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pdflayer VS BackstopJS

Compare pdflayer VS BackstopJS 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
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pdflayer logo 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.

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.
  • pdflayer Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-23
  • BackstopJS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-07-10

pdflayer features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    pdflayer offers a simple and user-friendly API, making it easy for developers to integrate PDF generation into their applications.
  • High-Quality PDFs
    The service is capable of generating high-quality PDFs that maintain the integrity of the original content.
  • Customizable
    pdflayer provides a range of customization options, including custom headers, footers, and watermarking.
  • Multiple Formats
    It supports HTML to PDF conversion, which is useful for applications that need to convert web content into PDF documents.
  • Free Tier
    Offers a free plan with a limited number of conversions, which is great for small projects or initial testing.
  • Security
    pdflayer uses HTTPS encryption to ensure the security of your data during transfer.

Possible disadvantages of pdflayer

  • Cost
    While there is a free tier, the more advanced features and higher usage plans can become relatively expensive.
  • Learning Curve for Customization
    Although the basic features are easy to use, customizing the output PDFs to a high degree may require a bit of a learning curve.
  • Rate Limits
    The free tier and lower-cost plans have rate limits, which might not be sufficient for high-volume applications.
  • Limited Offline Capabilities
    As a cloud service, pdflayer requires internet connectivity for PDF generation, which might not be suitable for offline-first applications.
  • Dependency on External Service
    Relying on an external service means that any downtime or issues with pdflayer's servers can directly affect your application's ability to generate PDFs.
  • Feature Limitations
    Compared to other, more mature PDF libraries, pdflayer might lack some advanced features that power users may require.

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.

Analysis of pdflayer

Overall verdict

  • Pdflayer is a good option for businesses and developers looking for a reliable PDF conversion API. It stands out for its ease of use and versatility, especially if you require customizable output PDFs. However, the 'goodness' of the service might depend on specific needs such as pricing, features, and the level of required customization.

Why this product is good

  • Pdflayer is a service that provides an API for converting HTML and URLs to PDF documents. It's known for its ease of integration, reliability, and scalability. It offers a straightforward REST API which supports a wide array of customization options for generating PDFs. It caters to users who need automated PDF generation integrated directly into their applications or workflows.

Recommended for

  • Developers needing a flexible PDF generation API
  • Businesses seeking to automate document generation
  • Organizations requiring integration of PDF conversion into web applications
  • Users looking for a scalable and reliable PDF generation service

pdflayer videos

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BackstopJS videos

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Visual Regression Testing with BackstopJS

More videos:

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

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to pdflayer and BackstopJS)

pdflayer

BackstopJS

PDF Tools
100 100%
PDF Tools
0% 0
Browser Testing
0 0%
Browser Testing
100% 100
HTML To PDF
100 100%
HTML To PDF
0% 0
Development
0 0%
Development
100% 100

User comments

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What are some alternatives?

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

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

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.

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