Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

wkhtmltopdf VS web-capture

Compare wkhtmltopdf VS web-capture and see what are their differences

wkhtmltopdf logo wkhtmltopdf

wkhtmltopdf is an open source (LGPL) command line tools to render HTML into PDF and various image...

web-capture logo web-capture

Capture a full web page screenshot online
  • wkhtmltopdf Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-21
  • web-capture Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-12-15

wkhtmltopdf features and specs

  • HTML to PDF Conversion
    wkhtmltopdf allows for the conversion of HTML and CSS content into PDF documents, making it easier to generate reports, invoices, and other necessary documentation from web content.
  • Open Source
    As an open-source tool, wkhtmltopdf is free to use, modify, and distribute, making it accessible to developers with varying budgets.
  • Cross-Platform
    wkhtmltopdf is available on multiple operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux, offering flexibility for developers working in different environments.
  • High Quality PDFs
    It utilizes the WebKit rendering engine, which ensures that the PDFs generated maintain high fidelity to the original HTML content.
  • Command Line Interface
    The tool provides a robust command-line interface that allows for scripting and automation, which can greatly enhance productivity.
  • Supports Complex Layouts
    wkhtmltopdf can handle complex layouts including CSS, JavaScript, and media queries, making it suitable for intricate designs.

Possible disadvantages of wkhtmltopdf

  • Large Files
    Generated PDF files can be quite large, especially if the HTML content includes heavy use of images and other media.
  • Resource Intensive
    wkhtmltopdf can be resource-intensive, requiring significant CPU and memory, which might be a concern for high-volume or real-time generation needs.
  • Limited Support for New Web Standards
    As an older tool, it sometimes struggles to keep up with the latest web standards and features, which may lead to partial rendering of more modern web content.
  • Steep Learning Curve
    The tool has many options and configurations, which can be overwhelming for beginners or those not familiar with command-line operations.
  • Dependency on System Libraries
    Installation and operation can be complex due to dependencies on specific system libraries, which can complicate deployment and maintenance.
  • Lack of Official Support
    Being an open-source project, it lacks professional support, which means that users may need to rely on community forums and resources for troubleshooting.

web-capture features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    Web-capture.net is user-friendly with a simple interface, enabling users to quickly capture web pages without needing extensive technical knowledge.
  • No Installation Required
    Since it's a web-based tool, users do not need to install any software, making it accessible from any device with internet access.
  • Free Service
    Offers a free version for basic web page capturing needs, which is beneficial for occasional users.
  • Multiple Format Support
    Allows saving captures in various formats such as PDF, JPEG, and PNG, giving users flexibility based on their needs.
  • Quick Captures
    The tool performs page captures quickly, which is useful for users needing fast results.

Possible disadvantages of web-capture

  • Limited Features in Free Version
    Advanced features might be restricted to paid versions, limiting the free version to basic functionality.
  • Ads and Promotions
    Free use of the service may involve encountering ads, which can be distracting for some users.
  • Occasional Performance Issues
    Users might experience slow performance or errors during high traffic periods or due to server limitations.
  • Lack of Customization
    The tool may lack advanced customization options compared to more robust software solutions.
  • Internet Dependency
    Being a web tool, it requires a stable internet connection, which can be a disadvantage in areas with poor connectivity.

Analysis of wkhtmltopdf

Overall verdict

  • Yes, wkhtmltopdf is considered a good option for HTML to PDF conversion, especially if you need precise rendering and support for modern web standards. However, it may require some tweaking and does come with limitations on complex JavaScript and dynamic content.

Why this product is good

  • wkhtmltopdf is a popular tool for converting HTML documents into PDF format. It is favored because it uses the WebKit rendering engine, which ensures that the PDFs closely resemble the web page's appearance in a modern browser. This allows for high-quality and accurate conversions, including support for complex layouts, CSS, and JavaScript.

Recommended for

  • Developers and teams needing to generate PDFs from HTML content in web applications.
  • Organizations requiring batch processing of HTML documents into PDFs.
  • Situations where accurate reproduction of web page styling in PDF format is essential.

wkhtmltopdf videos

✔️ Como instalar wkhtmltopdf ubuntu (compatible con cualquier odoo 11) Facil y rapido 2018

web-capture videos

No web-capture videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to wkhtmltopdf and web-capture)
HTML To PDF
91 91%
9% 9
Screenshot Annotation
0 0%
100% 100
PDF Conversion API
91 91%
9% 9
Screenshots
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, wkhtmltopdf seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 38 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.

wkhtmltopdf mentions (38)

  • DinkToPdf Alternatives: IronPDF for C# HTML to PDF
    Add the native libwkhtmltox binary to your output directory (Windows/Linux/macOS versions available from wkhtmltopdf.org). - Source: dev.to / 2 days ago
  • Using ColdFusion and Xpdf to extract PDF metadata
    Recently when using CFPDF to personalize an existing single-page cover PDF by adding a watermark, I needed to know both the dimensions & rotation of the preexisting PDF so I could generate a PDF (using WKHTMLTOPDF) with the correct watermark placement. I decided to use Xpdf's pdfinfo.exe to extract this information primarily so that the output would be consistent regardless of which version of CFML platform is... - Source: dev.to / 13 days ago
  • PDF Generation, Bloat and Optimization
    WKHTMLTOPDF (LGPLv3; portable) tends to be faster and generate smaller PDFs. It can also run concurrently and generate PDFs in the background without using a ColdFusion thread or impacting the Java heap memory. Download. - Source: dev.to / 2 months ago
  • Hack WKHTMLTOPDF PDF to enable Adobe Acrobat Field Editing
    I recently integrated the auto-generation of survey results into a downloadable PDF using ColdFusion and WKHTMLTOPDF 0.12.6. Our client provided a pre-generated PDF cover page with some editable fields that we prepended to the PDF using PDFtk. Unfortunately, all auto-generated bookmarks became unusable after cover page is prepended. - Source: dev.to / 8 months ago
  • Embed a Full HTML Document Inline Using Shadow DOM
    We use ColdFusion/CFML to generate valid HTML documents for PDF generation using jsoup & WKHTMLTOPDF. If the generated HTML content is simply outputted onto an existing webpage, the webpage becomes invalid (due to double DOCTYPE "inception") and the website's global CSS styles will polluting the preview. - Source: dev.to / 9 months ago
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web-capture mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of web-capture yet. Tracking of web-capture recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing wkhtmltopdf and web-capture, you can also consider the following products

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

iWeb2X - iWeb2x combines both iWeb2Print and iWeb2Shot. Convert web page to printer friendly PDF

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.

BrowseShot - BrowseShot lets you capture a PNG of the full scrollable area of a website.

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

Paparazzi! - Paparazzi! is a small utility for Mac OS X that makes screenshots of webpages.