API2PDF is a serverless conversion API that wraps headless Chrome, wkhtmltopdf and LibreOffice behind one REST endpoint. It turns HTML, URLs, Markdown and more than 100 Office and image formats into PDF, and adds merge, watermark, password protection, barcodes and screenshots, with SDKs for Python, Node.js, PHP, C# and Java. Pricing is usage based from $1 a month, with no rate, page or file size limits. It is a low cost rendering engine for developers, which makes it a different offer to PDF Generator API. The comparison below breaks down where each fits.
API2PDF pricing vs PDF Generator API
API2PDF charges a $1 monthly fee plus bandwidth and compute time per request, with a month of free credit for new accounts. PDF Generator API is a document generation platform from €8/month with a 14-day free trial, an embeddable editor, and dedicated or on-premises deployment.
API2PDF
Conversion API · billed by usage
- New accounts1 month free credit
- Base fee$1/mo
- Usage$0.001/MB + compute
Every endpoint is included: Chrome, wkhtmltopdf, LibreOffice, merge, watermark and barcodes, with 2 GB of RAM and 90 seconds per request on the standard tier. Compute costs $0.00019551 per second, and API2PDF estimates 10,000 small PDFs a month at about $5.91. It runs on Google Cloud Run in us-central1, deletes files after 24 hours, and sells its Docker containers for a one time fee to run on your own infrastructure. There is no template system, visual editor, signature field or security certification.
PDF Generator API
Cloud plans · billed by credits · 14-day free trial
- Individualfrom €8/mo
- Teamfrom €52/mo
- Scales to250k credits/mo
Individual starts at 50 credits and 5 templates; Team starts at 1,000 credits, 25 templates and 10 workspaces, with unlimited templates and the embedded editor on higher tiers. Every plan includes a 14-day free trial, and on-premises deployment is available on request.
API2PDF alternative: which one fits
API2PDF is one of the cheapest ways to turn HTML into PDF at volume. One key gives access to Chrome and wkhtmltopdf for HTML and URLs, LibreOffice for Word, Excel and PowerPoint, PdfSharp for merging and ZXing for barcodes, plus watermarks, passwords, page extraction, screenshots and PDF to Markdown or JSON. There are no rate or page limits, payloads are not logged, files delete themselves after 24 hours, and the Docker containers can run in your own cloud. It fits developers who already generate the HTML in their own code and want the lowest cost per conversion. It has no templates, no visual editor, no signature or form fields, and no security certification.
PDF Generator API moves the template out of your code: you design it once in a drag and drop editor, then send only JSON. It adds an embeddable editor your own customers use in their own workspace, signature fields and document signing, web forms, fillable form fields, watermarks and encryption, HTML to PDF when you still need it, XRechnung and Factur-X electronic invoices, ISO 27001 certification with GDPR and HIPAA compliance, shared cloud in the US, EU, UK and Australia, and dedicated or on premises deployment. To compare, rebuild one of the documents you render through API2PDF as a template during the free trial and send it the same data as JSON.
API2PDF vs PDF Generator API: FAQ
Is API2PDF cheaper than PDF Generator API?
For raw HTML conversion, yes. API2PDF charges $1 a month plus $0.001 per MB of bandwidth and $0.00019551 per second of compute, and estimates 10,000 small PDFs a month at about $5.91. PDF Generator API starts at €8 a month for 50 credits and €52 for 1,000, where one credit covers a document of up to 5 pages, and the price includes templates, the editor and data merging that you would otherwise build yourself.
What is the best API2PDF alternative?
For another HTML to PDF API, PDFShift and DocRaptor are the closest. If you want templates that business users edit in a drag and drop editor instead of HTML you maintain in code, an editor your own customers use inside your product, or ISO 27001 hosting in the EU, PDF Generator API covers those.
Does API2PDF support templates?
No. API2PDF converts the HTML, URL or file you send, so your application has to build the final HTML from its data first. PDF Generator API stores templates with loops, conditions and calculations, and you send only the JSON data to get the PDF back.
Comparing more tools? See PDFShift vs PDF Generator API and DocRaptor vs PDF Generator API, or all comparisons. Last updated: October 2026.