DocRaptor is a hosted HTML to PDF and HTML to Excel API built on the Prince rendering engine and run by Artifex Software: you write the HTML and CSS for every document in your own code, send it to the API and get back a print-quality PDF or an XLS/XLSX file. It is known for advanced paged-media CSS, accessible PDFs, a 99.99% uptime guarantee and SOC 2 Type II and HIPAA compliance. It is a pure conversion service, which makes it a very different offer to PDF Generator API, where templates are built in a drag-and-drop editor you can embed in your own product. The comparison below breaks down where each fits.
Pricing
DocRaptor is billed per document, from a free plan of 5 documents a month and $15/month for 125 up to $1,000/month for 40,000, with no template editor; PDF Generator API is a document generation platform from €8/month with a 14-day free trial, a drag-and-drop editor, and dedicated or on-premises deployment.
DocRaptor
HTML to PDF & Excel API · Prince engine · billed per document
- Free$0 (5/mo)
- From$15/mo (125)
- Scales to$1,000/mo (40k)
Plans run Basic $15 for 125 documents, Professional $29 for 325, Premium $75 for 1,250, Max $149 for 5,000, Bronze $399 for 15,000 and Silver $1,000 for 40,000, with Enterprise on request and a per-document overage on paid plans. Every document costs the same regardless of size, and watermarked test documents are unlimited. Prince rendering with paged-media CSS, JavaScript, headers and footers, HTML forms converted to PDF forms, accessible PDF/UA output, HTML to Excel and document hosting, with libraries for Java, .NET, Node, PHP, Python and Ruby. Hosted on AWS, SOC 2 Type II, GDPR and HIPAA (BAA on paid plans), but no template editor, template management, workspaces, ISO 27001 certification, dedicated regions or on-premises option.
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.
Which one should you choose?
Choose DocRaptor if
- Your developers already build every document as HTML and CSS and need print-grade paged-media features such as mixed page sizes, footnotes, crop marks or CMYK output.
- You also need spreadsheets, since DocRaptor converts HTML to XLS and XLSX as well as PDF.
- Your documents are very long or heavy, because DocRaptor charges the same per document whatever its size or page count.
Choose PDF Generator API if
- People who do not write code, including your own customers, need to design and edit templates in a drag-and-drop editor instead of HTML.
- You want to embed a white-label template editor in your SaaS product, with workspaces that keep each customer’s templates separate.
- You need ISO 27001 certification, dedicated deployment in the US, EU, UK or Australia, or an on-premises installation.
- You want template management, signature fields, web forms that collect data, or an existing PDF used as a template, and still keep an HTML to PDF API for the cases where you do write HTML.
Conclusion
DocRaptor is one of the most respected HTML to PDF APIs, with over a decade in production at companies such as Shopify, HubSpot and Square, the Prince engine for print-quality paged-media CSS, accessible PDF/UA output, HTML to Excel, a 99.99% uptime guarantee and SOC 2 Type II and HIPAA compliance. It is a strong choice when your developers own every document as HTML and CSS and need the most precise rendering available. Its model is still pure conversion: there is no drag-and-drop template designer, no embeddable editor, no template management or multi-tenant workspaces, no data-collecting web forms, no ISO 27001 certification and no dedicated-region or on-premises option, so the whole template layer stays in your codebase.
PDF Generator API gives you HTML to PDF conversion plus the template layer DocRaptor leaves to you: a cloud SaaS from €8/month with a 14-day free trial and dedicated deployment in the US, EU, UK or Australia, or on-premises when you need it, a drag-and-drop embeddable editor your own customers can use, multi-tenant workspaces, fillable PDF form and signature fields, web forms, an AI template builder, and HIPAA and ISO 27001 compliance. Companies such as Katana MRP and Paragon ERP use it to let their own users manage document templates. If you need more than conversion, it is worth a direct comparison.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main difference between DocRaptor and PDF Generator API?
DocRaptor converts HTML and CSS that your developers write into PDF or Excel files, so every template lives in your codebase. PDF Generator API adds a template layer on top of generation: a drag-and-drop editor, template management and workspaces, so non-developers and your own customers can design documents, and an HTML to PDF API for cases where you do write HTML.
What are the best DocRaptor alternatives?
It depends on what you need beyond conversion. If you want another pure HTML to PDF API, PDFShift and PDFCrowd are common choices. If you want templates that non-developers can edit, an embeddable editor for your own customers, or ISO 27001 certification and dedicated deployment, PDF Generator API covers those on top of HTML to PDF conversion.
Is DocRaptor cheaper than PDF Generator API?
Usually not. PDF Generator API starts at €8/month for 50 credits and €26/month for 250, against DocRaptor’s $15/month for 125 documents. At higher volumes the gap widens: DocRaptor charges $149/month for 5,000 documents, $399 for 15,000 and $1,000 for 40,000, while PDF Generator API’s Team plans include 5,000, 15,000 and 50,000 credits for less. One credit covers a document of up to five pages, so DocRaptor can work out cheaper for very long documents, because it charges the same for any size.
Is DocRaptor HIPAA compliant? Is PDF Generator API?
Both are. DocRaptor offers HIPAA on all paid plans once a Business Associate Agreement is signed, and it is SOC 2 Type II compliant. PDF Generator API includes HIPAA compliance on every plan and is ISO 27001 certified, with dedicated deployment in the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom or Australia and an on-premises option.
Does DocRaptor have a template editor?
No. DocRaptor has no template editor or template storage; you build and version the HTML for every document yourself. PDF Generator API includes a drag-and-drop template editor on every plan and an embeddable, white-label version on higher Team plans, so your users can create and edit templates inside your product.
Can I move from DocRaptor to PDF Generator API?
Yes. You can keep sending HTML to PDF Generator API’s HTML to PDF endpoint while you move your most-edited documents into editor-based templates, so business users take over changes without a developer. Test documents are unlimited on every plan and the 14-day free trial lets you compare output side by side.