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Apache PDFBox VS Aspose.PDF for Java

Compare Apache PDFBox VS Aspose.PDF for Java and see what are their differences

Apache PDFBox logo Apache PDFBox

The Apache PDFBox™ library is an open source Java tool for working with PDF documents.

Aspose.PDF for Java logo Aspose.PDF for Java

Aspose.Pdf is a Java PDF component to create PDF documents without using https://alternativeto.
  • Apache PDFBox Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-14
  • Aspose.PDF for Java Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-22

Apache PDFBox features and specs

  • Open Source
    Apache PDFBox is a completely open-source library, which means it's free to use and the source code is available for customization.
  • Comprehensive Features
    PDFBox provides a wide range of features, including PDF creation, manipulation, rendering, and extraction of text and images, making it versatile for PDF handling.
  • Java-Based
    Written in Java, it integrates well with Java applications and takes advantage of Java's portability across different platforms.
  • Active Community
    It benefits from an active community and ongoing support from Apache, ensuring regular updates and a wealth of shared knowledge.

Possible disadvantages of Apache PDFBox

  • Performance Limitations
    Handling very large PDF documents can be resource-intensive, potentially affecting performance.
  • Learning Curve
    The library can be complex for new users due to its extensive feature set and lack of detailed beginner-friendly documentation.
  • Java Dependency
    Being Java-based, it might not be suitable for projects using different programming languages unless interoperability bridges are used.
  • Limited GUI Support
    PDFBox focuses primarily on backend processes and provides limited support for GUI operations, potentially requiring additional libraries for visual PDF modifications.

Aspose.PDF for Java features and specs

  • Comprehensive PDF Manipulation
    Aspose.PDF for Java provides a wide range of features for creating, editing, and converting PDF documents, making it a versatile tool for developers.
  • Platform Independence
    Being a Java library, it runs on any platform with a Java Virtual Machine (JVM), offering cross-platform compatibility.
  • No Dependency on Adobe Acrobat
    The library allows developers to manipulate PDFs without relying on Adobe Acrobat or any other third-party software.
  • Robust API Documentation
    Aspose provides extensive documentation and a vast array of code examples, helping developers quickly learn and implement PDF functionalities.
  • Commercial Support
    Subscription to Aspose.PDF for Java includes technical support, ensuring any issues can be addressed by the provider's support team.

Possible disadvantages of Aspose.PDF for Java

  • Costly Licensing
    Aspose.PDF for Java can be expensive, especially for small businesses or individual developers, as it requires purchasing a license for full features.
  • Steep Learning Curve
    Given the extensive array of features, new users might find it challenging to master the library without a significant time investment.
  • Performance Overhead
    Complex PDF operations might result in slower performance, especially in comparison to lighter-weight libraries that focus on specific tasks.
  • Limited Open-Source Community
    As a proprietary solution, it lacks the community-driven support and enhancement that open-source alternatives might offer.

Apache PDFBox videos

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Aspose.PDF for Java videos

Migrating your code to Aspose.Pdf for Java 2.5.0 or higher versions

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Apache PDFBox and Aspose.PDF for Java)
PDF Tools
37 37%
63% 63
HTML To PDF
34 34%
66% 66
PDF Editor
23 23%
77% 77
Office & Productivity
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

Share your experience with using Apache PDFBox and Aspose.PDF for Java. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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  1. User avatar
    seung woo
    · about 3 years ago
    · Reply

    i think pdfbox is better becaus that is open source

Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Apache PDFBox and Aspose.PDF for Java

Apache PDFBox Reviews

Best BFO Java PDF Library Alternatives (2024) for your project
Apache PDFBox is a powerful Java package that enables developers to easily create, edit, and extract content from PDF documents. This is made possible by Apache PDFBox. Because it is open-source and because it has a comprehensive feature set, it is a formidable competitor among PDF libraries. PDFBox is a flexible option for manipulating PDF files due to its support for a...

Aspose.PDF for Java Reviews

We have no reviews of Aspose.PDF for Java yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Aspose.PDF for Java seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 1 time 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.

Apache PDFBox mentions (0)

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

Aspose.PDF for Java mentions (1)

  • Convert HTML (with CSS) to PDF using Java?
    One option is https://products.aspose.com/pdf/java/. Source: almost 3 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Apache PDFBox and Aspose.PDF for Java, you can also consider the following products

IronPDF - SDK for creating and editing PDFs.

iTextPDF - iText offers flexible tools for PDF creation, editing and inspection.

Docotic.Pdf - Docotic.Pdf is a high-performance C# PDF library for .NET. You can use it to create, read, and edit PDF documents in .NET Core, ASP.NET, Windows Forms, WPF, Xamarin, Blazor, Unity, and HoloLense applications.

PDFCrowd - Pdfcrowd is a Web/HTML to PDF online service. Convert HTML to PDF online in the browser or in your PHP, Python, Ruby, .NET, Java apps via the REST API.

Aspose.Pdf for Cloud - Aspose.Pdf for Cloud is a REST API to create, edit & manipulate PDF files.

iText - iText is an intuitive and refined text editor with word processing completely rewritten in Cocoa...