Best PDF Generators for PHP

FPDF is a PHP-based tool that enables the creation of PDF files directly through PHP, making it an alternative to the PDFlib library. The acronym FPDF stands for "free," indicating that it can be utilized and customized without restriction to meet various user requirements. This library functions without the need for additional PHP extensions, aside from Zlib for compression and GD for GIF functionality, and is compatible with PHP versions 5.1 and later, including PHP7 and PHP8. With a range of tutorials available, users can quickly learn to navigate FPDF effectively. Notably, FPDF supports the generation of documents in multiple languages beyond just Western European scripts, accommodating Central, Cyrillic, Greek, and Baltic languages, provided there are suitable TrueType or Type1 fonts available. Additionally, it offers support for UTF-8 encoding. While the document generation speed may not match that of PDFlib, it is still quite reasonable and sufficient for most applications unless specific document precision is required. This versatility makes FPDF a popular choice among developers looking for a straightforward PDF generation solution.

Utilize our HTML to PDF API to effortlessly generate PDFs from web pages or HTML content. Allow your users to convert web pages to PDFs with just one click! Transform entire websites into PDFs seamlessly! Join a multitude of satisfied customers who have been creating top-notch PDFs since 2008! You can swiftly convert any URL or raw HTML into an impressive PDF document. Our REST API is compatible with any programming language and is equipped with a variety of features, including customizable layouts, headers, footers, watermarks, encryption, and more. Simply integrate a "save as PDF" link or button on your web pages, enabling your visitors to download content as a PDF with ease. You have the flexibility to manage numerous layout options and personalize headers and footers. Capture your whole website as a PDF for copyright protection or other reasons. Just input the URL, and we will compile all the pages of the site into a single PDF file. While you enjoy a coffee break, we'll handle the rest and notify you via email when the process is complete, ensuring convenience all the way through!

Setting up and managing a PDF backend can be a cumbersome and lengthy process. With Paperplane, you can quickly integrate PDF capabilities into your application, allowing you to focus on what truly counts. For those handling batch tasks, Paperplane enables the creation of as many as 20 PDFs simultaneously, giving you the freedom to enhance your workflow and produce more documents efficiently. Its asynchronous API allows you to initiate PDF jobs without needing to monitor long-running processes until completion. Additionally, webhooks will keep you informed about any issues that may arise during the PDF creation process. If you’re in search of a method to generate PDFs from your single-page application, rest assured that if your site functions in Chrome, it will also operate seamlessly with Paperplane. You can even opt to delay PDF generation until a specific element appears on the page, ensuring that all your content is fully loaded before the process begins. This flexibility enhances user experience and reliability, making Paperplane a valuable tool for developers.

Bannerbear enables the automatic creation of social media graphics, eCommerce banners, and additional visual content through its API and various integrations. By utilizing no-code automated workflows, you can streamline repetitive marketing tasks seamlessly in the background. Enhance your application with image and video generation features through our REST API or by using our official libraries available in Ruby, Node, and PHP. You can produce images and videos through a variety of integrations and plugins available. Get started with a free trial offering 30 API credits, and you won't need to provide a credit card. Design templates that align with your brand identity, incorporating multiple layers, custom fonts, logos, and much more. Bannerbear intelligently auto-resizes text for images with lengthy titles or product names, ensuring a polished outcome. Additionally, optional AI functionality can automatically detect faces in images and adjust their placement within your banners for optimal presentation. The straightforward and RESTful API allows for easy integration with your current platform or applications. You can choose to generate images either asynchronously or on-the-fly to meet your specific requirements. Furthermore, you can invite team members to collaborate on creating templates or configuring API integrations, making the entire process more efficient and versatile.

Dompdf serves as a converter that transforms HTML into PDF format. At its core, it functions as a layout and rendering engine written in PHP, adhering primarily to CSS 2.1 standards. This style-driven renderer is capable of downloading and interpreting external stylesheets, as well as handling inline style tags and the styling attributes of specific HTML elements. Additionally, it accommodates a majority of presentational HTML attributes. Currently, PDF generation is achieved through either PDFLib or a modified version of the R&OS CPDF class, originally crafted by Wayne Munro, with several significant adjustments made to enhance its functionality. To utilize PDFLib with dompdf, the PDFLib PECL extension must be installed. While integrating PDFLib can enhance performance and slightly lessen the memory demands of dompdf, the R&OS CPDF class, albeit marginally slower, removes the need for any external PDF libraries. Dompdf also supports both local and remote external stylesheets accessed via HTTP or FTP. Moreover, it is capable of handling intricate tables, allowing for row and column spans, as well as separate or collapsed border models, along with the ability to style individual cells as needed. This versatility makes dompdf a robust choice for generating PDFs from HTML content.

mPDF is a PHP library designed to create PDF documents from HTML that is encoded in UTF-8. It builds upon the foundations of FPDF and HTML2FPDF while incorporating various enhancements. Though it tends to be slower than its predecessors, such as HTML2FPDF, and results in larger file sizes when using Unicode fonts, it offers features like CSS styling and other improvements. Despite its advantages, mPDF is considered somewhat outdated, and there are now more advanced alternatives available that are not PHP-based. If you find yourself limited to PHP for PDF generation or wish to utilize mPDF's unique features, such as color management, barcode support, and customizable headers and footers, it may still be a viable option. However, keep in mind that designing an HTML/CSS template specifically for mPDF might be essential for optimal results. For the best CSS support and the ability to replicate existing HTML pages in PDF format, using headless Chrome is recommended. mPDF is expected to continue receiving updates to improve its internal functions and maintain compatibility with newer PHP versions, ensuring it remains a relevant option for developers.

TCPDF stands out as one of the leading open-source initiatives globally, with millions of daily users and integration in thousands of content management systems and web applications. It operates without the need for external libraries for its core functionalities, supporting various standard and custom page formats, margins, and measurement units. Additionally, it accommodates UTF-8 Unicode and right-to-left language support, as well as a diverse range of font types including TrueType Unicode, OpenType Unicode, and multiple other formats, complete with font subsetting capabilities. The library also provides methods for publishing XHTML combined with CSS, JavaScript, and form elements. Users can incorporate images and graphics through transformation methods, with native support for JPEG, PNG, and SVG formats, as well as compatibility with all images supported by GD, including formats such as GIF, BMP, and XBM. Automatic management of page headers and footers enhances usability, while robust document security features include encryption up to 256 bits and digital signature certifications. Additionally, it offers transaction capabilities for UNDO commands and supports various PDF annotations, enabling links, text, and file attachments to be seamlessly integrated into the documents. This comprehensive functionality makes TCPDF an invaluable tool for developers and users alike.

When it comes to converting HTML files into PDFs, there are numerous factors to consider in order to achieve exceptional print quality. Whether you're transforming a webpage or utilizing Database Publishing, there exist methods to convert even intricate HTML into PDF format. PDFreactor offers a robust solution as an HTML to PDF converter, boasting an extensive array of features that surpass the capabilities of most other tools, thereby elevating your PDF conversion experience. With ease, you can convert HTML to PDF while enjoying support for HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript. The software features APIs compatible with various programming languages, including JavaScript, Java, PHP, .NET, Python, Ruby, Perl, Node.js, and both SOAP and REST protocols, along with a Docker Image option. Additionally, a free personal license is available, making PDFreactor an ideal choice for web applications such as Database Publishing, Web-to-Print, PIM, DMS, MDM, DAM, WCMS, and VDP. Typically, it is employed for server-side HTML to PDF conversions, which can range from documents driven by dynamic data—like reports, invoices, and forms—to creating sophisticated, high-quality PDFs suitable for various purposes. Ultimately, PDFreactor empowers users to efficiently handle diverse printing needs while maintaining high standards of quality.

The PDF Generator API makes it straightforward to create PDF documents using established templates alongside JSON data. It empowers your users to produce PDFs and oversee their document templates through an intuitive browser-based drag-and-drop PDF editor, which helps lower both development and support expenses. With our platform, you have the capability to establish distinct workspaces for individual users, enabling them to store and manage their templates effectively. Each time an API request is made with a new workspace identifier, a new workspace is generated automatically. Users can also write mathematical and logical expressions to adjust and personalize the values shown in the various components. The API supports a wide range of operators, including ternary, arithmetic, bitwise, and comparison operators, along with functions for summing, joining, and iterating through arrays. Various components such as Text, Table, and Barcode can be utilized, allowing for precise formatting of numerical and date values. Furthermore, it facilitates the grouping, filtering, and sorting of lists and tables without necessitating any alterations to the data set within the software application, enhancing overall efficiency and user experience. This feature-rich API ensures a seamless and dynamic document management process for all users involved.