head to head · open source
signaturepdf vs Artefact
signaturepdf has 837 GitHub stars, 113 forks, 69 open issues and last shipped 22 days ago. Artefact has 508 stars, 39 forks, 18 open issues and last shipped yesterday. signaturepdf leads on adoption by 65% (837 vs 508 stars). signaturepdf is written in JavaScript under AGPL-3.0; Artefact is written in Rust under Apache-2.0. signaturepdf has attracted 14% 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 3 topic tags (pdf, pdf-compressor, 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
| signaturepdf | Artefact | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 837 | ★ 508 |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | JavaScript | Rust |
| Last push | 2026-10-22 | 2026-11-12 |
| Forks | ⑂ 113 | ⑂ 39 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick signaturepdf if
- You weight community size — 837 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 signaturepdf
Signature PDF Free web software for signing (alone or with others), organizing (merge, sort, rotate, delete, extract pages, ...), editing metadatas or compressing PDFs. Instances List of instances where you can use this software: pdf.24eme.fr (by 24eme) pdf.libreon.fr (by Libreon) signature.pdf.hostux.net (by Hostux) pdf.nebulae.co (by Nebulae) pdf.kaosx.ovh pdf.ti nuage.fr (by Ti Nuage) pdf.cemea.org (by Les Ceméa) pdf.caph.info (by caph.info) pdf.spirio.fr (by Spirio.fr) pdf.sequanux.org (by Sequanux) pdf.deblan.org (by Deblan) pdf.ouvaton.coop (by OUVATON) signpdf.liber it.fr (by Liber IT)
read the full signaturepdf 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 signaturepdf or Artefact more popular?
signaturepdf has 837 GitHub stars and Artefact has 508. signaturepdf has the larger community by that measure.
Are signaturepdf and Artefact free?
Both are open source. signaturepdf is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Artefact under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between signaturepdf and Artefact?
signaturepdf 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, signaturepdf or Artefact?
Choose signaturepdf if you want the larger community (837 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.