Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

BackstopJS VS PDFShift

Compare BackstopJS VS PDFShift and see what are their differences

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

BackstopJS logo BackstopJS

BackstopJS is an open-source tool that allows the user to capture screenshots of a complete webpage or only specific areas of the webpage.

PDFShift logo PDFShift

Convert any HTML documents to high-fidelity PDF using a single POST request
  • BackstopJS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-07-10
  • PDFShift Landing page
    Landing page //
    2024-03-07

A powerful, fast and high-fidelity HTML to PDF conversion API.

Code examples and package ready for Node, Python and PHP developers.

Advanced features are available, including watermarking and encryption!

BackstopJS

Pricing URL
-
$ Details
-
Release Date
-

PDFShift

$ Details
freemium $9.0 / Monthly (500 conversions and up to 5Mb per generated PDF.)
Release Date
2018 May

BackstopJS features and specs

  • Automated Visual Regression Testing
    BackstopJS automates visual regression testing by comparing DOM screenshots, making it easy to identify visual anomalies after code changes.
  • Configuration Flexibility
    It offers robust configuration options to customize viewports, scenarios, and comparison thresholds, allowing for tailored testing based on project needs.
  • Scenario Management
    Supports the creation of multiple scenarios for different pages and states of the application, providing comprehensive test coverage.
  • Integration with CI/CD
    Easily integrates with continuous integration and deployment pipelines, facilitating automated testing across development stages.
  • Open Source
    As an open-source tool, BackstopJS is free to use and benefits from community contributions and improvements.
  • Support for Puppeteer
    Built on modern tools like Puppeteer, providing reliable headless browser automation features for capturing and comparing visuals.

Possible disadvantages of BackstopJS

  • Complex Setup for Beginners
    The initial setup can be complex for those who are not familiar with headless browsers or visual testing concepts, potentially resulting in a steep learning curve.
  • Performance Overhead
    Running visual tests can be resource-intensive, which might affect performance, especially with a large number of scenarios and comparisons.
  • Maintenance Effort
    Creating and maintaining test scenarios can require ongoing effort as the application evolves, including updating baselines and handling false positives.
  • Limited to Visual Testing
    BackstopJS focuses solely on visual regression testing and doesn't provide broader testing capabilities like functionality or performance testing, necessitating additional tools for comprehensive test coverage.
  • Screenshot Differences
    Slight, acceptable differences in rendering between test runs can lead to false positives, requiring fine-tuning and adjustments for threshold settings.

PDFShift features and specs

  • High-quality PDF conversion
    PDFShift provides high-quality conversion from HTML to PDF, preserving formatting, styles, and layout details accurately.
  • Ease of use
    The API is straightforward and user-friendly, allowing developers to quickly integrate it into their applications without a steep learning curve.
  • Batch conversion
    PDFShift supports batch processing, enabling users to convert multiple HTML documents to PDF simultaneously, which can save significant time.
  • API documentation
    Comprehensive and clear API documentation makes it easier for developers to understand and implement functionalities within their projects.
  • Customization options
    PDFShift offers various customization options such as headers and footers, page size, margins, and more, giving users control over the output.
  • Security and privacy
    PDFShift ensures data security and privacy by providing encrypted connections and automatic deletion of files after processing.

Analysis of PDFShift

Overall verdict

  • PDFShift is generally considered a good tool for developers and businesses that need a reliable, fast, and easy-to-integrate solution for HTML to PDF conversion. Its functionality and scalability make it a competitive choice in the market.

Why this product is good

  • PDFShift is an online API service that allows users to convert HTML documents into PDFs with high fidelity. It is praised for its ease of use, speed, and the ability to handle complex HTML and CSS. Users appreciate its support for various PDF features like custom headers, footers, and page numbers. Additionally, it provides scalability for businesses due to its robust API and ability to handle high-volume requests.

Recommended for

    PDFShift is recommended for web developers, software engineers, and companies that require automated HTML to PDF conversion as part of their applications or websites. It is particularly suitable for those looking for an API-based solution to integrate easily into their existing workflows and systems.

BackstopJS videos

Visual Regression Testing with BackstopJS

More videos:

  • Review - Texas Camp 2019 | Visual Regression Testing with BackstopJS
  • Review - Supercharge your regression testing with BackstopJS

PDFShift videos

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

Add video

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to BackstopJS and PDFShift)
Browser Testing
100 100%
0% 0
PDF Tools
0 0%
100% 100
Development
100 100%
0% 0
HTML To PDF
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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

What are some alternatives?

When comparing BackstopJS and PDFShift, you can also consider the following products

html2canvas - JavaScript library to take "screenshots" of webpages or parts of it, directly on the...

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

Expo Screen Capture - Expo Screen Capture is a highly efficient tool that empowers users to prevent screens in their applications from being captured or taped.

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.

Cypress.io - Slow, difficult and unreliable testing for anything that runs in a browser. Install Cypress in seconds and take the pain out of front-end testing.

pdflayer - Free, powerful HTML to PDF API supporting both URL and raw HTML conversion. Unlimited document size, lightning-fast and compatible PHP, Python, Ruby, etc.