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PDFShift VS Tcpdf

Compare PDFShift VS Tcpdf 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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PDFShift logo PDFShift

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

Tcpdf logo Tcpdf

TCPDF: Open Source PHP Class for generating PDF documents
  • 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!

  • Tcpdf Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-07-04

PDFShift

Website
pdfshift.io
Pricing URL
Official PDFShift Pricing
$ Details
freemium $9.0 / Monthly (500 conversions and up to 5Mb per generated PDF.)
Release Date
2018 May
Edit details

Tcpdf

Website
tcpdf.org
Pricing URL
-
$ Details
Release Date
-
Edit details

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.

Tcpdf features and specs

  • Open Source
    TCPDF is an open-source library, which means it is free to use and has a community of developers contributing to its improvement.
  • No External Dependencies
    TCPDF does not rely on any external libraries, making it easier to integrate and manage within projects without worrying about additional dependencies.
  • High Customizability
    The library offers extensive customization options for PDF creation, including layouts, fonts, images, and more.
  • Supports Multiple Languages
    TCPDF has built-in support for several languages, including those with special character sets like Arabic, Chinese, and Cyrillic.
  • Wide Range of Features
    TCPDF includes a wide range of features like barcodes, QR codes, page compression, encryption, and digital signatures.
  • Detailed Documentation
    TCPDF comes with comprehensive and detailed documentation, making it easier for developers to learn and implement its features.

Possible disadvantages of Tcpdf

  • Performance Issues
    For large PDF files or documents with complex layouts, TCPDF can be slower and consume more memory compared to some other PDF libraries.
  • Steeper Learning Curve
    Due to its rich feature set and flexibility, new users might find it difficult to learn and navigate TCPDF initially.
  • Limited Support for Modern Features
    TCPDF may lack support for some modern and advanced PDF features, such as interactive forms or JavaScript within PDFs.
  • Dated Codebase
    The library has been around for a long time, and some parts of its codebase may not follow modern PHP coding practices, making it less elegant to work with.
  • No Official Support
    Being an open-source project, there is no official customer support, so resolving issues might rely on community assistance.

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.

PDFShift videos

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Tcpdf videos

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Make PDF report in PHP with TCPDF | TCPDF Tutorial #1

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to PDFShift and Tcpdf)

PDFShift

Tcpdf

PDF Tools
91 91%
PDF Tools
9% 9
HTML To PDF
85 85%
HTML To PDF
15% 15
PDF Conversion API
89 89%
PDF Conversion API
11% 11
PDF Creator
100 100%
PDF Creator
0% 0

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Tcpdf 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.

PDFShift mentions (0)

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

Tcpdf mentions (11)

  • Generating PDF documents in Laravel
    Other popular PDF libraries include TCPDF, FPDF, and Snappy. - Source: dev.to / 12 months ago
  • PostScript’s Sudden Death in Sonoma
    TCPDF has full support for rendering an EPS into a PDF. It can be fussy. https://tcpdf.org/. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Python to what?
    Idk what’s the big problem. Maybe it’s just something like https://tcpdf.org ? Using that for years. Source: about 2 years ago
  • pdf generation
    Running a headless browser to render HTML is a resource intensive task. If you only need to generate simple documents, you're better off using a tool that generates PDF directly. In the old days we used FPDF and its successors (TCPDF was the most popular). Both seem to have recent releases. There's also mPDF , that seems to be another child of FPDF. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Create PDF from Excel.
    You may want to look at a PDF library (Python/PHP/Perl/Java, etc.) You can do all you mention with a lot of flexibility. Tcpdf comes immediately to mind, there is also a Python port. If you want to learn a language, I recommend python. Learning how to make a basic program when it is something that you want, and you know what you want is a great way to learn. Source: almost 3 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

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

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

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.

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.

HTML PDF API - Easily generate PDF documents from HTML code with our powerful API

HTML2PDF.fr - HTML2PDF is a HTML to PDF converter that allows the conversion of valid HTML 4.

PDF-XChange Editor - The smallest, fastest, most feature-rich PDF editor/viewer available

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