Self-hosting BentoPDF the easy way
Yulei ChenBentoPDF is a privacy-first PDF toolkit that runs entirely in your browser. You can merge, split, compress, convert, sign, and encrypt PDFs without uploading a single file to an external server. It's free with no file limits, no signups, and no watermarks. Self-hosting it gives your team a dedicated instance you fully control.
Sliplane is a managed container platform that makes self-hosting painless. With one-click deployment, you can get BentoPDF up and running in minutes - no server setup, no reverse proxy config, no infrastructure to maintain.
Prerequisites
Before deploying, ensure you have a Sliplane account (free trial available).
Quick start
Sliplane provides one-click deployment with presets.
Deploy BentoPDF >- Click the deploy button above
- Select a project
- Select a server. If you just signed up you get a 48-hour free trial server
- Click Deploy!
About the preset
The one-click deploy above uses Sliplane's BentoPDF preset. The preset is built for a clean, stable default setup:
- Uses the official
ghcr.io/alam00000/bentopdfimage - Pinned to version
v2.8.2for stability - Listens on port 8080 internally, routed automatically by Sliplane
- No persistent storage needed since all PDF processing happens client-side in the browser
BentoPDF is a stateless web application. Your files never leave the user's browser, so there's nothing to store on the server side.
Next steps
Once BentoPDF is running on Sliplane, access it using the domain Sliplane provided (e.g. bento-pdf-xxxx.sliplane.app).
No login required
BentoPDF has no authentication or user accounts. Anyone with the URL can use it immediately. If you want to restrict access, consider placing it behind a VPN or using Sliplane's IP allowlist feature.
Available PDF tools
Out of the box, BentoPDF gives you a full suite of PDF operations:
- Merge multiple PDFs into one
- Split a PDF into separate files
- Compress PDFs to reduce file size
- Convert between PDF and other formats (Word, JPG, Excel)
- Rotate and reorganize pages
- Sign documents
- Encrypt/Decrypt PDFs for security
Custom branding
BentoPDF supports custom branding through environment variables. You can replace the default logo, app name, and footer text by setting these at build time:
| Variable | Description |
|---|---|
VITE_BRAND_LOGO | Path to your custom logo SVG |
VITE_BRAND_NAME | Custom app name |
VITE_BRAND_FOOTER | Custom footer text |
Note that branding changes require building a custom Docker image since they are compile-time variables.
Logging
BentoPDF logs go to STDOUT by default, which works well with Sliplane's built-in log viewer. For general Docker log tips, check out our post on how to use Docker logs.
Cost comparison
Of course you can also self-host BentoPDF with other cloud providers. Here is a pricing comparison for the most common ones:
| Provider | vCPU | RAM | Disk | Monthly Cost | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sliplane | 2 | 2 GB | 50 GB | €22.80 | Flat rate, free egress, SSL included |
| Fly.io | 2 | 2 GB | 40 GB | ~$17.83 | Disk and bandwidth billed separately |
| Render | 1 | 2 GB | 40 GB | ~$35 | 5 GB bandwidth included on Hobby; disk billed separately |
| Railway | 2 | 2 GB | 40 GB | Up to ~$66 | Usage-based; Pro required for a 40 GB volume |
Click here to see how these numbers were calculated.
Prices checked July 19, 2026. Assuming an always-on instance running 730 hrs/month, Germany/Amsterdam where regional pricing applies, excluding VAT and egress.
- Sliplane: Base server with 2 vCPU, 2 GB RAM and 20 GB storage = €17.80/month; the 50 GB storage tier adds €5 -> €22.80/month. Unlimited services, free egress and SSL are included.
- Fly.io: in Amsterdam,
shared-cpu-2xwith 2 GB RAM = $11.83/month + 40 GB volume × $0.15/GB = $6 -> ~$17.83/month. Egress is billed separately at $0.02/GB in Europe. - Render: closest match is Standard ($25, 1 vCPU / 2 GB) plus 40 GB disk × $0.25/GB = $10 -> ~$35/month. A Hobby workspace includes 5 GB bandwidth, then charges $0.15/GB. Stepping up to Pro compute (2 vCPU / 4 GB) costs $85/month plus disk.
- Railway (Pro plan): at full resource usage: CPU 2 × $20/vCPU/month = $40; RAM 2 × $10/GB/month = $20; volume 40 × $0.15/GB/month = $6 -> up to ~$66/month. Actual CPU and RAM charges depend on usage. A 40 GB volume requires Pro; its $20/month subscription is a minimum commitment that counts toward usage, not an additional charge. Egress is $0.05/GB.
Bandwidth costs can add up fast on usage-based providers. Use our bandwidth cost comparison tool to see what your egress would cost on each platform.
Move the slider or play the animation to compare monthly egress costs. Sliplane stays free as traffic grows.
Egress only, excluding compute and storage. Based on public US/European rates checked July 19, 2026. Render includes its first 5 GB per month. Sliplane egress is free, subject to the Fair Use Policy.
FAQ
What PDF operations does BentoPDF support?
BentoPDF supports merging, splitting, compressing, converting (PDF to Word, JPG, Excel and back), rotating, signing, and encrypting/decrypting PDFs. All processing happens in your browser, so your files never leave your device.
Can I use BentoPDF offline?
Yes. Since all processing happens client-side, BentoPDF works offline once the page is loaded. This makes it great for air-gapped environments or situations where you can't upload sensitive documents to external services.
How do I update BentoPDF?
Change the image tag in your service settings on Sliplane and redeploy. Check the BentoPDF GitHub releases for the latest stable version.
Are there alternatives to BentoPDF?
Yes. Popular options include Stirling PDF (Java-based with server-side processing), PDF Arranger (desktop app for merging/splitting), and various commercial tools like Adobe Acrobat and Smallpdf. For more open-source document tools, check out our post on 5 open-source DocuSign alternatives.
Is BentoPDF really private?
Yes. BentoPDF processes everything in the browser using WebAssembly. No files are uploaded to any server. Self-hosting it on Sliplane means you also control the application itself, so there's no third-party involvement at all.
