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Ghostscript VS QPDF

Compare Ghostscript VS QPDF and see what are their differences

Ghostscript logo Ghostscript

Documentation.

QPDF logo QPDF

QPDF is a command-line program that does structural, content-preserving transformations on PDF...
  • Ghostscript Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-06-29
  • QPDF Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-01-16

Ghostscript features and specs

  • Open Source
    Ghostscript is released under an open-source license, which means it is available for free and can be modified to suit individual needs.
  • PDF and PS Compatibility
    It supports a wide range of PDF and PostScript documents, providing robust rendering capabilities for different file types.
  • Cross-platform
    Ghostscript runs on various operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux, providing flexibility and accessibility across platforms.
  • Command-line Tool
    It operates as a command-line tool, enabling automation and integration into larger workflows and scripts for batch processing.
  • Extensive Documentation
    Ghostscript offers comprehensive documentation that supports users in understanding and utilizing its extensive features effectively.

Possible disadvantages of Ghostscript

  • Steep Learning Curve
    For users who are not familiar with command-line interfaces or the specifics of PDF and PostScript formats, it can be difficult to learn.
  • Limited GUI Support
    While powerful as a command-line tool, Ghostscript lacks an intuitive graphical user interface, which may limit its accessibility for non-technical users.
  • Performance
    Processing large or complex documents can be resource-intensive and may result in slower performance, depending on the system's capabilities.
  • Complex Configuration
    Ghostscript requires detailed configuration for certain operations, which can be challenging without sufficient technical expertise.
  • Dependency on External Libraries
    It may rely on additional libraries for certain functionalities, and ensuring compatibility can sometimes be problematic during updates or installation on different systems.

QPDF features and specs

  • Open Source
    QPDF is an open-source project, allowing users to access, modify, and distribute the source code freely under the Apache License. This transparency can be an advantage for developers who need to integrate PDF features into their applications.
  • PDF Transformation
    QPDF offers robust functionality for transforming PDFs such as splitting, merging, and rotating, which can be crucial for users needing to manipulate PDF documents extensively.
  • Encryption and Decryption
    The tool provides strong support for encrypting and decrypting PDFs. This feature is valuable for users who need to protect sensitive information within PDF files.
  • Content Preservation
    QPDF focuses on retaining the original content and structure of a document even after transformations, ensuring that the integrity of the data is preserved.
  • Command-line Interface
    The tool's command-line interface makes it suitable for automated processing scripts and batch operations, which is helpful for advanced users and system administrators.

Possible disadvantages of QPDF

  • Complexity
    For users who are not familiar with command-line tools, QPDF can have a steep learning curve, making it less accessible to non-technical users.
  • Limited GUI
    QPDF lacks a graphical user interface, which may limit its usability for users who prefer visual interactions over command-line inputs.
  • Specific Use Case
    QPDF is mainly focused on serving developers and advanced users who need detailed PDF manipulations and may not provide the comprehensive feature set available in fully-fledged PDF editing applications.
  • Documentation Depth
    While QPDF provides documentation, it may not be exhaustive for all use cases, potentially requiring users to experiment or seek community assistance for complex tasks.
  • Dependency on Other Tools
    Certain transformations might require additional tools to perform tasks that go beyond QPDF’s capabilities, potentially complicating its use when a comprehensive solution is needed.

Ghostscript videos

How to RIP Halftones FREE using Ghostscript - part 1

More videos:

  • Review - Print Color Separations With Ghostscript - SEPARATIONS WITHOUT A RIP
  • Review - Web Hacking Pro Tips #4 with Jason Haddix: Ghostscript

QPDF videos

qPDF

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Ghostscript and QPDF)
PDF Tools
42 42%
58% 58
Office & Productivity
100 100%
0% 0
PDF Editor
21 21%
79% 79
Tool
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

Share your experience with using Ghostscript and QPDF. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, QPDF seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 11 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Ghostscript mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Ghostscript yet. Tracking of Ghostscript recommendations started around Mar 2021.

QPDF mentions (11)

  • Ask HN: What Underrated Open Source Project Deserves More Recognition?
    Qpdf[1], and, in particular, libqpdf, is the most useful PDF tool I've ever used, because it was the first library I found that works at the proper level of abstraction for dealing with the PDF file format on its own terms. In other words, the library directly exposes the essential PDF object structure (pages, dictionaries, strings, numbers, streams, etc.) for easy editing, while abstracting away as much of... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Insecure Features in PDFs
    Given how well Preview.app and Safari work for viewing >99% of PDFs I actually encounter in the wild, this article makes Apple's engineering decisions look good. It also confirms many suspicions I've had over the years that have led me to, e.g., running all PDFs from questionable sources through VirusTotal before viewing on platforms where I wouldn't normally run antivirus software. The original article also... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Jim Keller criticizes Nvidia CUDA, x86 – 'CUDA's a swamp, not a moat, like x86'
    I know you're talking about GUI editing, but I've found libqpdf[1] incredibly useful for making programmatic PDF edits with minimal (typically no) structural disturbance. [1] https://qpdf.sourceforge.io. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Is ExifCleaner still okay to use? No updates in over a year.
    Exiftool edits to PDFs are reversible. The file needs to be re-linearized by a utility such as qpdf. See the exiftool PDF tags page and exifcleaner issue #111. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Is there any Adobe Acrobat DC/Pro-like PDF reader application in Linux?
    Page organization => If you want a gui, you could use pdfshuffler or pdfsam, though I usually use command like tools like qpdf (or pdftk, stapler, pdfjam, or even ghostscript). Source: almost 3 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Ghostscript and QPDF, you can also consider the following products

ApowerPDF - ApowerPDF is a versatile PDF editor which also features as PDF converter, viewer, creator and more. It provides a perfect solution for all users.

iSafePDF - iSafePDF is a free open source PDF protection software.

Bullzip PDF Printer - Free PDF Printer - Create PDF documents from Windows applications. Supports Citrix, Terminal Server, Windows 8, Windows Server 2012, Windows 7, Vista, 2008R2, 2008, 2003, and 2000. Works with 32 and 64 bit systems.

PDFsam - PDFsam Basic, a free, open source, multi-platform software designed to split, merge, extract pages, mix and rotate PDF files

PDF Reader Pro - PDF Reader Pro is an all-in-one PDF office supporting to Read, Annotate, Edit, OCR, Convert, Create & Fill Form, Sign PDFs, TTS on Mac, iOS, Android, and Windows.

PDF Unshare - pdf unshare, pdf protection, protect, share, updf, prevent, Lock PDF, Encrypt PDF, PDF Access, Lock, PDF, Encrypt, Access