GroupDocs Alternatives for HTML to PDF Converter in C#

In the modern digital world, converting documents from one format to another is a common necessity. One such frequent requirement is converting HTML files to PDF, especially when dealing with generating reports, invoices, or any printable documents from web-based content.
GroupDocs offers a powerful .NET document conversion API designed for seamless transformation of HTML to PDF format within C#, ASP.NET, VB.NET, and .NET Core applications. It ensures precise formatting and layout preservation throughout the conversion process, all while minimizing coding efforts.

On the other hand, IronPDF is a .NET library designed specifically for handling PDF generation and manipulation tasks within C# applications. It simplifies the process of converting HTML content to a PDF file, offering rich customization options and reliable performance. In this article, we will explore both these libraries and compare them.

How to Convert HTML to PDF using GroupDocs and IronPDF

1. Create a New Project to Convert HTML to PDF.
2. Install GroupDocs to the newly created project.
3. Convert HTML to a PDF document using the GroupDocs.Conversion library.
4. Install IronPDF to the project.
5. Convert HTML to a PDF document using the IronPDF library.

Overview of GroupDocs.Conversion .NET Library

GroupDocs.Conversion provides an online tool that allows users to convert HTML files to PDF effortlessly. This tool is accessible from any device with an internet connection, making it highly versatile and user-friendly. The converter supports various platforms, including Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS.

It provides a robust API for HTML to PDF conversion, designed to be simple yet flexible enough to handle various scenarios. Now let's see some of the important features of the GroupDocs.Conversion .NET NuGet Library.

Key Features

Extensive Format Support

1. Documents: Convert between formats like PDF, DOCX, PPTX, XLSX, and many more.
2. Images: Supports formats such as BMP, JPEG, PNG, GIF, and TIFF.
3. CAD & GIS: Convert CAD files like DWG, DXF, and GIS formats like SHP, and KML.
4. Audio & Video: Convert audio files (MP3, WAV) and video files (MP4, AVI).
5. Others: Includes support for eBooks (EPUB, MOBI), web formats (HTML, MHTML), and archives (ZIP, TAR).

Customizable Conversion Options

1. Partial Conversion: Convert entire documents or specific page ranges.
2. Watermarking: Add watermarks to documents during conversion.
3. Appearance Customization: Customize the appearance of the converted documents, such as setting the resolution for images or specifying the output format for documents.

Flexible Loading Options

1. Local and Remote Loading: Load documents from local disks, streams, URLs, or cloud storage services like Amazon S3 and Azure Blob.
2. Password-Protected Documents: Load and convert password-protected documents.

Cross-Platform Support

1. Operating Systems: Compatible with Windows, Linux, and macOS.
2. Development Environments: Supports development in C#, F#, and VB.NET.

Self-Sufficient Library

1. No Third-Party Dependencies: The library does not depend on any third-party software like Microsoft Word or OpenOffice, making it a standalone solution.

IronPDF .NET Introduction

IronPDF is a .NET library designed specifically for handling PDF generation and manipulation tasks within C# applications. It simplifies the process of converting HTML content to PDF format, offering rich customization options and reliable performance. Whether you're developing web applications, desktop software, or backend services, IronPDF provides a comprehensive set of tools to integrate PDF generation seamlessly.

Key Features

HTML to PDF Conversion

1. HTML Files: Convert HTML files, including CSS, JavaScript, and images, to PDF.
2. HTML Strings: Render HTML strings directly into PDF documents.
3. URLs: Convert web pages to PDF by providing the URL.

PDF Generation and Editing

1. Create PDFs: Generate PDFs from scratch or from existing documents.
2. Edit PDFs: Add, remove, or modify text, images, and other elements within a PDF.
3. Merge and Split: Combine multiple PDFs into one, or split a single PDF into multiple documents.

Advanced Formatting

1. Headers and Footers: Add headers and footers, including page numbers and dates.
2. Watermarks: Apply watermarks to your PDF documents.
3. Page Settings: Customize page size, orientation, margins, and more.

Security and Compliance

1. Password Protection: Secure PDFs with passwords and set permissions.
2. Digital Signatures: Sign PDFs digitally using certificates.
3. Compliance: Supports PDF/A and PDF/UA standards for long-term archiving and accessibility.

Cross-Platform Support

1. Operating Systems: Compatible with Windows, Linux, and macOS.
2. Development Environments: Works with .NET Framework, .NET Core, .NET 5, 6, 7, and 8.

Example Codes for GroupDocs.Conversion and IronPDF

Prerequisites

1. Visual Studio: Ensure you have Visual Studio installed to create and manage your C# project.
2. .NET Installed: Ensure the latest .NET version 8 is installed on the machine.

Step 1: Create a New Project to Convert HTML to PDF

To start with, let us create a new Project in Visual Studio. For this, open Visual Studio and click on create new project. When the below window is shown, then select the type of project as Console App.

Choose a project name and location as below.

Select the required .NET Version.

Once all the options are selected, the project will be created successfully.

Step 2: Install GroupDocs to the created project.

Now install the GroupDocs.Conversion .NET NuGet package using the Visual Studio package manager or directly from the command line.

From CMD line:

Once the GroupDocs.Conversion NuGet is installed successfully, we can start using the library.

Step 3: Convert an HTML Document to a PDF document using GroupDocs.Conversion library.

The following code snippet shows how to convert HTML to PDF using the GroupDocs.Conversion library.

using System;
using System.IO;
using GroupDocs.Conversion.Options.Convert;

namespace GroupDocVsIronPDF
{
    public class Program
    {
        public static void ConvertHtmlToPdf()
        {
            string outputFolder = "C:\\code\\articles\\july26"; // Output directory for converted PDF
            string outputFile = Path.Combine(outputFolder, "convertedUsingGroupDoc.pdf"); // Path to output PDF file
            string input = "C:\\code\\articles\\july26\\groupDocConversion.html"; // Path to input HTML file

            // Initialize the converter with the input HTML file
            using (var converter = new GroupDocs.Conversion.Converter(input))
            {
                // Set the conversion options to PDF
                var options = new PdfConvertOptions();
                // Perform the conversion and save to the specified output file
                converter.Convert(outputFile, options);
                Console.WriteLine("\nConversion to PDF completed successfully. \nCheck output in {0}", outputFolder);
            }
        }
    }
}

using System;
using System.IO;
using GroupDocs.Conversion.Options.Convert;

namespace GroupDocVsIronPDF
{
    public class Program
    {
        public static void ConvertHtmlToPdf()
        {
            string outputFolder = "C:\\code\\articles\\july26"; // Output directory for converted PDF
            string outputFile = Path.Combine(outputFolder, "convertedUsingGroupDoc.pdf"); // Path to output PDF file
            string input = "C:\\code\\articles\\july26\\groupDocConversion.html"; // Path to input HTML file

            // Initialize the converter with the input HTML file
            using (var converter = new GroupDocs.Conversion.Converter(input))
            {
                // Set the conversion options to PDF
                var options = new PdfConvertOptions();
                // Perform the conversion and save to the specified output file
                converter.Convert(outputFile, options);
                Console.WriteLine("\nConversion to PDF completed successfully. \nCheck output in {0}", outputFolder);
            }
        }
    }
}

Imports Microsoft.VisualBasic
Imports System
Imports System.IO
Imports GroupDocs.Conversion.Options.Convert

Namespace GroupDocVsIronPDF
	Public Class Program
		Public Shared Sub ConvertHtmlToPdf()
			Dim outputFolder As String = "C:\code\articles\july26" ' Output directory for converted PDF
			Dim outputFile As String = Path.Combine(outputFolder, "convertedUsingGroupDoc.pdf") ' Path to output PDF file
			Dim input As String = "C:\code\articles\july26\groupDocConversion.html" ' Path to input HTML file

			' Initialize the converter with the input HTML file
			Using converter = New GroupDocs.Conversion.Converter(input)
				' Set the conversion options to PDF
				Dim options = New PdfConvertOptions()
				' Perform the conversion and save to the specified output file
				converter.Convert(outputFile, options)
				Console.WriteLine(vbLf & "Conversion to PDF completed successfully. " & vbLf & "Check output in {0}", outputFolder)
			End Using
		End Sub
	End Class
End Namespace

Code Explanation

This program demonstrates how to convert an HTML file (groupDocConversion.html) to a PDF file (convertedUsingGroupDoc.pdf) using the GroupDocs.Conversion library. Here's an explanation of the code:

1. Namespace and Imports: The program starts with importing necessary namespaces. System and System.IO are standard .NET namespaces for basic input-output operations. GroupDocs.Conversion.Options.Convert is used to import conversion options for the GroupDocs.Conversion API.

2. Program Class: The Program class is declared as part of the GroupDocVsIronPDF namespace.

3. ConvertHtmlToPdf Method: This static method (public static void ConvertHtmlToPdf()) performs the HTML to PDF conversion. It doesn't take any parameters.

4. Output Folder and File Paths:

   • outputFolder: Specifies the directory where the converted PDF file will be saved.
   • outputFile: Combines outputFolder with the desired output file name (convertedUsingGroupDoc.pdf), forming the complete path to the output PDF file.
   • Input: Specifies the path to the input HTML file.
5. Using Statement with Converter: The GroupDocs.Conversion.Converter is initialized to convert the HTML file to PDF format and save it as convertedUsingGroupDoc.pdf.

Input HTML file Contents

Let us use the below HTML file as an example, you can also download any free HTML file available.

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>
  <h1 style="color:black;">Demonstrate GroupDocs .Net Package to Convert HTML to PDF</h1>
  <p style="color:gray;">GroupDocs provides a robust API for HTML to PDF conversion, designed to be simple yet flexible enough to handle various scenarios. To begin using GroupDocs HTML to PDF converter in your C# applications.</p>
  <h2 style="color:black;">Install</h2>
  <code style="color:blue;">dotnet add package GroupDocs.Conversion --version 24.6.0</code>
  <h2 style="color:black;">Import Namespaces</h2>
  <code class="language-csharp" data-lang="csharp">
    <p style="color:blue;">using GroupDocs.Conversion.Options.Convert;</p>
    <p style="color:blue;">using System.IO;</p>
  </code>
  <h2 style="color:black;">Load the Source HTML File</h2>
  <code style="color:blue;">using (var converter = new GroupDocs.Conversion.Converter("path to html file"))</code>
  <h2 style="color:black;">Perform the Conversion</h2>
  <code style="color:blue;">
    <p>var options = new PdfConvertOptions();</p>
    <p>converter.Convert(outputFile, options);</p>
  </code>
</body>
</html>

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>
  <h1 style="color:black;">Demonstrate GroupDocs .Net Package to Convert HTML to PDF</h1>
  <p style="color:gray;">GroupDocs provides a robust API for HTML to PDF conversion, designed to be simple yet flexible enough to handle various scenarios. To begin using GroupDocs HTML to PDF converter in your C# applications.</p>
  <h2 style="color:black;">Install</h2>
  <code style="color:blue;">dotnet add package GroupDocs.Conversion --version 24.6.0</code>
  <h2 style="color:black;">Import Namespaces</h2>
  <code class="language-csharp" data-lang="csharp">
    <p style="color:blue;">using GroupDocs.Conversion.Options.Convert;</p>
    <p style="color:blue;">using System.IO;</p>
  </code>
  <h2 style="color:black;">Load the Source HTML File</h2>
  <code style="color:blue;">using (var converter = new GroupDocs.Conversion.Converter("path to html file"))</code>
  <h2 style="color:black;">Perform the Conversion</h2>
  <code style="color:blue;">
    <p>var options = new PdfConvertOptions();</p>
    <p>converter.Convert(outputFile, options);</p>
  </code>
</body>
</html>

Output PDF

Step 4: Install IronPDF to the created project.

Now install the IronPDF NuGet package from IronsSoftware using Visual Studio or from the NuGet package manager.

From CMD:

Once the NuGet package is successfully installed, the project is ready to add code to test the HTML to PDF conversion process with IronPDF.

Step 5: Convert HTML to a PDF document using the IronPDF library.

The following code shows how to convert HTML to PDF using the IronPDF .NET library.

using IronPdf;

namespace GroupDocVsIronPDF
{
    internal class IronPDFDemo
    {
        public static void Execute()
        {
            // Setting the license key for IronPDF
            IronPdf.License.LicenseKey = "your key";

            // Create a PDF renderer
            var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();

            // Convert HTML file to PDF
            var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlFileAsPdf("C:\\code\\articles\\july26\\groupDocConversion.html");

            // Save the generated PDF
            pdf.SaveAs("convertedUsingIronPDF.pdf");
        }
    }
}

using IronPdf;

namespace GroupDocVsIronPDF
{
    internal class IronPDFDemo
    {
        public static void Execute()
        {
            // Setting the license key for IronPDF
            IronPdf.License.LicenseKey = "your key";

            // Create a PDF renderer
            var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();

            // Convert HTML file to PDF
            var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlFileAsPdf("C:\\code\\articles\\july26\\groupDocConversion.html");

            // Save the generated PDF
            pdf.SaveAs("convertedUsingIronPDF.pdf");
        }
    }
}

Imports IronPdf

Namespace GroupDocVsIronPDF
	Friend Class IronPDFDemo
		Public Shared Sub Execute()
			' Setting the license key for IronPDF
			IronPdf.License.LicenseKey = "your key"

			' Create a PDF renderer
			Dim renderer = New ChromePdfRenderer()

			' Convert HTML file to PDF
			Dim pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlFileAsPdf("C:\code\articles\july26\groupDocConversion.html")

			' Save the generated PDF
			pdf.SaveAs("convertedUsingIronPDF.pdf")
		End Sub
	End Class
End Namespace

Code Explanation

This C# program, encapsulated within the GroupDocVsIronPDF namespace, demonstrates how to use IronPDF to convert an HTML file (groupDocConversion.html) to a PDF file (convertedUsingIronPDF.pdf). Here's an explanation of the code:

1. Namespace and Class: The IronPDFDemo class is declared as internal within the GroupDocVsIronPDF namespace.

2. Execute Method: The Execute() method serves as the entry point for executing the PDF conversion using IronPDF. It doesn't take any parameters.

3. Setting License Key: IronPdf.License.LicenseKey = "your key"; sets the license key for IronPDF. This step is crucial for using IronPDF in licensed mode, ensuring compliance with licensing terms.

4. Creating Renderer: var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer(); initializes a new instance of ChromePdfRenderer. This renderer is capable of converting HTML content to PDF using Google Chrome's rendering engine under the hood.

5. HTML to PDF Conversion: renderer.RenderHtmlFileAsPdf("C:\\code\\articles\\july26\\groupDocConversion.html"); converts the specified HTML file (groupDocConversion.html) to a PDF document (pdf) using the RenderHtmlFileAsPdf method provided by ChromePdfRenderer.

6. Saving the PDF: pdf.SaveAs("convertedUsingIronPDF.pdf"); saves the converted PDF (pdf) as a file named convertedUsingIronPDF.pdf. The file is stored in the current working directory unless a full path is specified.

Input HTML file

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>
  <h1 style="color:black;">Demonstrate Iron .Net Package to Convert HTML to PDF</h1>
  <p style="color:gray;">IronPDF simplifies HTML to PDF conversion in C# applications with its robust set of features and intuitive API. Whether you need to generate reports, convert web pages, or create printable documents from HTML content, IronPDF provides the tools necessary to achieve high-quality PDF outputs efficiently. By integrating IronPDF into your projects, you can enhance document generation workflows and deliver professional-grade PDF documents tailored to your application's requirements.</p>
  <h2 style="color:black;">Install</h2>
  <code style="color:blue;">dotnet add package IronPdf --version 2024.7.8</code>
  <h2 style="color:black;">Import Namespaces</h2>
  <p style="color:blue;">using IronPdf;</p>
  <h2 style="color:black;">Create ChromePdfRenderer</h2>
  <code style="color:blue;">var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();</code>
  <h2 style="color:black;">Create PDF from HTML file</h2>
  <code style="color:blue;">var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlFileAsPdf("myHtmlFile.html");</code>
  <h2 style="color:black;">Save PDF File</h2>
  <code style="color:blue;">pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf");</code>
</body>
</html>

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>
  <h1 style="color:black;">Demonstrate Iron .Net Package to Convert HTML to PDF</h1>
  <p style="color:gray;">IronPDF simplifies HTML to PDF conversion in C# applications with its robust set of features and intuitive API. Whether you need to generate reports, convert web pages, or create printable documents from HTML content, IronPDF provides the tools necessary to achieve high-quality PDF outputs efficiently. By integrating IronPDF into your projects, you can enhance document generation workflows and deliver professional-grade PDF documents tailored to your application's requirements.</p>
  <h2 style="color:black;">Install</h2>
  <code style="color:blue;">dotnet add package IronPdf --version 2024.7.8</code>
  <h2 style="color:black;">Import Namespaces</h2>
  <p style="color:blue;">using IronPdf;</p>
  <h2 style="color:black;">Create ChromePdfRenderer</h2>
  <code style="color:blue;">var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();</code>
  <h2 style="color:black;">Create PDF from HTML file</h2>
  <code style="color:blue;">var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlFileAsPdf("myHtmlFile.html");</code>
  <h2 style="color:black;">Save PDF File</h2>
  <code style="color:blue;">pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf");</code>
</body>
</html>

Output PDF

IronPDF License

IronPDF allows users to check out its extensive features before purchase.

Place the License Key at the start of the script before using the IronPDF package:

using IronPdf;

// Apply your license key
License.LicenseKey = "key";

using IronPdf;

// Apply your license key
License.LicenseKey = "key";

Imports IronPdf

' Apply your license key
License.LicenseKey = "key"

GroupDocs.Conversion

Pros:

1. Wide Range of Formats: Supports a wide variety of document formats for conversion, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF, HTML, and more.
2. Conversion Quality: Generally provides good quality conversions with many options for customization.
3. Document Manipulation Also included: Additional features beyond conversion are offered, such as document manipulation and metadata handling.
4. API Flexibility: Provides APIs for .NET and Java, which can be advantageous for cross-platform or mixed-technology projects.

Cons:

1. Cost: It can be relatively expensive, especially for commercial use or when dealing with large volumes of documents.
2. Learning Curve: Depending on the complexity of use cases, integrating and configuring GroupDocs.Conversion may have a steeper learning curve.
3. Performance: In some cases, performance might not be as optimized compared to other libraries, especially for very large documents or complex conversions.

IronPDF

Pros:

1. PDF Generation: Excellent for generating PDFs from HTML, URLs, or other formats directly within .NET applications.
2. Ease of Use: Generally straightforward to integrate and use, especially for basic PDF generation tasks.
3. Documentation and Support: Provides good documentation and support, which can be helpful for developers starting out.
4. Cost: Depending on your use case, it might be more cost-effective compared to GroupDocs.Conversion, especially for PDF generation tasks.

Cons:

1. Limited Format Support: Primarily focused on PDF generation; unlike GroupDocs.Conversion it is specifically designed only for PDF format.
2. Customization: While suitable for basic PDF generation needs, customization options for layout and advanced features might be limited compared to GroupDocs.Conversion.

With high-class customer support and backed by skilled developers and Iron Suite, these cons are negated, hence IronPDF emerges as the better library out of the two to provide modern, simple, and advanced PDF conversion capabilities.

Conclusion

GroupDocs HTML to PDF converter in C# provides a straightforward yet powerful solution for converting HTML content into PDF documents within your applications. By following the steps and examples provided in this article, you can quickly integrate HTML to PDF conversion capabilities into your projects, whether for generating reports, archiving web content, or any other document processing needs. GroupDocs' library offers flexibility and extensive customization options, making it a reliable choice for developers looking to enhance their applications with PDF generation from HTML content.

In contrast, IronPDF simplifies HTML to PDF conversion in C# applications with its robust set of features and intuitive API. Whether you need to generate reports, convert web pages, or create printable documents from HTML content, IronPDF provides the tools necessary to achieve high-quality PDF outputs efficiently. By integrating IronPDF into your projects, you can enhance document generation workflows and deliver professional-grade PDF documents tailored to your application's requirements.

With best-in-class customer support and backed by skilled developers and Iron Suite, IronPDF emerges as the better library out of the two to provide modern, simple, and advanced PDF conversion capabilities.