# A CraftMyPDF Alternative with Unlimited Templates > A CraftMyPDF alternative for PDF generation via API with unlimited templates and certificates from Google Sheets or Airtable in n8n and Zapier - **Author**: Rishi Mohan - **Published**: 2026-09-26 - **Tags**: Alternative - **Read time**: 12 min read - **URL**: https://orshot.com/blog/craftmypdf-api-alternative --- Most teams that go looking for a CraftMyPDF alternative hit the same wall, and the PDFs themselves are fine. The problem is the template count. CraftMyPDF plans cap how many templates you can keep: - **Free:** 3 - **Lite:** 6 - **Plus:** 15 - **Professional:** 50 That's fine for one invoice and one certificate. It gets tight when every client, event or language needs its own design. You end up deleting old templates, or moving up a plan you don't need for volume. The other gap shows up later. The PDF is rarely the only file. The certificate needs a LinkedIn share image, the property listing needs an Instagram post, and the report needs a cover graphic. That's a second tool with a second template. I built [Orshot](https://orshot.com/) so one template covers all of it: - Design in a Figma-like editor with your brand fonts and colors - Every layer becomes an API parameter - The same template renders as a PDF, an image or a video - Every plan includes unlimited templates 100 free credits a month for PDFs and images. Unlimited templates on every plan. No card needed. [Try Orshot free](https://orshot.com/pricing?via=blog-craftmypdf-top) ![The CraftMyPDF homepage: design and generate PDF documents from reusable templates with a drag and drop editor, expressions and a REST API](https://orshot.com/blog/craftmypdf-api-alternative/craftmypdf-homepage.webp) ## CraftMyPDF vs Orshot: What's Different | Feature | Orshot | CraftMyPDF | | :--------------------- | :------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | :---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Template limit** | Unlimited on every plan | 3 (Free), 6 (Lite), 15 (Plus), 50 (Professional), then 1,000+ | | **Output formats** | PDF, PNG, JPG, WebP, AVIF, MP4, WebM, MOV, MKV and GIF from the same template | PDF, plus PNG and JPEG from an image endpoint. No video | | **Editor** | [Orshot Studio](https://orshot.com/features/orshot-studio), a Figma-like design editor with your brand kit | Drag and drop document editor, plus HTML | | **Long content** | [Flowing text](https://orshot.com/docs/orshot-studio/flowing-content) that adds pages as it needs them, with repeating headers and footers | Page breaks and arrays | | **Rendered files** | A file URL kept for at least a year, or [pushed to your Drive, Dropbox, S3 or R2](https://orshot.com/features/bring-your-own-storage) on every paid plan | Links expire after 1 minute to 7 days (5 minutes by default). Your own S3 from \$99 | | **Team members** | 2 included from \$39 | Teams from \$99 | | **AI agents** | [Orshot for agents](https://orshot.com/agents), a first-party MCP server that lists, renders and even creates templates | Only through third-party MCP servers (Zapier, Composio, Pipedream) | | **Built-in workflows** | [Trigger from Sheets or Airtable, render, then send](https://orshot.com/workflows) | Via Zapier, Make, n8n or Bubble | | **Template import** | [Canva](https://orshot.com/solutions/canva-template-to-api), Figma and Polotno | Their editor or HTML | CraftMyPDF details checked against craftmypdf.com in September 2026. ### Orshot vs CraftMyPDF in Numbers Three numbers you can check yourself on their public pricing page and docs. ## Where CraftMyPDF Setups Get Stuck The friction people describe in the Make and n8n communities is in the edges around the PDF: - **The template cap.** Agencies and multi-brand teams run out of template slots long before they run out of PDF credits. - **Type errors from spreadsheets.** A number that arrives from Google Sheets as text breaks the render with "Invalid number in parameter", which shows up in the Make community. - **Timeouts on longer documents.** Make modules time out after 40 seconds, so longer PDFs have to be rebuilt around CraftMyPDF's async endpoint and a second webhook scenario. - **Links that expire fast.** Generated file links last 5 minutes by default, so every workflow needs a step that downloads the file and uploads it somewhere else. Sending it straight to your own storage starts on the \$99 plan. - **PDF only.** When the certificate also needs a share image, or the listing needs a social post, that's a second product. ## Design the Template Once, Render It Everywhere You design in Orshot Studio, a Figma-like editor. Drop in text, images and shapes, apply your brand kit, and mark any layer as dynamic. Each dynamic layer becomes an API parameter with the name you give it, like `recipient_name` or `course_title`. The API tab writes the request for you. ![Automating a template in Orshot: design once in Studio, then every dynamic layer becomes an API parameter](https://orshot.com/home/new/automate-templates.png) The things that make PDF templates work in production are built in: - **Multi-page.** Design each page, and fill every page from one call with `page2@headline` style parameters. See [multi-page PDFs](https://orshot.com/docs/pdf-generation/multi-page-pdfs). - **Flowing content.** Set a text layer to Flow and long content spills onto as many pages as it needs, with headers, footers and page numbers repeating on each one. - **Print ready.** PDFs are print ready at the default settings, and you can set margins, CMYK color mode, image compression and page range per render with `pdfOptions`. - **Clickable links.** Give any text or image an `href` and it's a live link in the PDF. - **Brand kit.** Fonts, colors and logos come from your [brand kit](https://orshot.com/features/brand-assets-library), so every template stays on brand. Already have a design in Canva or Figma? [Import it](https://orshot.com/docs/importing-templates) instead of rebuilding from scratch. ## What People Make With It The templates that fit Orshot best are designed documents, where the layout matters as much as the data: - **Certificates** for courses, events and awards. The [Google Sheets certificate tutorial](https://orshot.com/blog/google-sheets-certificates-automation) walks through the whole flow. - **Reports and one-pagers** with charts, KPIs and a branded cover. - **Brochures and real estate listing PDFs** with photos, price, address and agent details. - **Event badges, tickets and name cards** with each attendee's name, photo and role. - **Menus, flyers and product sheets** that also go out as social posts. The same template also renders as an image. So the certificate gets a matching LinkedIn share card, and the listing gets an Instagram post, from the same data. ![One Orshot template rendered as an A4 PDF certificate and a matching LinkedIn share image](https://orshot.com/blog/craftmypdf-api-alternative/certificate-and-share-image.webp) - [Smart Resize](https://orshot.com/features/smart-resize) re-fits the A4 layout to a square or a story size - [Social publishing](https://orshot.com/docs/publish/introduction) (\$12 a month per connected account) can post it for you ## One API Call for PDFs and Images Here's the render. The tabs show a certificate PDF, the same template as a share image, a multi-page report, an async render for longer documents, and the CraftMyPDF call it replaces. Fill the name, course and date, set CMYK for print, and get a PDF link back. ```javascript const res = await fetch("https://api.orshot.com/v1/studio/render", { method: "POST", headers: { Authorization: "Bearer YOUR_ORSHOT_API_KEY", "Content-Type": "application/json", }, body: JSON.stringify({ templateId: "YOUR_TEMPLATE_ID", modifications: { recipient_name: "Priya Sharma", course_title: "Advanced Data Analysis", completion_date: "25 September 2026", }, response: { type: "url", format: "pdf" }, pdfOptions: { colorMode: "cmyk", margin: "20px" }, }), }); ``` The same template and data, rendered as a PNG the recipient can post on LinkedIn. Only the format changes. ```javascript body: JSON.stringify({ templateId: "YOUR_TEMPLATE_ID", modifications: { recipient_name: "Priya Sharma", course_title: "Advanced Data Analysis", }, response: { type: "url", format: "png" }, }), ``` Every page in one call. Prefix a parameter with the page number to fill each one. ```javascript body: JSON.stringify({ templateId: "YOUR_TEMPLATE_ID", modifications: { "page1@client_name": "Northwind Traders", "page1@period": "Q3 2026", "page2@revenue_chart": "https://cdn.example.com/q3-revenue.png", "page3@summary": "Revenue grew 18% on the back of repeat orders.", }, response: { type: "url", format: "pdf" }, }), ``` Long documents can run in the background on the same endpoint, so there's no 40 second Make timeout to design around. Pass your own record ID as `metadata` and it comes back in the webhook, so the PDF lands on the right row. ```javascript body: JSON.stringify({ templateId: "YOUR_TEMPLATE_ID", modifications: { client_name: "Northwind Traders" }, response: { mode: "async", format: "pdf" }, webhook_url: "https://acme.com/hooks/orshot", metadata: "airtable-rec8412", }), // Your webhook receives: // { // "event": "render_job.finished", // "job": { "id": 1204, "status": "succeeded", "result": { ... }, "metadata": "airtable-rec8412" } // } ``` For comparison, the same certificate on CraftMyPDF. ```javascript const res = await fetch("https://api.craftmypdf.com/v1/create", { method: "POST", headers: { "X-API-KEY": "YOUR_CRAFTMYPDF_API_KEY", "Content-Type": "application/json", }, body: JSON.stringify({ template_id: "YOUR_CRAFTMYPDF_TEMPLATE_ID", data: { recipient_name: "Priya Sharma", course_title: "Advanced Data Analysis", completion_date: "25 September 2026", }, export_type: "json", }), }); // The file link is temporary (5 minutes by default), so save it right away ``` Full references: [PDF generation](https://orshot.com/docs/pdf-generation), [PDF options](https://orshot.com/docs/pdf-generation/pdf-options), [async renders](https://orshot.com/docs/api-reference/async-render-start) and [dynamic parameters](https://orshot.com/docs/dynamic-parameters). ## Google Sheets, Airtable, n8n and Zapier CraftMyPDF connects to Zapier, Make, n8n and Bubble, and so does Orshot. There's a first-party [n8n node](https://orshot.com/docs/integrations/n8n) plus [Make](https://orshot.com/docs/integrations/make) and [Zapier](https://orshot.com/docs/integrations/zapier) apps. Swapping the PDF step in an existing scenario takes a few minutes. Rather not run a separate automation tool? Orshot Workflows do the whole loop: - **Trigger** from Google Sheets, Airtable, Google Forms or a webhook - **Render** the template - **Send** the file to email, Drive, your own endpoint or a social account Here's one that turns every row of a Google Sheet into a certificate PDF and saves it to Google Drive, with no download and upload step in between: [Issue a certificate PDF for every row of a Google Sheet on Orshot](https://orshot.com/workflows/certificate-generator/embed) Need people outside your team to generate their own PDFs? [Template Forms](https://orshot.com/blog/template-forms) share any template as a public form. They fill it in and download the file, with no account and no automation to build. With Orshot for agents, Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor can list your templates, render a certificate or a report, and design a new template from a prompt. It's a first-party MCP server. CraftMyPDF is only reachable through third-party MCP servers. **Unlimited templates on every plan** — One template for the PDF and the social image. 100 free credits a month to test it on your own data. [Start free](https://orshot.com/pricing?via=blog-craftmypdf-middle) ## CraftMyPDF Pricing, and How Orshot Bills CraftMyPDF charges per document, whatever the page count, with a template cap on each plan: - **Free:** 50 PDFs a month, 3 templates - **Lite:** \$29 a month, 1,200 PDFs, 6 templates - **Plus:** \$49 a month, 3,000 PDFs, 15 templates - **Professional:** \$99 a month, 12,000 PDFs, 50 templates - **Premium:** \$299 a month, 40,000 PDFs, 1,000 templates - **Business:** \$499 a month, 150,000 PDFs, 10,000 templates Annual billing is 10 months' price, and unused credits don't roll over. Teams and sending files to your own S3 bucket start on Professional. Prices checked against craftmypdf.com/pricing in September 2026. Orshot uses one credit for 1 PDF page, 1 image or 1 second of video. Every plan includes unlimited templates, and every paid plan includes your own storage (Drive, Dropbox, S3 or R2) and 2 team members. ## Other CraftMyPDF Alternatives If you're weighing CraftMyPDF, these are the other tools that usually come up. ### PDFMonkey ![The PDFMonkey homepage: automate PDF generation with templates, dynamic data and a REST API](https://orshot.com/blog/craftmypdf-api-alternative/alt-pdfmonkey.webp) PDFMonkey builds templates in HTML and CSS, then fills them with data through a REST API. It suits developers who want to write the document as code. ### APITemplate.io ![The APITemplate.io homepage: generate images and PDFs from templates via API](https://orshot.com/blog/apitemplate-io-alternative/apitemplate-homepage.webp) APITemplate.io renders both images and PDFs from templates, with a visual editor for images and HTML templates for PDFs. [Read the full APITemplate.io comparison →](https://orshot.com/blog/apitemplate-io-alternative) Verified pricing for more PDF tools, at 1,000, 10,000 and 100,000 documents a month, is in our [PDF generation API comparison](https://orshot.com/blog/best-pdf-generation-apis). ## When CraftMyPDF Fits Better CraftMyPDF is built as a document tool. It has tools Orshot doesn't for: - Invoices or statements with line-item tables that grow with the data - Filling existing PDF forms - Merging and splitting files, adding passwords and collecting e-signatures It also bills per document, so long PDFs cost less there. Orshot fits when the PDF is designed, when you need many templates, or when the same design also has to go out as an image or a video. See the [PDF generation API](https://orshot.com/solutions/pdf-generation-api) page for the full picture. ## Switching From CraftMyPDF Most switches take an afternoon. 1. **Rebuild the template.** Recreate it in Studio, import it from Canva or Figma, or describe it to the [AI Design Agent](https://orshot.com/blog/introducing-design-agent). Name each dynamic layer after your old data key and your mapping stays the same. 2. **Swap the API call.** Replace `template_id` and `data` with `templateId` and `modifications`, and set `response.format` to `pdf`, as in the code tabs above. In n8n, Make or Zapier, swap the CraftMyPDF step for the Orshot one. 3. **Run both side by side.** Compare a few real documents, tweak spacing in Studio, and cut over when they match. Stuck on a template? Hit the chat button and I'll help you move it over. ## Common Questions **Q: What is CraftMyPDF?** CraftMyPDF is a PDF generation API. You design a document template in its drag and drop editor or in HTML, then send JSON data to the API to get a PDF back. It's often used for invoices, certificates, labels and reports. Orshot covers the same template-to-PDF job with a Figma-like editor, unlimited templates, and the same template rendering as images or video too. **Q: How much does CraftMyPDF cost?** CraftMyPDF has a free plan with 50 PDFs and 3 templates a month. Paid plans are Lite at $29 (1,200 PDFs, 6 templates), Plus at $49 (3,000 PDFs, 15 templates), Professional at $99 (12,000 PDFs, 50 templates), Premium at $299 and Business at $499. One PDF is one credit regardless of page count. Checked against craftmypdf.com/pricing in September 2026. Orshot starts free with 100 credits a month, then $39 a month for 1,500 credits, with unlimited templates on every plan. **Q: How many templates can I have on CraftMyPDF?** It depends on the plan: 3 on Free, 6 on Lite, 15 on Plus, 50 on Professional, 1,000 on Premium and 10,000 on Business. Orshot has no template limit on any plan, including Free, so you can keep a template per client, event or language without upgrading. **Q: Does Orshot work with n8n, Zapier and Make like CraftMyPDF?** Yes. Orshot has a first-party n8n node and Zapier and Make apps. It also has built-in workflows that trigger from Google Sheets or Airtable, so simple PDF automations don't need a separate tool. **Q: Can I generate certificates from Google Sheets?** Yes. Design the certificate in Studio, connect a Google Sheet, and each new row renders a PDF with the recipient's details. The certificate tutorial covers every step, and the same template can also render a share image for each recipient. **Q: Can one template make both a PDF and an image?** Yes. Every Orshot template renders as PDF, PNG, JPG, WebP or AVIF, and video templates as MP4, WebM, MOV, MKV or GIF. Change `response.format` in the same API call and the same design comes back in the new format. **Q: Can AI agents generate PDFs with Orshot?** Yes. Orshot for agents is a first-party MCP server, so Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor and other agents can list your templates, render PDFs or images, and create new templates from a prompt. CraftMyPDF is only reachable through third-party MCP servers such as Zapier's. **Q: Is there a free CraftMyPDF alternative?** Orshot has a free plan with 100 credits every month for images and PDFs, where 1 credit is one image or one PDF page, and no card is needed. There is no template limit on the free plan. CraftMyPDF's free plan covers 50 PDFs and 3 templates a month. **Q: How do I migrate from CraftMyPDF to Orshot?** Rebuild each template in Studio, or import the design from Canva or Figma, and name each dynamic layer after the JSON key you already send. Then swap the CraftMyPDF API call for the Orshot render call with the same data as modifications. If a template is fiddly to rebuild, hit the chat button and we'll help move it over. **Q: Can I save generated PDFs to my own S3 or Google Drive?** Yes. Every paid Orshot plan can push renders to your own Amazon S3, Cloudflare R2, Google Drive or Dropbox, from $39 a month. See [S3 compatible storage](https://orshot.com/docs/integrations/s3-storage) for the bucket setup. On CraftMyPDF, your own storage starts on the $99 plan. **Q: How long do generated PDF links last?** Orshot returns a file URL that stays live for at least a year, so you can drop it straight into an email, a CRM record or a sheet. CraftMyPDF links expire after 5 minutes by default and 7 days at most, so most automations add a step to copy the file somewhere first. **Q: Can Orshot make multi-page PDFs like reports and brochures?** Yes. Design each page in one template and render them all in a single call, filling fields page by page. Long text can flow onto extra pages automatically, with headers and footers repeated on each one. Every page counts as one credit. ## Try It [Sign up](https://orshot.com/pricing?via=blog-craftmypdf-footer), rebuild one CraftMyPDF template in Studio, and render it as a PDF and a PNG from the same call. You start with 100 free credits a month, unlimited templates, and no card. If something doesn't work the way you expect, hit the chat button. I'm usually the one on the other end.