About BentoPDF
BentoPDF is a client-side PDF toolkit that handles files directly in the browser, so documents are never uploaded to a server. That design makes it attractive for sensitive paperwork, and it can also be self-hosted. You can merge, split and reorganize pages, edit and modify PDFs, convert images and other formats to PDF, convert PDFs to other formats, and secure or optimize files.
Deployment is flexible. The project documents static hosting, local self-hosting, Docker Compose and Podman, a Podman Quadlet setup and a simple self-hosted build mode, along with options for custom branding, disabling specific tools and removing the GitHub star counter. It also covers WebAssembly configuration, air-gapped or offline deployment, a CORS proxy for digital signatures, and version management. A commercial build is mentioned, and the interface is translated into multiple languages.
BentoPDF is licensed under AGPL-3.0, with commercial licensing noted in the documentation, and it is written in JavaScript and TypeScript. It suits individuals, teams and organizations that need a free alternative to online PDF tools without sending files to third parties.
Key features
- Merge, split and reorganize PDF pages
- Edit and modify PDF files
- Convert to and from PDF formats
- Secure and optimize documents
- Runs entirely in the browser
- Docker, Podman and static hosting options
Good fit for
- →Handling confidential PDFs without uploading them
- →Self-hosted internal PDF tools for a team
- →Offline or air-gapped document processing
- Tags
- privacy
- client-side
- self-hosted
- pdf-editor
- pdf-converter
- docker
- javascript
- offline
BentoPDF: questions and answers
- What is BentoPDF used for?
- BentoPDF is a privacy-first PDF toolkit that merges, edits, converts and secures PDFs entirely in your browser, with no server-side processing and a self-hostable build. It is a good fit for handling confidential PDFs without uploading them, self-hosted internal PDF tools for a team and offline or air-gapped document processing.
- Is BentoPDF open source?
- Yes. BentoPDF is open source under the AGPL-3.0 licence. Its source code is on GitHub at alam00000/bentopdf and is written mainly in JavaScript.
- Is BentoPDF free?
- Yes. BentoPDF is open source, so the software itself is free to use. A managed cloud version is also available.
- Can I self-host BentoPDF?
- Yes. BentoPDF can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.
- What is BentoPDF an alternative to?
- BentoPDF is an open-source alternative to iLovePDF, Smallpdf, Adobe Acrobat and PDFelement. Other open-source alternatives to iLovePDF include Stirling PDF, PDFsam and OmniTools.
- Is BentoPDF actively maintained?
- Yes. The most recent commit to BentoPDF was on 1 October 2026, and the latest release is v2.8.8, published on 29 August 2026. The project has 16k stars on GitHub.
Open-source alternatives to BentoPDF
See all
Stirling PDF
Productivity
A free, private PDF editor you can run on any infrastructure.
OSSvs Adobe Acrobat★ 93k
PDFsam
Productivity
PDFsam, a desktop application to split, merge, mix, rotate PDF files and extract pages
AGPL-3.0vs Smallpdf★ 4.6k
OmniTools
Productivity
Self-hosted collection of powerful web-based tools for everyday tasks. No ads, no tracking
MITvs iLovePDF★ 10k
Sioyek
Productivity
Sioyek is a PDF viewer with a focus on textbooks and research papers
GPL-3.0vs Adobe Acrobat★ 9.9k
DocuSeal
Productivity
Free and Open source tool to streamline document filling and signing. Create custom PDF fo
AGPL-3.0vs DocuSign★ 19k
Documenso
Productivity
Sign everywhere with Documenso. Build workflows, create templates, and integrate seamlessl
AGPL-3.0vs DocuSign★ 15k
SaaS alternatives to BentoPDF
See all
iLovePDF
Productivity
Online PDF tools for splitting, merging, compressing and converting
SaaS
Smallpdf
Productivity
Browser-based PDF tools for merging, compressing, editing and signing
SaaS
Adobe Acrobat
Productivity
PDF reader and editor with e-signature and document conversion
SaaS
PDFelement
Productivity
PDF editing and conversion software from Wondershare
SaaS
PDF Expert
Productivity
PDF reader, annotator and editor for Mac, iPhone and iPad
SaaS
Foxit PDF Editor
Productivity
PDF editor for creating, annotating and signing documents
SaaS

