1
Step 1Open the server Apps tab
Select the tutorial-vps VPS, open the Apps tab, and start a new app deployment. Keep sensitive server details hidden before capturing or sharing screenshots.
Back to all templates
Stirling PDF
Development512MB+ RAM
Powerful locally-hosted web-based PDF manipulation tool with merge, split, convert, and OCR
pdfdocumentstoolsconverterocr
Deploy Stirling PDF in 3 Steps
1
Connect Your VPS
Add your server credentials to Server Compass
2
Select Stirling PDF
Choose from our template library
3
Deploy & Configure
Fill in settings and click Deploy
No Docker knowledge required
Step-by-step deployment guide
Deploy Stirling PDF on a VPS with Server Compass
Use the Stirling PDF template in Server Compass to deploy a self-hosted PDF toolkit on your VPS, then verify the PDF tools dashboard in a browser.
About 10 minutesBrowser verified
2
Step 2Choose an app template
Click New App and choose the template deployment path so Server Compass can load the built-in catalog.
3
Step 3Search for Stirling PDF
Use the template picker search to find Stirling PDF in the Server Compass template catalog.
4
Step 4Select the Stirling PDF template
Choose the Stirling PDF template. Server Compass fills the Stirling PDF service, persistent config/log/OCR/custom-file volumes, optional login setting, and web port.
5
Step 5Review the Stirling PDF settings
Confirm the app name and compose services. In this run, the app was named stirling-pdf-demo and used host port 3001.
6
Step 6Deploy Stirling PDF
Review the generated compose settings, confirm the web port is available, keep login disabled for this demo, and click Deploy Now.
7
Step 7Watch the deployment progress
Keep the deployment modal open while Server Compass uploads the compose file, pulls the Stirling PDF image, starts the container, and verifies the stack.
8
Step 8Confirm Stirling PDF is running
After deployment finishes, return to the Apps tab and confirm the Stirling PDF app is marked Running with its application URL available.
9
Step 9Open Stirling PDF in the browser
Click Open Application or open the application URL in a browser. The Stirling PDF tools dashboard confirms the PDF service is reachable and ready to process documents.
After Stirling PDF Opens
- Enable login before exposing Stirling PDF to other users or the public internet.
- Add a domain and HTTPS before sharing the service outside a private network.
- Set upload size, OCR language, and conversion settings according to your workload.
- Treat uploaded PDFs as sensitive data and define a retention policy for configs, logs, and temporary files.
- Back up the Stirling PDF config volume before relying on custom settings.
Stirling PDF deployment questions
What does the Stirling PDF template deploy?
It deploys the Stirling PDF container with persistent volumes for configuration, logs, OCR training data, and custom files.
Which port did the tutorial use?
The tutorial used host port 3001, which maps to the Stirling PDF web UI on container port 8080.
Why does the browser verification stop at the first web UI screen?
A fresh Stirling PDF deployment is considered reachable when the tools dashboard loads. Enabling authentication and production limits depends on your deployment policy.
Should this become a blog post?
No. The deployment guide should live on the Stirling PDF template detail page and be linked from the reusable template deployment docs page.
Manual Setup Guide
Set Up Stirling PDF from Terminal
Get your hands dirty: manual Stirling PDF deployment guide for developers.
1
Establish SSH Connection
Connect to your remote server using SSH. Make sure you have your server credentials ready.
terminal
# Log into your server
ssh root@<your-server-ip>
# If using key-based auth
ssh -i ~/.ssh/my-key root@<your-server-ip>First time? Docker not installed? Run: curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh
2
Create Project Directory
Set up a directory to store your Docker configuration.
terminal
# Create and navigate to project directory
mkdir -p ~/apps/stirling-pdf
cd ~/apps/stirling-pdf3
Configure Docker Compose
Add this configuration to your docker-compose.yml file:
docker-compose.yml
services:
stirling-pdf:
image: stirlingtools/stirling-pdf:latest
ports:
- "8080:8080"
environment:
- DOCKER_ENABLE_SECURITY=false
- SECURITY_ENABLELOGIN=false
volumes:
- stirling_data:/configs
- stirling_logs:/logs
- stirling_training:/usr/share/tessdata
- stirling_custom:/customFiles
healthcheck:
test: ["CMD-SHELL", "curl -f http://localhost:8080/api/v1/info/status || exit 1"]
interval: 30s
timeout: 10s
retries: 5
start_period: 60s
restart: unless-stopped
volumes:
stirling_data:
stirling_logs:
stirling_training:
stirling_custom:
Environment Variables
PORTHost port to expose(default: 8080)ENABLE_LOGINEnable authentication(default: false)4
Start the Services
Execute the deployment and check the container status.
terminal
# Deploy the application
docker compose up -d
# Check container health
docker compose ps
# Monitor logs
docker compose logs -f --tail=1005
Allow Incoming Connections
Enable network access by updating your firewall rules.
terminal
# Allow the application port through firewall
sudo ufw allow 8080/tcp
sudo ufw reload
# Access your app at:
# http://your-server-ip:8080Skip the Terminal
Too complicated? Let Server Compass handle it.
Why type commands when you can click? Deploy Stirling PDF the easy way with Server Compass.
- Intuitive dashboard
- Deploy in 3 minutes
- Free SSL included
- Blue-green deploys
- Real-time logs
- Version history
Download Server Compass$29 one-time • Lifetime license
After Deployment
After deploying Stirling PDF with Server Compass, complete these steps to finish setup
1
Open the Stirling PDF URL in your browser
2
Start using PDF tools (merge, split, convert, OCR, etc.)
3
Configure security settings if exposing publicly
Need help? Check out our documentation for detailed guides.
Stirling PDF FAQ
Common questions about self-hosting Stirling PDF
How do I deploy Stirling PDF with Server Compass?
Simply download Server Compass, connect to your VPS, and select Stirling PDF from the templates list. Fill in the required configuration and click Deploy. The entire process takes under 3 minutes.
What are the system requirements for Stirling PDF?
Stirling PDF requires a minimum of 512MB RAM. We recommend a VPS with at least 1024MB RAM for optimal performance. Any modern Linux server with Docker support will work.
Can I migrate my existing Stirling PDF data?
Yes! Server Compass provides volume mapping that allows you to import existing data. You can also use standard Stirling PDF backup and restore procedures.
How do I update Stirling PDF to the latest version?
Server Compass makes updates easy. Simply click the Update button in your deployment dashboard, and the latest Stirling PDF image will be pulled and deployed with zero downtime.
Is Stirling PDF free to self-host?
Stirling PDF is open-source software. You only pay for your VPS hosting (typically $5-20/month) and optionally Server Compass ($29 one-time). No subscription fees or per-seat pricing.
Related Templates
View all Development
PocketBase
Open-source backend in a single file with realtime database, auth, and file storage
Appwrite
Open-source backend-as-a-service - self-hosted Firebase alternative
Parse Server
Open-source backend framework with dashboard
Supabase
Full Supabase self-hosted with Kong, GoTrue Auth, Realtime, and Studio
Ready to Self-Host Stirling PDF?
Download Server Compass and deploy Stirling PDF to your VPS in under 3 minutes. No Docker expertise required.
Download Server Compass