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CodeIgniter VS DocRaptor

Compare CodeIgniter VS DocRaptor and see what are their differences

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CodeIgniter logo CodeIgniter

A Fully Baked PHP Framework

DocRaptor logo 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
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  • CodeIgniter Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-21
  • DocRaptor Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-06-30

Uniquely Powerful PDF Generation

Only DocRaptor's HTML-to-PDF API has these advanced styling and layout capabilities:

Easy Headers & Footers

Instead of a separate HTML file, DocRaptor headers and footers are part of your document HTML. And easily show (or hide) different headers and footers for different pages.

Mixed Layout, Sizes & Headers

DocRaptor lets you control the style, sizing, headers, and layouts of individual pages in your document. You can even style left and right pages differently, or the first and last pages.

CSS Flexbox

DocRaptor lets you make PDFs with advanced CSS layout tools, including flexbox. You won't need to radically adjust your website to get a great PDF.

Accessible, Tagged PDFs

Create more accessible PDFs by using PDF profiles PDF/A-1a, PDF/A-3a, or PDF/UA-1. Tagged PDFs optimize the reading experience for assistive technology such as screen readers.

Fine-Tune Page Breaks

Our rendering engine was built specifically for making PDFs and we fully support CSS3 Paged Media. This allows much greater control over page breaks, especially when dealing with tables and images.

…and more!

Add crop marks, specify PDF bookmarks, or create standards-compliant documents.

Unmatched Scale & Reliability

We back our API with a 99.999% uptime guarantee. If you need reliability, DocRaptor is the service you can trust. We also have no limits on document input or output size.

DocRaptor

$ Details
paid Free Trial $15.0 / Monthly (125+ Documents)
Platforms
REST API PHP Java JavaScript Ruby Drupal Python Node JS Laravel Cross Platform .Net Generic HTTP API Cloud
Release Date
2010 May

CodeIgniter features and specs

  • Performance
    CodeIgniter is known for its exceptional performance and fast execution, which is beneficial for applications requiring quick load times.
  • Documentation
    CodeIgniter offers comprehensive and clear documentation, making it easier for developers to understand and use the framework effectively.
  • Easy to Learn
    CodeIgniter's simple and straightforward syntax makes it relatively easy for beginners to learn and start developing applications quickly.
  • Lightweight
    The framework is lightweight and does not impose many dependencies or require a specific server environment, providing flexibility to developers.
  • Community Support
    CodeIgniter has a strong and active community, which means plenty of resources, forums, and add-ons are available for developers.
  • Built-in Security Features
    CodeIgniter comes with built-in security features like XSS filtering and CSRF protection, helping developers to secure their applications with minimal effort.
  • MVC Architecture
    The framework follows the Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture, promoting clean code separation and better organization of the project.

Possible disadvantages of CodeIgniter

  • Lack of Modern Features
    CodeIgniter does not include many modern features found in other frameworks, such as built-in ORM or out-of-the-box RESTful API support.
  • Limited Modular Extensions
    It has fewer modular extensions compared to other frameworks like Laravel or Symfony, which can limit code reusability and scalability.
  • Manual Routing
    Routing in CodeIgniter is somewhat manual and less intuitive compared to other frameworks that offer more automatic and flexible routing mechanisms.
  • Outdated PHP Practices
    Some of the practices and conventions in CodeIgniter are considered outdated with respect to modern PHP development trends.
  • No Built-in Authentication
    CodeIgniter does not come with a built-in authentication system, requiring developers to implement their own or use third-party libraries.
  • Less Emphasis on Testing
    CodeIgniter has less built-in support and emphasis on unit testing compared to other frameworks like Laravel, making it harder to implement TDD or BDD.
  • Lack of Native Composer Support
    The framework's native support for Composer, PHP's dependency manager, is not as robust as other modern frameworks, which can complicate dependency management.

DocRaptor features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    DocRaptor provides an easy-to-use API that allows for quick integration with various programming languages such as Ruby, Python, PHP, and Node.js.
  • Customizable
    The tool offers extensive customization options for PDFs and Excel documents, allowing users to control styles, formatting, and layout using CSS and JavaScript.
  • High-Quality Rendering
    DocRaptor uses the Prince XML engine, known for its high-quality rendering of complex layouts and support for modern HTML and CSS standards.
  • Compliance
    DocRaptor is officially compliant with various privacy regulations, including GDPR, HIPAA, and others, ensuring that data is handled securely.
  • Customer Support
    Users generally report high satisfaction with DocRaptor's customer support, noting quick response times and helpful guidance.

Analysis of CodeIgniter

Overall verdict

  • Yes, CodeIgniter is a good choice for developers looking for a simple and efficient PHP framework. It's particularly well-suited for projects where performance is a priority, and extensive feature sets found in larger frameworks are not necessary.

Why this product is good

  • CodeIgniter is considered a good PHP framework because it is lightweight, easy to set up, and requires minimal server resources. It offers a straightforward approach to building web applications, especially for developers who appreciate simplicity and performance. Its comprehensive documentation and active community support are additional positives.

Recommended for

  • Developers who need a lightweight and fast framework
  • Projects with straightforward requirements and simplistic architectures
  • Developers who prefer a framework with easy installation and minimal configuration
  • Smaller projects or prototypes that require rapid development
  • Projects with limited server resources

Analysis of DocRaptor

Overall verdict

  • DocRaptor is generally considered a good choice for those needing robust and reliable document generation services, especially in cases where precise formatting and custom styling are important.

Why this product is good

  • DocRaptor is widely regarded as a good service because it provides high-quality PDF and Excel document generation. It offers ease of integration with various programming languages via an API, allowing developers to convert HTML content into well-formatted documents. The service is known for its reliability, excellent customer support, and the ability to handle complex document structures, which can be a critical factor for businesses requiring precise formatting and consistency.

Recommended for

  • Businesses needing automated document generation for invoices, reports, or billing statements.
  • Developers looking for easy API integration for document conversion in their applications.
  • Organizations that require high-quality PDFs with complex layouts and styling.
  • Teams that prioritize customer support and detailed documentation.

CodeIgniter videos

PHP CodeIgniter tutorial: What is CodeIgniter and why should I use it? | lynda.com

More videos:

  • Review - Laravel vs Codeigniter - A quick comparison for you to decide
  • Review - Review Codeigniter 4

DocRaptor videos

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

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to CodeIgniter and DocRaptor)
Web Frameworks
100 100%
0% 0
PDF Tools
0 0%
100% 100
Developer Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Office & Productivity
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using CodeIgniter and DocRaptor. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare CodeIgniter and DocRaptor

CodeIgniter Reviews

  1. A PSR-compliant framework with diverse set of facilities and capabilities

    You can build any kinds of web apps and sites with this framework without consuming substantial server resources.

    🏁 Competitors: Lumen Framework

CakePHP vs CodeIgniter: Which PHP Framework is Best for Development?
CodeIgniter: CodeIgniter was developed by EllisLab and released in February 2006. It is known for its simplicity and speed, designed to help developers create full-featured web applications quickly. CodeIgniter emphasizes a lean and minimalistic approach, providing just enough to get the job done without imposing too many restrictions.
Top 5 Laravel Alternatives
CodeIgniter is simpler to use for the majority of developers. Laravel’s convenience is matched only by its adherence to a small set of standards and guidelines. CodeIgniter also offers improved error handling and more leeway in terms of customization. Overall, in comparison of Laravel and CodeIgniter, CodeIgniter might be the simpler choice for most web programmers.
Framework review: Laravel vs CodeIgniter
Let's start with CodeIgniter first. It focuses on performance and speed. It offers a simple, easy-to-learn syntax, making it ideal for beginners. CodeIgniter uses its own proprietary Active Record implementation for database operations, which provides a simple and intuitive way to interact with data. Unlike Laravel, CodeIgniter does not enforce a specific architectural...
Source: infinyhost.com
10 Ruby on Rails Alternatives For Web Development in 2022
Laravel is a PHP web framework that was built by Taylor Otwell in 2011 as an attempt to replace the older framework CodeIgniter that lacked some important features, like built-in customer authentication and user authorization. The current version of the framework, Laravel 8.16 has a great infrastructure of web development tools that facilitate queue monitoring, server...
The Most Popular PHP Frameworks to Use in 2021
Laravel is billed as “The PHP Framework for Web Artisans.” It was developed by Taylor Otwell, who wanted a framework with elements that CodeIgniter didn’t have, such as user authentication.
Source: kinsta.com

DocRaptor Reviews

  1. Cool app

    I've been using it for a while. It's great to create contracts.

    🏁 Competitors: pdfmatrix.com
  2. Megan Mahdavi
    · Principal Consultant at Sunreach ·
    Great app - resolves the limitations of other doc/merge apps

    We wanted an app that would allow for custom branding and layout, the font of our choice, and merge fields across our main SF objects. Previously we used DocGen, which led to a morass of configuration to put fields in exactly the place they needed to be for the tables, as well as a bunch of SOQL queries to manage conditional logic. The VF doc generator can't accommodate the fonts we use in our branding. And so DocRaptor has been the perfect solution.

    Our developer built the contracts, and we went live within weeks with complete branding, flexibility in the data merges (we were able to remove a ton of bad config) and it's easy to manage.

    👍 Pros:    Flexible|Great customer support|Super fast
  3. Amaury Bouchard
    · Founder at Rolis ·
    The best HTML to PDF solution

    I have been using DocRaptor for 6 years, both for my professionnal and personnal projects. After trying several free and/or open source HTML to PDF solutions, I was happy to find this service. It's the most efficient solution, which generates the most accurate PDF documents.

    Since it's a SaaS service, there is nothing to install, no library dependencies nor experimental software that you're not sure it will be supported in the future.

    There is a lot of options and CSS rules to dig in if you want to get PDF files that exactly matches what you want. But the other solutions I tried didn't have these options, and the result was not good enough.

    👍 Pros:    Simple api|No dependencies|Best pdf result|A lot of options to help you create the pdf you need|Good customer support
    👎 Cons:    A lot of css rules to learn if you want to get the perfect pdf of your dreams... but at least these rules exist!

14 Best PDF APIs for Every Business Need
DocRaptor is an HTML-to-PDF API that empowers you with unmatched scalability and reliability. Even if you need thousands of PDF documents every day, it can handle your requirements. It also guarantees 99.999% uptime and has no restrictions on the input and output size of the files.
Source: geekflare.com
Best BFO Java PDF Library Alternatives (2024) for your project
DocRaptor is a service that is hosted in the cloud and generates PDF documents from HTML and CSS in a seamless manner. Because it enables developers to easily convert web information into PDFs of excellent quality, it is a convenient solution for projects in which HTML-to-PDF conversion is a primary requirement.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, CodeIgniter should be more popular than DocRaptor. It has been mentiond 10 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.

CodeIgniter mentions (10)

  • 19+ Laravel Best Practices for Developers in 2024
    For history's sake, you should know that Laravel was built in place of the CodeIgniter framework as a modern replacement because the CodeIgniter framework missing important core features such as built-in support for user authentication and authorization. Since its initial launch in 2011, Laravel has implemented built-in support for localization, views, dealing with sessions, routing the request to the specific... - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • How to Install Codeigniter on a Local Server in 2025?
    Visit the CodeIgniter official download page and download the latest version. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • Top 12 PHP Frameworks For Web Development in 2024
    CodeIgniter is an open-source PHP framework with 18k+ stars and 7.8K forks on GitHub. It follows the Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture and provides a structured way to create and organize code. It provides a set of libraries and an intuitive interface to accelerate PHP web app development. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Why I selected Elixir and Phoenix as my main stack
    Over the years I have tried different frameworks, mostly in PHP, like Code Igniter (2010), ProcessWire (2014) and Laravel (2015). - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
  • In One Minute : CodeIgniter
    CodeIgniter is an open-source php web application framework created by EllisLab Inc and it is now a project of British Columbia Institute of Technology. The framework implements a modified version of the Model-View-Controller design pattern. It is praised for its performance and the quality of its documentation. It's currently licensed under the MIT License, although the previous version was released under the... - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
View more

DocRaptor mentions (4)

  • Launch HN: Onedoc (YC W24) – A better way to create PDFs
    It sounds like this is as advanced as DocRaptor[1]. They have what I consider to be the best PDF generation API, giving complete control over the documents you need to create. The pricing is similar. If you'd rather do it for free weasyprint[2] is the best open source alternative. Another more affordable option you might want to consider is Urlbox[3]. (Disclosure: I work on this) Urlbox's rendering engine is based... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • How do you generate PDF reports from HTML?
    We built the DocRaptor API to let developers have affordable access to the commercial Prince PDF engine. We have Node code examples throughout the documentation. Source: over 2 years ago
  • What is the best online HTML to PDF converter?
    I'd argue our service, DocRaptor, is the best because it's the only one powered by the Prince PDF engine. Unlike open-source, browser-based conversion engines, Prince was custom-built just for converting HTML into PDFs and offers a lot of unique functionality for making more complex PDFs. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Is it possible to render a RazorPage (inc. CSS) to a PDF file and download via WebAPI?
    I work for https://docraptor.com, which is an HTML to PDF API. We have a C# agent. Source: almost 4 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing CodeIgniter and DocRaptor, you can also consider the following products

Laravel - A PHP Framework For Web Artisans

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.

CakePHP - The Rapid Development Framework for PHP

PDFShift - Convert any HTML documents to high-fidelity PDF using a single POST request

Django - The Web framework for perfectionists with deadlines

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.