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Apache PDFBox VS PdfPig

Compare Apache PDFBox VS PdfPig 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.

PdfPig logo PdfPig

Read and extract text and other content from PDFs in C# (port of PDFBox)
  • Apache PDFBox Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-14
  • PdfPig Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-12-05

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.

PdfPig features and specs

  • Open Source
    PdfPig is open-source, allowing developers to contribute to and modify the source code to suit specific needs.
  • Lightweight
    It is designed to be lightweight and efficient, making it suitable for use in environments with limited resources.
  • Comprehensive Text Extraction
    PdfPig provides powerful tools for extracting text from PDFs, making it useful for text analysis and manipulation.
  • No External Dependencies
    PdfPig does not rely on any external dependencies, simplifying deployment and reducing potential conflicts.
  • Active Community
    With an active community of contributors, PdfPig is well-maintained with updates and improvements.

Possible disadvantages of PdfPig

  • Limited Advanced Features
    PdfPig may lack some advanced features found in more comprehensive PDF libraries like PDF manipulation and editing.
  • Complex Documents Handling
    Might struggle with extracting text from complex or malformed PDF documents compared to some commercial solutions.
  • Learning Curve
    Although it's user-friendly, new users may require time to understand its full capabilities and integrate it effectively into projects.
  • Platform Specific
    Primarily designed for .NET Core and .NET Framework, potentially limiting cross-platform support.
  • Minimal Documentation
    Some users might find the documentation lacks comprehensive examples and detailed usage guidelines.

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Apache PDFBox and PdfPig)
PDF Tools
65 65%
35% 35
HTML To PDF
85 85%
15% 15
PDF Editor
48 48%
52% 52
Office & Productivity
59 59%
41% 41

User comments

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Reviews

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

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...

PdfPig Reviews

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What are some alternatives?

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

IronPDF - SDK for creating and editing PDFs.

PDF Clown - PDF Clown is an open-source general-purpose library for manipulating PDF documents through multiple abstraction layers, rigorously adhering to PDF 1.7 Specification

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

PDFSharp - Office & Productivity and Development

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

PDFJet - PDFJet is a mobile and cloud PDF Library for Java and .NET to generate PDF documents.