pikepdf by pikepdf
A Python library for reading and writing PDF, powered by QPDF
About pikepdf
From the project's README at github.com/pikepdf/pikepdf. Lightly cleaned for readability; for the full source see the upstream repo.
<!-- SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2022 James R. Barlow --> <!-- SPDX-License-Identifier: MPL-2.0 -->
Read, write, repair, and transform PDFs in Python -- powered by qpdf.
[](https://github.com/pikepdf/pikepdf/actions/workflows/build.yml) [](https://pypi.org/project/pikepdf/) [](https://codecov.io/gh/pikepdf/pikepdf)
pikepdf is based on qpdf, a mature, actively maintained C++ library for PDF manipulation and repair.
Health score breakdown
6-dimension composite. See methodology for formula and weights.
Adoption signals
Real-world usage data, pulled from each registry. The bigger the numbers, the more battle-tested the project.
| Signal | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | 2.7k | github.com/pikepdf/pikepdf |
| GitHub forks | 223 | github.com/pikepdf/pikepdf |
Release & maintenance
Is this project actively maintained, or about to die? Check the recency of last commit and last release.
| Project age | 8.6 years | since Sep 2017 |
| Last commit | 9 days ago | Apr 28, 2026 |
| Releases shipped | 44 | last: 2 months ago |
| Funding links | 1 | declared by maintainers |
Self-hosting cost across providers
Detected requirements: 4GB RAM, 40GB disk minimum. Cheapest plan per provider that meets the requirement.
| Provider | Plan | Specs | Monthly | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| hetzner | CAX11 | 2c · 4GB · 40GB | $4.13 USD | Deploy → |
| vultr | VC2 | 1c · 1GB · 25GB | $5 USD | Deploy → |
| linode | Nanode 1GB | 1c · 1GB · 25GB | $5.12 USD | Deploy → |
| digitalocean | Basic Regular 1GB | 1c · 1GB · 25GB | $6 USD | Deploy → |
Security advisories
GHSA-ccgm-3xw4-h5p8. Ready to self-host pikepdf?
Spin up a hetzner CAX11 (4GB RAM, 40GB disk) for $4.13/mo and follow the project's official install docs.
Data last refreshed May 7, 2026.
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