165 forks, 79 open issues and last shipped 3 months ago. PyMuPDF leads on adoption by 346% (11,057 vs 2,480 stars). PyMuPDF is written in Python under AGPL-3.0; WritingTools is written in Swift under GPL-3.0. PyMuPDF has attracted 8% as many forks as stars, WritingTools 7%. 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
| PyMuPDF | WritingTools | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 11K | ★ 2.5K |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Python | Swift |
| Last push | 2026-11-03 | 2026-08-19 |
| Forks | ⑂ 831 | ⑂ 165 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick PyMuPDF if
- You weight community size — 11K 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 WritingTools if
- You want the WritingTools feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Swift
- You evaluated both and WritingTools fits your workflow better
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 →
About WritingTools
Writing Tools 🍎 Using a Mac? Jump to the macOS (Native Swift Port) section → macOS Instantly proofread and optimize your writing system wide with AI: Summarize content (webpages, YouTube videos, documents...) in a click: Add your own buttons for unlimited potential! ✨ What is Writing Tools? Writing Tools is an Apple Intelligence inspired application for Windows, Linux, and macOS that supercharges your writing with an AI LLM (cloud based or local). With one hotkey press system wide, it lets you fix grammar, optimize text according to your instructions, summarize content (webpages, YouTube videos, etc.), and…
read the full WritingTools overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is PyMuPDF or WritingTools more popular?
PyMuPDF has 11,057 GitHub stars and WritingTools has 2,480. PyMuPDF has the larger community by that measure.
Are PyMuPDF and WritingTools free?
Both are open source. PyMuPDF is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and WritingTools under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between PyMuPDF and WritingTools?
PyMuPDF is written in Python and WritingTools in Swift. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, PyMuPDF or WritingTools?
Choose PyMuPDF if you want the larger community (11,057 stars) or its AGPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose WritingTools if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.