# Best PDF Generation APIs in 2026 (Ranked for Devs) > A developer's guide to the best PDF generation and automation APIs in 2026 — DocRaptor, Orshot, PDFMonkey, APITemplate and more, compared on price and features - **Author**: Rishi Mohan - **Published**: 2026-06-02 - **Tags**: PDF Automation, Developers - **Read time**: 8 min read - **URL**: https://orshot.com/blog/best-pdf-generation-apis --- Almost every [PDF generation API](https://orshot.com/solutions/pdf-generation-api) comes down to one of two approaches. - **HTML/CSS → PDF**: you write the markup, the API renders it through a browser or print engine and hands you a PDF. Maximum control, but you own every pixel and there's no UI for non-developers. - **Template-based**: you design a document once in a visual editor, then hit an endpoint with data (``) and get a pixel-perfect PDF back. Less raw control, far less maintenance, and a marketer or ops person can edit the template without touching code. Neither is "better" — they fit different teams. This list covers both, ranked for how most developers actually ship invoices, certificates, reports, and contracts at scale in 2026. I build **Orshot**, one of the tools below, so weight my ranking accordingly — but I've tried to be fair about where each one genuinely wins. ## The shortlist at a glance Prices verified at time of writing; always check each vendor's pricing page, since tiers move. ## 1. DocRaptor — best HTML/CSS fidelity ![DocRaptor — HTML-to-PDF API homepage](https://orshot.com/blog/pdf-apis/docraptor.png) [DocRaptor](https://docraptor.com/pricing "target=_blank rel=nofollow") is the one to beat for print-grade output. It renders through the Prince engine, which gives you the most faithful CSS support of anything here — page breaks, headers and footers, footnotes, and proper print styling that browser-based renderers fumble. It also produces accessible (tagged) PDFs and is SOC 2, HIPAA, and GDPR compliant, so it shows up a lot in regulated industries. Pricing starts free for 5 documents a month, then \$15/mo, with unlimited _watermarked_ test documents so you can develop without burning quota. - Best-in-class CSS fidelity via the Prince engine - Accessible, tagged PDFs (PDF/UA, WCAG, Section 508) - SOC 2, HIPAA, and GDPR compliant - Unlimited free watermarked test docs while you build Cons: - No visual editor — you write all the HTML/CSS - PDF and Excel only; no images or video - Per-document pricing climbs at high volume **Where it fits:** complex, paginated documents where layout fidelity and compliance matter more than having a visual editor. It's PDF (and Excel) only — no images or video. ## 2. Orshot — best if you need more than PDFs I'll keep my own pitch short. Orshot turns a template into an API endpoint — design once in the Studio editor, then POST your data and get a PDF back. Multi-page documents and carousels render in a single call, which matters for invoices and reports that run long. Here's a live-preview of Orshot Studio with a design-rich document template (**you can also play with the design**): Where it pulls ahead is a designer-friendly Canva like editor which can be used to create rich PDF and document designs, and the same plan also generates [images and video](https://orshot.com/solutions/automated-image-generation) — no separate products or add-ons. So if you need invoice PDFs _and_ social images _and_ the occasional video clip, it's one API key and one bill instead of three vendors. You also get SDKs for Node, Python, Ruby, and PHP, native automation via n8n, Make, Zapier, an MCP server for AI agents, a CLI, and Dynamic URLs. Output formats cover PNG, JPG, WebP, AVIF, PDF, MP4, WebM, and GIF, and you can import templates straight from Canva or Figma. A render is one POST — pass a `templateId` plus your `modifications` and ask for a PDF:```bash curl -X POST https://api.orshot.com/v1/studio/render \ -H "Authorization: Bearer $ORSHOT_API_KEY" \ -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ -d '{ "templateId": "3211", "modifications": { "invoice_no": "1042", "total": "$49" }, "response": { "type": "url", "format": "pdf" } }' ```The response hands back a hosted URL to the finished PDF (`` returns the bytes inline instead). The same call swaps `"format": "png"` or `"mp4"` for an image or video. - PDFs, images, and video on a single plan - Design once in Studio, render with one API call - Multi-page documents and carousels in one call - SDKs, an MCP server, a CLI, and Dynamic URLs - Native n8n, Make, and Zapier — no-code friendly Cons: - Less raw HTML/CSS control than a dedicated converter - Template-first if all you need is HTML-to-PDF **Where it fits:** you want one predictable bill for PDF, image, and video, with an editor a non-developer can actually use. If you only ever need raw HTML-to-PDF, a dedicated HTML-to-PDF tool may suit you better. ## 3. APITemplate.io — editor meets HTML ![APITemplate.io — PDF and image generation API homepage](https://orshot.com/blog/pdf-apis/apitemplate.png) [APITemplate.io](https://apitemplate.io/pricing/ "target=_blank rel=nofollow") straddles both worlds: a drag-and-drop template editor _and_ the option to render raw HTML/CSS. It does PDFs and images, gives you 50 free API calls a month with 3 templates, and starts around \$29/mo for 1,500 renders. - Visual editor and raw HTML/CSS both supported - Generates both PDFs and images from templates - Connects to Zapier, Make, n8n, Airtable, and Bubble - Regional endpoints (US, EU, APAC) for lower latency Cons: - No video output - Editor can lag on complex or large templates - Lowest advertised price is annual-billing only **Where it fits:** teams that want HTML flexibility without giving up a visual editor, and that need image generation alongside PDFs but not video. ## 4. PDFMonkey — lean and transparent ![PDFMonkey — HTML template PDF generation homepage](https://orshot.com/blog/pdf-apis/pdfmonkey.png) [PDFMonkey](https://pdfmonkey.io/pricing/ "target=_blank rel=nofollow") is built on the idea that PDF generation should be a thin, predictable layer over your HTML templates — nothing more. It's a favorite for side projects and small teams. The free tier is 20 documents a month, paid starts at **€5/mo for 300 docs**, and every account gets a 30-day Pro trial. The catch to plan around is document retention: generated PDFs are kept only briefly (a day on Starter, a week on Pro), so store your own copies if you need them long-term. - Transparent, low-cost pricing from €5/mo - Forever-free tier with 20 documents a month - Familiar HTML/CSS templates plus a visual builder - Native Zapier, Make, and n8n integrations Cons: - Generated PDFs are deleted within days — store your own - Free tier blocks external images, fonts, and CSS - Unlimited retention only on higher-priced plans **Where it fits:** developers who like writing HTML templates, have modest volume, and want simple, transparent pricing. ## 5. PDFShift — minimal API-first HTML to PDF ![PDFShift — HTML-to-PDF conversion API homepage](https://orshot.com/blog/pdf-apis/pdfshift.png) [PDFShift](https://pdfshift.io/#pricing "target=_blank rel=nofollow") is the most stripped-down option: send HTML, get a PDF, done. No template editor, just a clean credit-based API with 50 free conversions a month. Worth knowing before you commit: there's a file-size cap (~5 MB per PDF even on paid plans), so very heavy documents can hit a wall. - Dead-simple HTML-to-PDF endpoint, live in minutes - Clean, well-documented credit-based API - Chromium rendering for accurate output - Free sandbox mode for unlimited testing Cons: - Large files burn extra credits, raising cost - No visual template editor or no-code builder - Small free tier pushes you to paid quickly **Where it fits:** developers who already have their HTML and want a no-nonsense conversion endpoint, not a platform. ## 6. CraftMyPDF — drag-drop templates ![CraftMyPDF — drag-and-drop PDF template editor homepage](https://orshot.com/blog/pdf-apis/craftmypdf.png) [CraftMyPDF](https://craftmypdf.com/pricing/ "target=_blank rel=nofollow") leans into the visual side: a solid drag-and-drop editor for PDFs and images, aimed at people who'd rather not hand-write layout. The free plan covers 20 documents a month, and paid starts at \$29/mo for 1,200 PDFs across 6 templates. - Polished drag-and-drop editor, no HTML needed - Generates both PDFs and PNG/JPEG images - Solid no-code integrations: Zapier, Make, Bubble, n8n - AI auto-detects fields when building templates Cons: - Templates capped per plan tier - Can slow down on complex or high-volume jobs - No video output — PDFs and images only **Where it fits:** teams that want a polished template editor for documents and don't need video. ## 7. PDF Generator API — built for embedding ![PDF Generator API — embeddable PDF editor homepage](https://orshot.com/blog/pdf-apis/pdf-generator-api.png) [PDF Generator API](https://pdfgeneratorapi.com/pricing "target=_blank rel=nofollow") is aimed at SaaS products that want to let _their own users_ design and edit PDF templates. It ships an embeddable, end-user-facing editor and prices on volume rather than locking features behind tiers, with a free sandbox to start. - Embeddable editor your own users can use - Built for multi-tenant SaaS with per-customer templates - Drag-and-drop WYSIWYG editor, no designers needed - Free 14-day sandbox to test before paying Cons: - Embedded editor is gated to higher-priced tiers - Overkill if you just need server-side PDFs - Per-page credit math is easy to underestimate **Where it fits:** you're building a product and want customers to customize their own document templates without leaving your app. ## 8. Api2Pdf — pay only for what you render ![Api2Pdf — pay-per-use PDF generation API homepage](https://orshot.com/blog/pdf-apis/api2pdf.png) [Api2Pdf](https://www.api2pdf.com/pricing "target=_blank rel=nofollow") is a thin, serverless wrapper over engines like headless Chrome, wkhtmltopdf, and LibreOffice, plus PDF merging. Pricing is pure pay-per-use — roughly \$0.005 per PDF — with no monthly minimum beyond a small balance charge. It's the cheapest path at unpredictable or very high volume, but there's no editor and no template management; it's plumbing. - Pure pay-per-use with no monthly commitment - No rate limits or request queuing - Multiple engines: headless Chrome, wkhtmltopdf, LibreOffice - Built-in PDF merge, thumbnails, and barcodes Cons: - No template management or visual editor - Usage-based billing makes per-PDF cost hard to predict - Per-request caps: 2 GB RAM, 90-second timeout **Where it fits:** high or spiky volume where usage-based billing wins and you don't need any UI. ## How to choose The honest decision tree: pick **DocRaptor** if you need the best CSS fidelity and compliance for complex print documents. Pick **PDFMonkey** or **PDFShift** if you're a developer who just wants HTML in, PDF out, at small scale. Pick **APITemplate.io** or **CraftMyPDF** if you want a visual editor for documents _and_ images. Pick **PDF Generator API** if you're embedding template editing into your own product. Pick **Api2Pdf** if pure usage-based pricing fits your volume. And pick **Orshot** if you'd rather not run three separate vendors for PDFs, images, and video — and want an editor anyone on the team can use. Whatever you choose, the test is the same: can you go from template to a clean API call in an afternoon? Browse real setups in our [use-cases](https://orshot.com/use-cases) library to see what's possible before you commit. [**Try Orshot Free →**](https://orshot.com/pricing "target=_blank") **(60 renders, no card needed)** > **Bottom line:** Every tool here will turn data into a PDF over an API. The split is approach — DocRaptor and the HTML-first tools give you raw control; APITemplate, CraftMyPDF, and Orshot give you a visual editor. Orshot's edge is doing PDF, image, and video under one predictable price. ## Common questions **Q: What's the difference between an HTML-to-PDF API and a template-based PDF API?** With an HTML-to-PDF API (DocRaptor, PDFMonkey, PDFShift, Api2Pdf) you write the HTML/CSS yourself and the API renders it — maximum control, but you maintain every layout. A template-based PDF API (Orshot, APITemplate.io, CraftMyPDF, PDF Generator API) lets you design a document once in a visual editor, then send data to fill it, so non-developers can edit templates without code. **Q: Which PDF generation API is cheapest?** At very low or unpredictable volume, Api2Pdf's pay-per-use (~$0.005/PDF) or PDFMonkey's €5/mo for 300 docs are cheapest. Once you scale, Orshot tends to win on value — $30/mo for 3,000 renders that also covers images and video. Always compare at your real expected volume. **Q: Can these APIs generate images too, or only PDFs?** It varies. Orshot does PDF, image, and video on one plan. APITemplate.io and CraftMyPDF do PDF and image. DocRaptor, PDFMonkey, PDFShift, PDF Generator API, and Api2Pdf are PDF-focused. **Q: Do I need to write code to generate PDFs with these tools?** For raw API use, yes. But several offer no-code paths — Orshot has native n8n, Make, and Zapier integrations plus Dynamic URLs (generate a document just by editing a URL), so ops and marketing teams can automate PDFs without writing code. **Q: How many free renders do I get to test Orshot?** 60 free renders, no credit card required, with access to all features so you can properly evaluate PDF, image, and video generation before paying.