March 26, 2026

HTML to PDF API Comparison 2026: With Code Examples

PDF APIcomparisonwkhtmltopdfChromiumPuppeteer

HTML to PDF conversion is a common requirement in web applications — from invoices and reports to certificates and contracts. Rendering browser content as pixel-perfect PDFs requires the right tool, and choosing poorly can mean months of maintenance headaches.

This guide compares the major options available in 2026, with real code examples, so you can make an informed decision for your project.

Major HTML to PDF Solutions

1. wkhtmltopdf (OSS)

A command-line tool based on the QtWebKit rendering engine. It was the go-to solution for years but was archived in 2023, with no further maintenance.

Pros:

Free and open source
Lightweight and fast (lower resource usage than Chromium-based tools)
Simple CLI interface

Cons:

Maintenance has stalled (archived)
Incomplete CSS Grid/Flexbox support
Cannot keep up with modern web standards

Code Example (CLI)

# Basic conversion
wkhtmltopdf https://example.com output.pdf

# With options (margins, page size)
wkhtmltopdf \
  --encoding utf-8 \
  --page-size A4 \
  --margin-top 20mm \
  --margin-bottom 20mm \
  invoice.html invoice.pdf

wkhtmltopdf is not recommended for new projects. If you're migrating from it, see our wkhtmltopdf vs Chromium engine guide for alternatives.

2. Puppeteer / Playwright (OSS)

Node.js libraries that control headless Chrome. PDF generation is available as one of many browser automation features, with full support for modern web standards.

Pros:

Full support for modern CSS/JS (CSS Grid, Flexbox, Web Fonts)
Can also capture screenshots
Large community and ecosystem

Cons:

Chrome installation and version management required
High memory consumption (200–500MB per process)
Not purpose-built for PDF generation
Concurrency handling must be implemented manually

Code Example (Node.js / Puppeteer)

const puppeteer = require('puppeteer');

async function generatePdf() {
  const browser = await puppeteer.launch();
  const page = await browser.newPage();

  // Set HTML content directly
  await page.setContent(`
    <html>
      <style>
        body { font-family: Arial, sans-serif; }
        .invoice-header { display: flex; justify-content: space-between; }
      </style>
      <body>
        <div class="invoice-header">
          <h1>Invoice</h1>
          <p>March 2026</p>
        </div>
        <table>
          <tr><td>Service Fee</td><td>$100.00</td></tr>
        </table>
      </body>
    </html>
  `);

  await page.pdf({
    path: 'invoice.pdf',
    format: 'A4',
    margin: { top: '20mm', bottom: '20mm', left: '15mm', right: '15mm' },
    printBackground: true,
  });

  await browser.close();
}

generatePdf();

For a deeper look at migrating from Puppeteer, see our Puppeteer to API migration guide.

3. Gotenberg (OSS)

A Docker-based PDF generation API that uses Chromium and LibreOffice internally. It exposes a RESTful API for PDF conversion.

Pros:

One-command Docker setup
Language-agnostic REST API
Full Chromium rendering capabilities
Also supports Word/Excel to PDF conversion

Cons:

Docker required (difficult in serverless environments)
Self-managed scaling
Limited error handling
CJK font setup requires additional configuration

Code Example (cURL)

# Convert an HTML file to PDF
curl \
  --request POST http://localhost:3000/forms/chromium/convert/html \
  --form files=@index.html \
  --form marginTop=20 \
  --form marginBottom=20 \
  -o output.pdf

# Convert a URL to PDF
curl \
  --request POST http://localhost:3000/forms/chromium/convert/url \
  --form url=https://example.com \
  --form paperWidth=8.27 \
  --form paperHeight=11.7 \
  -o output.pdf

4. FUNBREW PDF (SaaS)

A managed REST API for generating PDFs from HTML, URLs, and templates. No infrastructure to manage — just an API key to get started.

Pros:

Zero infrastructure management, start with just an API key
Dual engine (Fast/Quality) for different use cases
Built-in template engine, webhooks, and email delivery
Full CJK font support (Noto Sans JP and others pre-installed)
Auto-scaling for concurrent requests

Cons:

Monthly generation limits (plan-dependent)
External service dependency

Code Example (cURL)

curl -X POST https://api.pdf.funbrew.cloud/v1/pdf/from-html \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "html": "<h1>Invoice</h1><p>Total: $100.00</p>",
    "engine": "quality",
    "format": "A4",
    "margin": {
      "top": "20mm",
      "bottom": "20mm"
    }
  }' \
  -o invoice.pdf

Code Example (Node.js)

const response = await fetch('https://api.pdf.funbrew.cloud/v1/pdf/from-html', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {
    'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_API_KEY',
    'Content-Type': 'application/json',
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    html: '<h1>Invoice</h1><p>Total: $100.00</p>',
    engine: 'quality',
    format: 'A4',
  }),
});

const pdf = await response.arrayBuffer();
fs.writeFileSync('invoice.pdf', Buffer.from(pdf));

Code Example (Python)

import requests

response = requests.post(
    'https://api.pdf.funbrew.cloud/v1/pdf/from-html',
    headers={'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_API_KEY'},
    json={
        'html': '<h1>Invoice</h1><p>Total: $100.00</p>',
        'engine': 'quality',
        'format': 'A4',
    },
)

with open('invoice.pdf', 'wb') as f:
    f.write(response.content)

Code Example (PHP)

<?php

$apiKey = getenv('FUNBREW_PDF_API_KEY');

$ch = curl_init('https://api.pdf.funbrew.cloud/v1/pdf/from-html');
curl_setopt_array($ch, [
    CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true,
    CURLOPT_POST           => true,
    CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER     => [
        'Authorization: Bearer ' . $apiKey,
        'Content-Type: application/json',
    ],
    CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS => json_encode([
        'html'    => '<h1>Invoice</h1><p>Total: $100.00</p>',
        'engine'  => 'quality',
        'format'  => 'A4',
        'margin'  => ['top' => '20mm', 'bottom' => '20mm'],
    ]),
    CURLOPT_TIMEOUT => 30,
]);

$pdf = curl_exec($ch);
$httpCode = curl_getinfo($ch, CURLINFO_HTTP_CODE);
curl_close($ch);

if ($httpCode === 200) {
    file_put_contents('invoice.pdf', $pdf);
    echo "PDF generated.\n";
}

Code Example (Gotenberg + Node.js)

const FormData = require('form-data');
const fs = require('fs');
const axios = require('axios');

async function generateWithGotenberg() {
  const form = new FormData();
  form.append('files', fs.createReadStream('invoice.html'), 'index.html');
  form.append('marginTop', '20');
  form.append('marginBottom', '20');

  const response = await axios.post(
    'http://localhost:3000/forms/chromium/convert/html',
    form,
    { headers: form.getHeaders(), responseType: 'arraybuffer' }
  );

  fs.writeFileSync('output.pdf', response.data);
}

generateWithGotenberg();

Explore more in the documentation or try it live in the Playground. See the invoice automation guide for a real-world example.

Comparison Table

Feature	wkhtmltopdf	Puppeteer	Gotenberg	FUNBREW PDF
CSS Grid/Flexbox	Partial	Full	Full	Full
CJK Fonts	Limited, manual	Manual install	Manual config	Pre-installed
REST API	No	No	Yes	Yes
Templates	No	No	No	Yes
Webhooks	No	No	No	Yes
Email Delivery	No	No	No	Yes
Infrastructure	Self-hosted	Self-hosted	Docker	Managed
Scaling	Manual	Manual	Manual	Automatic
Free Tier	OSS	OSS	OSS	30/month
Maintenance	Archived	Active	Active	Active

Recommendations by Use Case

Side Projects & Prototypes

For low-volume PDF generation, Puppeteer is a quick way to get started. However, consider FUNBREW PDF's free tier (30/month) to avoid infrastructure setup entirely.

Startups & Mid-size Teams

If development speed matters, a managed API like FUNBREW PDF is ideal. Skip Chromium version management and scaling headaches — focus on your core product instead.

Enterprise & High Volume

For tens of thousands of PDFs per month, either self-host Gotenberg with proper scaling, or use FUNBREW PDF's enterprise plan. For strict security requirements, see our PDF API security guide.

Migration Tips

If you're currently using wkhtmltopdf, our wkhtmltopdf vs Chromium engine guide covers your migration options. For those moving from Puppeteer or Playwright, a managed API eliminates the operational overhead of browser management and scaling.

Conclusion

The landscape in 2026 is clear:

wkhtmltopdf — archived, not recommended for new projects
Puppeteer/Playwright — flexible but operationally heavy
Gotenberg — strong with Docker, but scaling is on you
FUNBREW PDF — zero infrastructure, production-ready out of the box

Start free and see for yourself. Try the Playground to generate PDFs right from your browser.

wkhtmltopdf vs Chromium: Engine Selection Guide — Deep dive into engine differences
Puppeteer to PDF API Migration Guide — Step-by-step migration from Puppeteer
PDF API Quickstart — Get started in Node.js, Python, or PHP
PDF API Pricing Comparison 2026 — Cost breakdown across services
PDF Template Engine Guide — Dynamic PDF generation with templates
PDF API Error Handling Guide — Essential error handling for production
PDF API Production Checklist — End-to-end production readiness
Automate Invoice PDF Generation — Practical API automation example
FUNBREW PDF Documentation — API reference and quickstart
Playground — Try PDF generation in your browser

Major HTML to PDF Solutions

1. wkhtmltopdf (OSS)

Code Example (CLI)

2. Puppeteer / Playwright (OSS)

Code Example (Node.js / Puppeteer)

3. Gotenberg (OSS)

Code Example (cURL)

4. FUNBREW PDF (SaaS)

Code Example (cURL)

Code Example (Node.js)

Code Example (Python)

Code Example (PHP)

Code Example (Gotenberg + Node.js)

Comparison Table

Recommendations by Use Case

Side Projects & Prototypes

Startups & Mid-size Teams

Enterprise & High Volume

Migration Tips

Conclusion

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