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Ghostscript vs mutool (MuPDF): catalog facts
Ghostscriptmutool (MuPDF)
Free

Free and open source under the AGPL. Commercial licensing is sold separately.

Free

Listed as open source, distributed with the MuPDF project.

Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line
  • Handles PostScript, PDF, PCL and XPS in one interpreter
  • The de facto engine for PDF conversion and compression in print workflows
  • Lightweight CLI for batch PDF extraction, cleaning and merging
  • Cross-platform on Linux, macOS and Windows
  • Command line with a famously cryptic option set
  • Commercial redistribution requires a paid Artifex licence
  • Command-line only, with no graphical interface for casual users
  • Documentation targets developers integrating MuPDF rather than end users
Downloadable app Downloadable app
Open source Open source
License: AGPL-3.0 License: AGPL-3.0
Not stated if an account is needed Not stated if an account is needed
Not stated if it works offline Not stated if it works offline

Checked September 22, 2026

Checked September 22, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.