Aspose PDF Converter Tutorial and Comparison

IronPDF and Aspose PDF .NET are two robust libraries designed for PDF manipulation within .NET applications. Each offers a unique set of features to facilitate PDF document creation, editing, and processing. In this article, we will take a look at some of the features these two tools have to offer, as well as their licensing options, documentation, and support.

An Overview of IronPDF and Aspose.PDF

IronPDF is a comprehensive PDF library designed for .NET developers. It provides functionality to create, edit, and render PDF documents from various sources, including HTML, ASPX, and URLs. IronPDF is widely used for its ease of integration and extensive feature set that supports modern web standards such as CSS3, HTML5, and JavaScript. IronPDF focuses on delivering high-fidelity PDFs with minimal code, making it an ideal choice for developers seeking a powerful yet user-friendly PDF file solution.

Aspose.PDF for .NET is a sophisticated API that can handle complex PDF file manipulation. This library allows developers to create, modify, and manipulate PDF files across various .NET platforms, including WinForms, WPF, ASP.NET, and .NET Core. Written in managed C#, Aspose.PDF emphasizes flexibility and performance, making it suitable for enterprise-level applications that require complex PDF operations.

Cross-Platform Compatibility

IronPDF and Aspose.PDF both offer strong compatibility with the .NET framework, .NET Core, Azure, and Windows. While IronPDF offers cross-platform compatibility straight off the bat, Aspose.PDF cannot run in a cross-platform environment, requiring the Aspose.Pdf.Drawing package instead.

With this in mind, IronPDF prides itself on its extensive cross-platform compatibility, supporting various .NET versions, .NET Project types, and operating systems. Here are the key compatibility highlights for IronPDF:

• .NET Versions: .NET 8, 7, 6, Core, and Framework.
• Operating Systems: Windows, Linux, Mac.
• Cloud Services: Fully compatible with Azure and AWS environments.
• Deployment: Easy deployment on desktop, server, and cloud environments.

Feature Comparison Overview: IronPDF vs. Aspose.PDF

When comparing IronPDF and Aspose.PDF, it's essential to look at the specific features each library offers. Here’s a breakdown of the key functionalities:

IronPDF

• HTML to PDF Conversion: IronPDF supports modern web standards (CSS3, HTML5, JavaScript), which allows for high-fidelity PDF document creation.
• PDF Editing: Includes features for merging, splitting, and modifying PDF files.
• PDF Generation: Generate and convert PDF documents from URLs, ASPX files, or HTML strings.
• Security: Add passwords and permissions to PDFs.
• Watermarking: Apply text and image watermarks to PDF files.
• Compatibility: Works with .NET Framework, .NET Core, Azure, AWS, and various operating systems.
• Annotations: Add text, image, and link annotations to PDF documents.

Aspose.PDF .NET

• PDF Creation: Create PDFs from scratch or convert various file formats to PDF.
• Document Manipulation: Merge, split, and manipulate existing PDF documents.
• Form Handling: Fill, extract, flatten, and manage PDF forms. Aspose.PDF can also import and export PDF form data.
• Annotations and Stamps: Add and extract annotations and stamps to PDF files.
• Security Features: With Aspose.PDF you can encrypt PDF documents, decrypt PDF documents, set document viewer preferences, and manage permissions.
• Conversion: Convert PDFs to other formats such as DOC, XLS, and HTML.
• Complex Content Handling: Manage complex document structures, such as tables and bookmarks.

Comparison of Features Between IronPDF and Aspose.PDF

HTML to PDF Conversion

The code samples below show how to convert HTML content to PDF, comparing how the two products achieve this task.

IronPDF:

using IronPdf;

// Enable web security to prevent local disk access or cross-origin requests
Installation.EnableWebSecurity = true;

// Instantiate Renderer
var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();

// Create a PDF from an HTML string using C#
var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Hello World</h1>");
pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf");

// Advanced example with HTML assets
// Load external HTML assets: images, CSS, and JavaScript
var myAdvancedPdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<img src='icons/iron.png'>", @"C:\site\assets\");
myAdvancedPdf.SaveAs("html-with-assets.pdf");

using IronPdf;

// Enable web security to prevent local disk access or cross-origin requests
Installation.EnableWebSecurity = true;

// Instantiate Renderer
var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();

// Create a PDF from an HTML string using C#
var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Hello World</h1>");
pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf");

// Advanced example with HTML assets
// Load external HTML assets: images, CSS, and JavaScript
var myAdvancedPdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<img src='icons/iron.png'>", @"C:\site\assets\");
myAdvancedPdf.SaveAs("html-with-assets.pdf");

Imports IronPdf

' Enable web security to prevent local disk access or cross-origin requests
Installation.EnableWebSecurity = True

' Instantiate Renderer
Dim renderer = New ChromePdfRenderer()

' Create a PDF from an HTML string using C#
Dim pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Hello World</h1>")
pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf")

' Advanced example with HTML assets
' Load external HTML assets: images, CSS, and JavaScript
Dim myAdvancedPdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<img src='icons/iron.png'>", "C:\site\assets\")
myAdvancedPdf.SaveAs("html-with-assets.pdf")

Aspose.PDF:

using Aspose.Pdf;
using Aspose.Pdf.Text;

Document doc = new Document();
Page page = doc.Pages.Add();
HtmlFragment text = new HtmlFragment("<h1>Hello World</h1>");
page.Paragraphs.Add(text);
doc.Save("output.pdf");

using Aspose.Pdf;
using Aspose.Pdf.Text;

Document doc = new Document();
Page page = doc.Pages.Add();
HtmlFragment text = new HtmlFragment("<h1>Hello World</h1>");
page.Paragraphs.Add(text);
doc.Save("output.pdf");

Imports Aspose.Pdf
Imports Aspose.Pdf.Text

Private doc As New Document()
Private page As Page = doc.Pages.Add()
Private text As New HtmlFragment("<h1>Hello World</h1>")
page.Paragraphs.Add(text)
doc.Save("output.pdf")

IronPDF offers users a streamlined and concise method for converting HTML content to PDF files, made easy by its excellent support of modern web standards. Aspose.PDF offers a robust API capable of handling HTML to PDF conversion; however, the process may be considered less straightforward, requiring more steps.

Encrypting PDFs

The ability to encrypt and decrypt PDF documents can be essential in any environment dealing with sensitive information or private data. Below, we compare how the two products handle encrypting PDFs.

IronPDF:

using IronPdf;
using System;

// Open an encrypted file or alternatively create a new PDF from HTML
var pdf = PdfDocument.FromFile("encrypted.pdf", "password");

// Edit file metadata
pdf.MetaData.Author = "Satoshi Nakamoto";
pdf.MetaData.Keywords = "SEO, Friendly";
pdf.MetaData.ModifiedDate = DateTime.Now;

// Edit file security settings
// Prevent copy-paste and printing by making the PDF read-only
pdf.SecuritySettings.RemovePasswordsAndEncryption();
pdf.SecuritySettings.MakePdfDocumentReadOnly("secret-key");
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserAnnotations = false;
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserCopyPasteContent = false;
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserFormData = false;
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserPrinting = IronPdf.Security.PdfPrintSecurity.FullPrintRights;

// Set or change the document encryption password
pdf.Password = "my-password";
pdf.SaveAs("secured.pdf");

using IronPdf;
using System;

// Open an encrypted file or alternatively create a new PDF from HTML
var pdf = PdfDocument.FromFile("encrypted.pdf", "password");

// Edit file metadata
pdf.MetaData.Author = "Satoshi Nakamoto";
pdf.MetaData.Keywords = "SEO, Friendly";
pdf.MetaData.ModifiedDate = DateTime.Now;

// Edit file security settings
// Prevent copy-paste and printing by making the PDF read-only
pdf.SecuritySettings.RemovePasswordsAndEncryption();
pdf.SecuritySettings.MakePdfDocumentReadOnly("secret-key");
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserAnnotations = false;
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserCopyPasteContent = false;
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserFormData = false;
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserPrinting = IronPdf.Security.PdfPrintSecurity.FullPrintRights;

// Set or change the document encryption password
pdf.Password = "my-password";
pdf.SaveAs("secured.pdf");

Imports IronPdf
Imports System

' Open an encrypted file or alternatively create a new PDF from HTML
Private pdf = PdfDocument.FromFile("encrypted.pdf", "password")

' Edit file metadata
pdf.MetaData.Author = "Satoshi Nakamoto"
pdf.MetaData.Keywords = "SEO, Friendly"
pdf.MetaData.ModifiedDate = DateTime.Now

' Edit file security settings
' Prevent copy-paste and printing by making the PDF read-only
pdf.SecuritySettings.RemovePasswordsAndEncryption()
pdf.SecuritySettings.MakePdfDocumentReadOnly("secret-key")
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserAnnotations = False
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserCopyPasteContent = False
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserFormData = False
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserPrinting = IronPdf.Security.PdfPrintSecurity.FullPrintRights

' Set or change the document encryption password
pdf.Password = "my-password"
pdf.SaveAs("secured.pdf")

Aspose.PDF:

using Aspose.Pdf;

Document pdfDocument = new Document("document.pdf");
pdfDocument.Encrypt("password", null, Permissions.PrintDocument, CryptoAlgorithm.AESx128);
pdfDocument.Save("encrypted.pdf");

using Aspose.Pdf;

Document pdfDocument = new Document("document.pdf");
pdfDocument.Encrypt("password", null, Permissions.PrintDocument, CryptoAlgorithm.AESx128);
pdfDocument.Save("encrypted.pdf");

Imports Aspose.Pdf

Private pdfDocument As New Document("document.pdf")
pdfDocument.Encrypt("password", Nothing, Permissions.PrintDocument, CryptoAlgorithm.AESx128)
pdfDocument.Save("encrypted.pdf")

While both libraries offer robust encryption tools, IronPDF presents a straightforward encryption process while also providing more control over the security settings of the PDF file. Aspose.PDF's encryption process is similarly concise and straightforward; however, it lacks the same ease of control over various settings.

Redact PDF Content

When you need to redact certain parts of a PDF document, it's essential to know how different libraries handle the process. Below, we compare how IronPDF and Aspose.PDF perform redactions.

IronPDF:

using IronPdf;

// Load the document you want to redact
PdfDocument pdf = PdfDocument.FromFile("novel.pdf");

// Redact the 'are' phrase from all pages
pdf.RedactTextOnAllPages("are");

// Save the redacted version of the document
pdf.SaveAs("redacted.pdf");

using IronPdf;

// Load the document you want to redact
PdfDocument pdf = PdfDocument.FromFile("novel.pdf");

// Redact the 'are' phrase from all pages
pdf.RedactTextOnAllPages("are");

// Save the redacted version of the document
pdf.SaveAs("redacted.pdf");

Imports IronPdf

' Load the document you want to redact
Private pdf As PdfDocument = PdfDocument.FromFile("novel.pdf")

' Redact the 'are' phrase from all pages
pdf.RedactTextOnAllPages("are")

' Save the redacted version of the document
pdf.SaveAs("redacted.pdf")

Aspose.PDF:

using Aspose.Pdf;
using Aspose.Pdf.Redaction;

Document document = new Document("novel.pdf");
TextFragmentAbsorber textFragmentAbsorber = new TextFragmentAbsorber("confidential");
document.Pages.Accept(textFragmentAbsorber);
foreach (TextFragment textFragment in textFragmentAbsorber.TextFragments)
{
    textFragment.Text = "XXXXX";
}
document.Save("redacted.pdf");

using Aspose.Pdf;
using Aspose.Pdf.Redaction;

Document document = new Document("novel.pdf");
TextFragmentAbsorber textFragmentAbsorber = new TextFragmentAbsorber("confidential");
document.Pages.Accept(textFragmentAbsorber);
foreach (TextFragment textFragment in textFragmentAbsorber.TextFragments)
{
    textFragment.Text = "XXXXX";
}
document.Save("redacted.pdf");

Imports Aspose.Pdf
Imports Aspose.Pdf.Redaction

Private document As New Document("novel.pdf")
Private textFragmentAbsorber As New TextFragmentAbsorber("confidential")
document.Pages.Accept(textFragmentAbsorber)
For Each textFragment As TextFragment In textFragmentAbsorber.TextFragments
	textFragment.Text = "XXXXX"
Next textFragment
document.Save("redacted.pdf")

When it comes to redacting PDF content, IronPDF offers a direct approach. Its straightforward and intuitive API makes it easy for users to redact content programmatically, increasing workspace efficiency. Aspose.PDF can achieve similar results, but the process is more manual. If you wanted to draw black boxes over text like IronPDF does, the process becomes even more complex.

Digitally Sign PDF Documents

Digitally signing PDF documents programmatically can save a lot of time. The code examples below compare the signing process in IronPDF and Aspose.PDF.

IronPDF:

using IronPdf;
using IronPdf.Signing;
using System.Security.Cryptography.X509Certificates;

// Create X509Certificate2 object with X509KeyStorageFlags set to Exportable
X509Certificate2 cert = new X509Certificate2("IronSoftware.pfx", "123456", X509KeyStorageFlags.Exportable);

// Create PdfSignature object
var sig = new PdfSignature(cert);

// Sign PDF document
PdfDocument pdf = PdfDocument.FromFile("document.pdf");
pdf.Sign(sig);
pdf.SaveAs("signed.pdf");

using IronPdf;
using IronPdf.Signing;
using System.Security.Cryptography.X509Certificates;

// Create X509Certificate2 object with X509KeyStorageFlags set to Exportable
X509Certificate2 cert = new X509Certificate2("IronSoftware.pfx", "123456", X509KeyStorageFlags.Exportable);

// Create PdfSignature object
var sig = new PdfSignature(cert);

// Sign PDF document
PdfDocument pdf = PdfDocument.FromFile("document.pdf");
pdf.Sign(sig);
pdf.SaveAs("signed.pdf");

Imports IronPdf
Imports IronPdf.Signing
Imports System.Security.Cryptography.X509Certificates

' Create X509Certificate2 object with X509KeyStorageFlags set to Exportable
Private cert As New X509Certificate2("IronSoftware.pfx", "123456", X509KeyStorageFlags.Exportable)

' Create PdfSignature object
Private sig = New PdfSignature(cert)

' Sign PDF document
Private pdf As PdfDocument = PdfDocument.FromFile("document.pdf")
pdf.Sign(sig)
pdf.SaveAs("signed.pdf")

Aspose.PDF:

using Aspose.Pdf;
using Aspose.Pdf.Forms;
using Aspose.Pdf.Facades;

Document document = new Document("input.pdf");
PKCS7 pkcs = new PKCS7("signature.pfx", "password");
Document.SignatureField signatureField = new SignatureField(document.Pages[1], new Rectangle(100, 100, 200, 200));
document.Form.Add(signatureField);
document.Save("signed.pdf");

using Aspose.Pdf;
using Aspose.Pdf.Forms;
using Aspose.Pdf.Facades;

Document document = new Document("input.pdf");
PKCS7 pkcs = new PKCS7("signature.pfx", "password");
Document.SignatureField signatureField = new SignatureField(document.Pages[1], new Rectangle(100, 100, 200, 200));
document.Form.Add(signatureField);
document.Save("signed.pdf");

Imports Aspose.Pdf
Imports Aspose.Pdf.Forms
Imports Aspose.Pdf.Facades

Private document As New Document("input.pdf")
Private pkcs As New PKCS7("signature.pfx", "password")
Private signatureField As Document.SignatureField = New SignatureField(document.Pages(1), New Rectangle(100, 100, 200, 200))
document.Form.Add(signatureField)
document.Save("signed.pdf")

IronPDF offers a simple and straightforward process for signing PDF documents, requiring fewer lines of code and making the process quick and easy. Aspose.PDF has a longer approach to the process, requiring more lines of code but allowing users more control over the process.

Apply PDF Watermarks

Adding and customizing watermarks on your PDF documents programmatically can be useful, especially when dealing with confidential files, branding, ensuring copyright protection, and so on. Now, we compare how IronPDF and Aspose.PDF handle adding watermarks to a PDF document.

IronPDF:

using IronPdf;

// Stamp a watermark onto a new or existing PDF
var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
var pdf = renderer.RenderUrlAsPdf("https://www.nuget.org/packages/IronPdf/");
pdf.ApplyWatermark(
    "<h2 style='color:red'>SAMPLE</h2>",
    30,
    IronPdf.Editing.VerticalAlignment.Middle,
    IronPdf.Editing.HorizontalAlignment.Center
);
pdf.SaveAs(@"C:\Path\To\Watermarked.pdf");

using IronPdf;

// Stamp a watermark onto a new or existing PDF
var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
var pdf = renderer.RenderUrlAsPdf("https://www.nuget.org/packages/IronPdf/");
pdf.ApplyWatermark(
    "<h2 style='color:red'>SAMPLE</h2>",
    30,
    IronPdf.Editing.VerticalAlignment.Middle,
    IronPdf.Editing.HorizontalAlignment.Center
);
pdf.SaveAs(@"C:\Path\To\Watermarked.pdf");

Imports IronPdf

' Stamp a watermark onto a new or existing PDF
Private renderer = New ChromePdfRenderer()
Private pdf = renderer.RenderUrlAsPdf("https://www.nuget.org/packages/IronPdf/")
pdf.ApplyWatermark("<h2 style='color:red'>SAMPLE</h2>", 30, IronPdf.Editing.VerticalAlignment.Middle, IronPdf.Editing.HorizontalAlignment.Center)
pdf.SaveAs("C:\Path\To\Watermarked.pdf")

Aspose.PDF:

using Aspose.Pdf;
using Aspose.Pdf.Text;

Document document = new Document("input.pdf");
TextStamp textStamp = new TextStamp("Confidential");
textStamp.Background = true;
textStamp.Opacity = 0.5;
document.Pages[1].AddStamp(textStamp);
document.Save("watermarked.pdf");

using Aspose.Pdf;
using Aspose.Pdf.Text;

Document document = new Document("input.pdf");
TextStamp textStamp = new TextStamp("Confidential");
textStamp.Background = true;
textStamp.Opacity = 0.5;
document.Pages[1].AddStamp(textStamp);
document.Save("watermarked.pdf");

Imports Aspose.Pdf
Imports Aspose.Pdf.Text

Private document As New Document("input.pdf")
Private textStamp As New TextStamp("Confidential")
textStamp.Background = True
textStamp.Opacity = 0.5
document.Pages(1).AddStamp(textStamp)
document.Save("watermarked.pdf")

IronPDF's simple and effective API allows users to quickly apply watermarks to their PDF documents with more control due to its use of HTML/CSS. This makes it easy for users to apply custom watermarks tailored to their needs. Aspose.PDF lacks a native watermark tool, using the TextStamp method instead. While this achieves similar results, it offers less control over the process.

Stamping Images and Text onto PDFs

Just as with applying watermarks, stamping content onto PDF pages can be essential in certain workflows. Here, we compare how IronPDF and Aspose.PDF handle stamping content.

IronPDF:

using IronPdf;
using IronPdf.Editing;

// Instantiate Renderer
ChromePdfRenderer renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
PdfDocument pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Example HTML Document!</h1>");

// Create text stamper
TextStamper textStamper = new TextStamper()
{
    Text = "Text Stamper!",
    FontFamily = "Bungee Spice",
    UseGoogleFont = true,
    FontSize = 30,
    IsBold = true,
    IsItalic = true,
    VerticalAlignment = VerticalAlignment.Top
};

// Stamp the text stamper
pdf.ApplyStamp(textStamper);
pdf.SaveAs("stampText.pdf");

using IronPdf;
using IronPdf.Editing;

// Instantiate Renderer
ChromePdfRenderer renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
PdfDocument pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Example HTML Document!</h1>");

// Create text stamper
TextStamper textStamper = new TextStamper()
{
    Text = "Text Stamper!",
    FontFamily = "Bungee Spice",
    UseGoogleFont = true,
    FontSize = 30,
    IsBold = true,
    IsItalic = true,
    VerticalAlignment = VerticalAlignment.Top
};

// Stamp the text stamper
pdf.ApplyStamp(textStamper);
pdf.SaveAs("stampText.pdf");

Imports IronPdf
Imports IronPdf.Editing

' Instantiate Renderer
Private renderer As New ChromePdfRenderer()
Private pdf As PdfDocument = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Example HTML Document!</h1>")

' Create text stamper
Private textStamper As New TextStamper() With {
	.Text = "Text Stamper!",
	.FontFamily = "Bungee Spice",
	.UseGoogleFont = True,
	.FontSize = 30,
	.IsBold = True,
	.IsItalic = True,
	.VerticalAlignment = VerticalAlignment.Top
}

' Stamp the text stamper
pdf.ApplyStamp(textStamper)
pdf.SaveAs("stampText.pdf")

using IronPdf;
using IronPdf.Editing;
using System;

// Instantiate Renderer
ChromePdfRenderer renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
PdfDocument pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Example HTML Document!</h1>");

// Create image stamper
ImageStamper imageStamper = new ImageStamper(new Uri("https://ironpdf.com/img/svgs/iron-pdf-logo.svg"))
{
    VerticalAlignment = VerticalAlignment.Top
};

// Stamp the image on the PDF
pdf.ApplyStamp(imageStamper, 0);
pdf.SaveAs("stampImage.pdf");

using IronPdf;
using IronPdf.Editing;
using System;

// Instantiate Renderer
ChromePdfRenderer renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
PdfDocument pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Example HTML Document!</h1>");

// Create image stamper
ImageStamper imageStamper = new ImageStamper(new Uri("https://ironpdf.com/img/svgs/iron-pdf-logo.svg"))
{
    VerticalAlignment = VerticalAlignment.Top
};

// Stamp the image on the PDF
pdf.ApplyStamp(imageStamper, 0);
pdf.SaveAs("stampImage.pdf");

Imports IronPdf
Imports IronPdf.Editing
Imports System

' Instantiate Renderer
Private renderer As New ChromePdfRenderer()
Private pdf As PdfDocument = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Example HTML Document!</h1>")

' Create image stamper
Private imageStamper As New ImageStamper(New Uri("https://ironpdf.com/img/svgs/iron-pdf-logo.svg")) With {.VerticalAlignment = VerticalAlignment.Top}

' Stamp the image on the PDF
pdf.ApplyStamp(imageStamper, 0)
pdf.SaveAs("stampImage.pdf")

Aspose.PDF:

using Aspose.Pdf;
using Aspose.Pdf.Text;

Document document = new Document("input.pdf");
ImageStamp imageStamp = new ImageStamp("logo.png");
imageStamp.Background = true; // Enable background for the stamp
document.Pages[1].AddStamp(imageStamp);
document.Save("stamped.pdf");

using Aspose.Pdf;
using Aspose.Pdf.Text;

Document document = new Document("input.pdf");
ImageStamp imageStamp = new ImageStamp("logo.png");
imageStamp.Background = true; // Enable background for the stamp
document.Pages[1].AddStamp(imageStamp);
document.Save("stamped.pdf");

Imports Aspose.Pdf
Imports Aspose.Pdf.Text

Private document As New Document("input.pdf")
Private imageStamp As New ImageStamp("logo.png")
imageStamp.Background = True ' Enable background for the stamp
document.Pages(1).AddStamp(imageStamp)
document.Save("stamped.pdf")

When stamping text and images onto PDF documents, IronPDF offers great flexibility and customization, giving users full control over the process. Its API is straightforward and easy to use, especially for users who may be familiar with HTML/CSS. Aspose.PDF has less customization and flexibility, maintaining a straightforward approach to stamping, albeit with less intuitive feel and control that IronPDF offers.

DOCX to PDF

Converting various file types to PDF can be essential. For this example, we will look specifically at converting a DOCX file to PDF.

IronPDF:

using IronPdf;

// Instantiate Renderer
DocxToPdfRenderer renderer = new DocxToPdfRenderer();
// Render from DOCX file
PdfDocument pdf = renderer.RenderDocxAsPdf("Modern-chronological-resume.docx");
// Save the PDF
pdf.SaveAs("pdfFromDocx.pdf");

using IronPdf;

// Instantiate Renderer
DocxToPdfRenderer renderer = new DocxToPdfRenderer();
// Render from DOCX file
PdfDocument pdf = renderer.RenderDocxAsPdf("Modern-chronological-resume.docx");
// Save the PDF
pdf.SaveAs("pdfFromDocx.pdf");

Imports IronPdf

' Instantiate Renderer
Private renderer As New DocxToPdfRenderer()
' Render from DOCX file
Private pdf As PdfDocument = renderer.RenderDocxAsPdf("Modern-chronological-resume.docx")
' Save the PDF
pdf.SaveAs("pdfFromDocx.pdf")

Aspose.PDF:

using Aspose.Words;
using Aspose.Words.Saving;

Document doc = new Document("input.docx");
doc.Save("output.pdf", SaveFormat.Pdf);

using Aspose.Words;
using Aspose.Words.Saving;

Document doc = new Document("input.docx");
doc.Save("output.pdf", SaveFormat.Pdf);

Imports Aspose.Words
Imports Aspose.Words.Saving

Private doc As New Document("input.docx")
doc.Save("output.pdf", SaveFormat.Pdf)

IronPDF offers a simplistic and direct approach to DOCX to PDF conversion, leveraging ChromePdfRenderer to generate high-fidelity PDFs from DOCX files. This is built into the IronPDF library, requiring no additional packages.

Aspose.PDF itself cannot convert DOCX files to PDF format, instead requiring the Aspose.Words package for the conversion, after which Aspose.PDF can handle further PDF manipulation tasks.

Feature Comparison Summary

Pricing and Licensing: IronPDF vs. Aspose.PDF

Examining pricing and licensing, IronPDF Licensing Options present a straightforward and cost-effective approach:

IronPDF Pricing and Licensing

IronPDF Licensing offers different levels and additional features for purchasing a license. Developers can also buy Iron Suite which provides access to all of Iron Software’s products at the price of two. If you’re not ready to buy a license, IronPDF provides a free trial that lasts 30 days.

• Perpetual licenses: Offers a range of perpetual licenses depending on your team size, project needs, and the number of locations. Each license type comes with email support.
• Lite License: This license costs $749 and supports one developer, one location, and one project.
• Plus License: Supporting three developers, three locations, and three projects, this tier costs $1,499. The Plus license offers chat support and phone support in addition to email support.
• Professional License: Suitable for larger teams, supporting ten developers, ten locations, and ten projects for $2,999, offering the same contact support channels as previous tiers with additional screen-sharing support.
• Royalty-free redistribution: IronPDF offers royalty-free redistribution coverage for an extra $1,999.
• Uninterrupted product support: Provides ongoing product updates, security feature upgrades, and support from their engineering team for either $999/year or a one-time purchase of $1,999 for 5-year coverage.
• Iron Suite: For $1,498, you get access to all Iron Software products, including IronPDF, IronOCR, IronWord, IronXL, IronBarcode, IronQR, IronZIP, IronPrint, and IronWebScraper.

Aspose.PDF Pricing

Aspose.PDF offers a range of tiers for its licensing, each with its own set of features, all including free support. Developers using Aspose.PDF might require additional purchases for certain operations, as seen when converting DOCX to PDF.

• Developer Small business: Costs $1,679 and supports one developer and one deployment location.
• Developer OEM: Costs $5,037, supporting one developer with unlimited deployment locations.
• Developer SDK: Costs $33,580, supporting one developer and 50 commercial deployments.
• Add-on: Each tier offers additional services for purchase with your license, such as Paid support and Consulting. These services increase in cost with each license tier, starting at $399/year for support and +$5,999/month for consulting in the Developer Small Business plan.

IronPDF presents a more cost-effective solution, notably with the Iron Suite package including multiple powerful libraries. For detailed pricing information, visit the IronPDF Licensing Page.

Licensing Comparison Table

Documentation and Support: IronPDF vs. Aspose.PDF

IronPDF

• Comprehensive Documentation: Extensive, user-friendly documentation covering all features.
• 24/5 Support: Active engineer support available.
• Video Tutorials: Step-by-step video guides available on YouTube.
• Community Forum: Engaged community for additional support.
• Regular Updates: Monthly product updates ensure the latest features and security patches.

Aspose.PDF

• Detailed Documentation: Comprehensive documentation with code examples.
• Technical Support: Standard support available during business hours.
• Community Engagement: Active forums for peer-to-peer support.
• Training: Online training materials are available.

For more details on IronPDF documentation and support, visit the IronPDF Documentation and the Iron Software YouTube Channel.

Conclusion

Both IronPDF and Aspose.PDF .NET offer extensive features for working with PDF documents in a .NET environment. Each product has its distinct strengths and capabilities.

IronPDF's strengths include cross-platform compatibility, extensive support for modern web standards, simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and the ability to perform various PDF tasks without needing additional packages. It's a powerful tool for developers seeking to streamline PDF operations.

Iron Suite users benefit from seamless integration with other Iron Software products, offering advanced operations such as adding QR codes with IronQR, compressing files with IronZIP, or printing with IronPrint.

Aspose.PDF is a robust tool offering extensive capabilities for complex PDF operations and configurations in a .NET environment, though often requiring external packages for specific tasks. It has an active support forum and handles various PDF tasks well.

Ultimately, the choice between IronPDF and Aspose.PDF depends on specific project requirements. IronPDF offers competitive pricing, detailed documentation, responsive support, and powerful PDF manipulation tools in a single package.

You can try the 30-day free trial to check out their available features.