The Appligent alternative for the Redax job, with Bates numbering too.
Appligent sells two different server products. StampPDF Batch Bates-stamps and watermarks. Redax Enterprise Server redacts. KeptPDF CLI is the Redax job: redact, review a CSV, watch a folder, split, FOIA codes, certificates, OCR. It also stamps Bates numbers from the command line with keptpdf bates. Watermarks, stamps and watched-folder Bates stay with StampPDF Batch.
Two Appligent products. Do not mash them.
Buyers searching "Appligent" are often buying Bates, redaction, or both. Those are separate SKUs.
StampPDF Batch
Bates numbers, watermarks, and stamps on a server. $1,995 for one server with up to 4 cores, perpetual. Watched folders. KeptPDF CLI covers the Bates numbering part (keptpdf bates). It does not do watermarks or generic stamps, and Bates does not run from a watched folder.
Redax Enterprise Server
Server redaction: patterns, regex, word lists, watched folders, exemption codes, spreadsheet-ready reports. US pricing is a quote. An EU reseller lists about €7,177 plus about €1,499/year maintenance. This is the job KeptPDF CLI is built for.
One organization license, not one server license.
Appligent prices per server (base: up to 4 cores). KeptPDF CLI is $4,800 per year for one organization, unlimited machines, unlimited files.
| What it costs | KeptPDF CLI | Appligent |
|---|---|---|
| Redaction server | $4,800/year per organization, unlimited machines | Redax Enterprise Server: US quote, per server (base up to 4 cores). An EU reseller lists about €7,177 plus about €1,499 per year maintenance |
| Bates and watermarks from the command line | Bates: yes, keptpdf bates. Watermarks and stamps: not in the CLI | StampPDF Batch: $1,995, one server up to 4 cores, perpetual |
| Try it | First 100 files, no account, no card | Contact sales for a trial |
| License shape | Annual, offline key | Perpetual per server, existing PO path, Acrobat-ecosystem plug-ins |
StampPDF Batch list price is from appligent.com as of August 2026. Redax US is quote-only. The euro figures are a Mensys reseller listing and may not match a US quote.
KeptPDF CLI vs Redax Enterprise Server
This table is the redaction job only. StampPDF Batch is Bates and stamps, and is scored in the cost table above, not mashed in here.
| Capability | KeptPDF CLI | Redax Enterprise Server |
|---|---|---|
| Files stay on your own hardware | ||
| One license covers every machine in the organization | ||
| Auto-detect names and identifiers for review | ||
| Spreadsheet review before the burn | ||
| Watch-folder drop box | ||
| Exemption codes the operator chooses | ||
| Verifiable redaction certificate per file | ||
| OCR on scans before redacting | ||
| Split a packet into separate PDFs | ||
| Bates numbering from the command line | ||
| Perpetual license | ||
| AIX and Solaris | ||
| Acrobat plug-in and existing PO path |
Yes / partial / no. Marks as of August 2026 from appligent.com, a Mensys listing, and KeptPDF. Auto-detect and split --auto are a start, not a guarantee; a person reviews before production. Bates from the command line is keptpdf bates, or StampPDF Batch if you also need watermarks, watched-folder Bates or a perpetual license.
Credit where it's due.
Appligent has been in server PDF since the 1990s. Perpetual licenses, AIX and Solaris, watched folders, an Acrobat plug-in path, and a PO a government shop already knows how to cut. If those constraints are real, stay there.
KeptPDF CLI is a Redax-shaped job you install with a package manager. It is not StampPDF Batch, and we will not sell it as a watermark or stamp server.
When Appligent is the better pick, honestly.
We'd rather you choose the right tool than oversell ours.
Perpetual and a purchase order
You buy a server once. Finance already has an Appligent vendor number. Our CLI is an annual key at $4,800 per organization.
AIX, Solaris, Acrobat
Redax still ships for AIX and Solaris, and the Acrobat plug-in is how some shops mark up. We run where Node runs: Windows, macOS, Linux. No Acrobat required, and no Acrobat ecosystem either.
Bates from the command line
keptpdf bates stamps continuous Bates numbers across a folder of PDFs, with a prefix, start number, designation and a range report. It does not run from a watched folder, so a watched-folder Bates job stays with StampPDF Batch.
Appligent alternative: FAQ
Is KeptPDF CLI a StampPDF Batch replacement?
Is KeptPDF CLI a Redax Enterprise Server replacement?
Does auto-detect or split catch every record?
How do I try it?
Comparing other tools? See KeptPDF vs Adobe Acrobat, KeptPDF vs Redactable, KeptPDF vs Smallpdf, and KeptPDF vs iLovePDF.