Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups
Register | Login

Apache PDFBox VS IronPDF

Compare Apache PDFBox VS IronPDF and see what are their differences

DocRaptor
As the only API powered by the Prince HTML-to-PDF engine, DocRaptor provides the best support for complex PDFs with powerful support for headers, page breaks, page numbers, flexbox, watermarks, accessible PDFs, and much more featured
Contents:
  1. » Base Details
  2. » Videos
  3. » Reviews
  4. » Alternatives

Apache PDFBox logo Apache PDFBox

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

IronPDF logo IronPDF

SDK for creating and editing PDFs.
  • Apache PDFBox Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-14
  • IronPDF Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-05

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.

IronPDF features and specs

  • Comprehensive Feature Set
    IronPDF offers a wide range of features, including PDF creation, editing, and conversion, which makes it a versatile tool for handling various PDF-related tasks.
  • Ease of Use
    The library is designed to be user-friendly with a straightforward API, making it accessible for developers who need to implement PDF functionality quickly.
  • Integration Capabilities
    IronPDF integrates well with .NET environments, allowing developers to seamlessly use it within their existing .NET applications.
  • High-Quality Output
    The software produces high-quality PDFs, ensuring that text, images, and layouts are preserved accurately during conversions and manipulations.
  • Active Support and Documentation
    IronPDF provides active customer support and comprehensive documentation to help developers resolve issues and understand how to effectively use the tool.

Possible disadvantages of IronPDF

  • Cost
    IronPDF is a commercial product, and while it offers a free trial, the full version can be costly for small businesses or independent developers.
  • Platform Limitation
    As a .NET library, IronPDF is primarily designed for use in .NET environments, which may limit its applicability for developers who work outside of this ecosystem.
  • Learning Curve
    Despite its overall ease of use, new users may initially face a learning curve, particularly if they are unfamiliar with PDF manipulation concepts or .NET development.
  • Performance Overheads
    In some cases, users may experience performance overheads, particularly when handling large or complex PDF documents, which can affect application efficiency.
  • Dependency Management
    Integrating IronPDF into projects may require managing additional dependencies, which can complicate the development and deployment processes.

Apache PDFBox videos

No Apache PDFBox videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Add video

IronPDF videos

+ Add

A Comparison of IronPDF vs SelectPDF

More videos:

  • Review - .NET PDF Tool Shootout with Aspose, IronPDF, iText, and SyncFusion
  • Review - C# Pdf Generate- ironPdf

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Apache PDFBox and IronPDF)

Apache PDFBox

IronPDF

PDF Tools
33 33%
PDF Tools
67% 67
HTML To PDF
29 29%
HTML To PDF
71% 71
PDF Editor
21 21%
PDF Editor
79% 79
Office & Productivity
100 100%
Office & Productivity
0% 0

User comments

Share your experience with using Apache PDFBox and IronPDF. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Apache PDFBox and IronPDF

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...
Source: www.compsmag.com

IronPDF Reviews

2024 Best C#/ .NET PDF Library for Developers
IronPDF is a professional and dedicated C#/ .NET PDF library designed to simplify PDF generation, manipulation, and rendering within .NET applications. Its comprehensive features empower developers to effortlessly and seamlessly integrate PDF functionality into their projects. However, while IronPDF streamlines PDF handling in .NET environments, its licensing costs may pose...
Source: www.compdf.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, IronPDF 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.

Apache PDFBox mentions (0)

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

IronPDF mentions (11)

  • How to Convert HTML to PDF in .NET Core
    IronPDF is a powerful .NET library that simplifies the task of converting HTML content into fully-rendered, styled, and printable PDF documents. It supports modern HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript, making it capable of handling complex layouts, responsive designs, and embedded resources with ease. - Source: dev.to / 15 days ago
  • (Developer Tutorial) How to View PDF Files in C#?
    Viewing PDFs in a C# application is a common requirement, especially for document management, report generation, and business applications. While many libraries provide PDF handling, IronPDF stands out due to its ease of use, rendering accuracy, and ability to integrate seamlessly into .NET applications. In this article, we will explore how to create a C# PDF Viewer using IronPDF, covering installation, key... - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • (Developer Tutorial) How to Read PDF Tables in C#?
    Extracting structured data from PDF files is often challenging, especially when dealing with tables. Business analysts, data scientists, and developers frequently need to extract tabular data for further processing, reporting, or analysis. Fortunately, IronPDF, a powerful C# PDF library, makes this task easy by providing robust methods for reading and extracting tables from PDF documents. - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • How to add images to PDF in C#
    Adding images to PDF documents is a common requirement in applications ranging from report generation to invoice creation. While there are several libraries available for PDF manipulation in C#, IronPDF stands out due to its simplicity, robust feature set, and seamless integration with .NET ecosystems. In this tutorial, we’ll explore how to add images to PDF Document programmatically using IronPDF, with practical... - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • How to Convert Docx File to PDF in C#
    This is where IronPDF shines. It empowers developers to effortlessly convert DOCX files into PDF format, maintaining the integrity and structure of the original document. You can turn complex Word documents into professional, shareable PDFs with just a few lines of code. IronPDF offers more than just a conversion tool—it’s a gateway to enhanced document management, allowing you to build sophisticated solutions... - Source: dev.to / 9 months ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Apache PDFBox and IronPDF, you can also consider the following products

Aspose.PDF for Java - Aspose.Pdf is a Java PDF component to create PDF documents without using https://alternativeto.

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.

DocRaptor - As the only API powered by the Prince HTML-to-PDF engine, DocRaptor provides the best support for complex PDFs with powerful support for headers, page breaks, page numbers, flexbox, watermarks, accessible PDFs, and much more

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

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.

Loading...