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Whether you’re building a document-heavy enterprise solution, generating invoices in a SaaS app, or exporting reports from a .NET dashboard, one question always arises:
"Which C# PDF library should I use?"
In the .NET ecosystem, three libraries stand out: PDFsharp, iTextSharp, and IronPDF. Each has its strengths, quirks, and best-use cases. But which one is truly the best choice for modern developers working with PDF files within the .NET 6+, .NET Core, or even traditional .NET Framework?
This comprehensive guide dives deep into each library, comparing features, installation, usability, and output quality. We’ll walk through working code examples, the pros and cons of each library, and offer practical recommendations based on real-world development needs.
Let’s get started.
PDFsharp is an open-source library that allows developers to create and process PDF documents on the fly using C#. It supports PDF creation from scratch and the ability to modify existing PDF files. Its clean, object-oriented API is ideal for developers looking for a lightweight and easy-to-integrate solution.
Despite being community-driven, it enjoys a loyal user base and remains a go-to choice for simple PDF tasks that don’t require advanced rendering or dynamic content from HTML.
Installation is straightforward via NuGet:
Install-Package PDFsharp
Install-Package PDFsharp
'INSTANT VB TODO TASK: The following line uses invalid syntax:
'Install-Package PDFsharp
It’s also compatible with PdfSharpCore for .NET Core environments.
using PdfSharp.Pdf;
using PdfSharp.Drawing;
// Create a new PDF document
var document = new PdfSharp.Pdf.PdfDocument();
document.Info.Title = "Created with PDFsharp";
// Create an empty page
PdfPage page = document.AddPage();
// Get an XGraphics object for drawing
XGraphics gfx = XGraphics.FromPdfPage(page);
// Create a font
XFont font = new XFont("Verdana", 20, XFontStyleEx.Bold);
// Draw the text
gfx.DrawString("Hello, PDFsharp!", font, XBrushes.Black, new XRect(0, 0, page.Width, page.Height), XStringFormats.Center);
// Save the document
document.Save("HelloWorld.pdf");
using PdfSharp.Pdf;
using PdfSharp.Drawing;
// Create a new PDF document
var document = new PdfSharp.Pdf.PdfDocument();
document.Info.Title = "Created with PDFsharp";
// Create an empty page
PdfPage page = document.AddPage();
// Get an XGraphics object for drawing
XGraphics gfx = XGraphics.FromPdfPage(page);
// Create a font
XFont font = new XFont("Verdana", 20, XFontStyleEx.Bold);
// Draw the text
gfx.DrawString("Hello, PDFsharp!", font, XBrushes.Black, new XRect(0, 0, page.Width, page.Height), XStringFormats.Center);
// Save the document
document.Save("HelloWorld.pdf");
Imports PdfSharp.Pdf
Imports PdfSharp.Drawing
' Create a new PDF document
Private document = New PdfSharp.Pdf.PdfDocument()
document.Info.Title = "Created with PDFsharp"
' Create an empty page
Dim page As PdfPage = document.AddPage()
' Get an XGraphics object for drawing
Dim gfx As XGraphics = XGraphics.FromPdfPage(page)
' Create a font
Dim font As New XFont("Verdana", 20, XFontStyleEx.Bold)
' Draw the text
gfx.DrawString("Hello, PDFsharp!", font, XBrushes.Black, New XRect(0, 0, page.Width, page.Height), XStringFormats.Center)
' Save the document
document.Save("HelloWorld.pdf")
Output
📝 Note: PDFsharp doesn't support HTML rendering or CSS parsing out of the box, so it's best used for drawing-based document generation. For HTML to PDF rendering, you need the HtmlRenderer for PDFsharp.
Pros:
Free and open source PDF library (MIT license)
Great for low-level drawing and simple text-based PDF documents
Cons:
No native HTML to PDF support
Rendering capabilities are limited
iTextSharp is the .NET port of iText, a robust Java-based PDF library. It offers advanced functionality, including digital signatures, form fields, barcodes, and more. iTextSharp is highly customizable and best suited for enterprises with legal or regulatory documentation needs.
However, it comes with a catch—licensing. iTextSharp is AGPL-licensed, which means you must open-source your project unless you purchase a commercial license.
Install-Package itext
Install-Package itext
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'Install-Package itext
The newer versions use the iText Core namespace. Be sure to review the licensing terms before integration.
using iText.Kernel.Pdf;
using iText.Layout;
using iText.Layout.Element;
PdfWriter writer = new PdfWriter("iTextHello.pdf");
var pdf = new iText.Kernel.Pdf.PdfDocument(writer);
Document document = new Document(pdf);
document.Add(new Paragraph("Hello, iTextSharp!"));
document.Close();
using iText.Kernel.Pdf;
using iText.Layout;
using iText.Layout.Element;
PdfWriter writer = new PdfWriter("iTextHello.pdf");
var pdf = new iText.Kernel.Pdf.PdfDocument(writer);
Document document = new Document(pdf);
document.Add(new Paragraph("Hello, iTextSharp!"));
document.Close();
Imports iText.Kernel.Pdf
Imports iText.Layout
Imports iText.Layout.Element
Private writer As New PdfWriter("iTextHello.pdf")
Private pdf = New iText.Kernel.Pdf.PdfDocument(writer)
Private document As New Document(pdf)
document.Add(New Paragraph("Hello, iTextSharp!"))
document.Close()
Output
📌 Tip: iTextSharp’s iText 9 version is modular. For HTML conversion or barcode generation, install additional NuGet packages, such as the paid add-on pdfHTML.
Strengths:
Powerful and enterprise-grade
Supports PDF/A, encryption, form filling, and digital signatures
Weaknesses:
AGPL license or expensive commercial license
Steeper learning curve
IronPDF is a commercial-grade, .NET library that emphasizes simplicity, rendering accuracy, and feature richness. It’s especially strong if you want to convert HTML to PDF with full CSS, JavaScript, and web-font support—making it ideal for modern, responsive PDF document generation. Whether you're looking to create PDF documents from scratch, generate PDF documents from HTML, or just need a tool that is great at manipulating PDF files, IronPDF has you covered.
With support for .NET Core, .NET Framework, Azure, and Docker, IronPDF is well-suited for both startups and enterprise-grade apps. With powerful features, good documentation, and the ability to perform within various platforms, IronPDF is a solid choice for generating PDFs.
Install-Package IronPdf
Install-Package IronPdf
'INSTANT VB TODO TASK: The following line uses invalid syntax:
'Install-Package IronPdf
Or use the Visual Studio NuGet UI. IronPDF provides a free trial and flexible licensing for commercial use without AGPL restrictions.
using IronPdf;
var Renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
var pdf = Renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Hello from IronPDF!</h1><p>This was rendered using Chrome.</p>");
pdf.SaveAs("IronPdfHello.pdf");
using IronPdf;
var Renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
var pdf = Renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Hello from IronPDF!</h1><p>This was rendered using Chrome.</p>");
pdf.SaveAs("IronPdfHello.pdf");
Imports IronPdf
Private Renderer = New ChromePdfRenderer()
Private pdf = Renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Hello from IronPDF!</h1><p>This was rendered using Chrome.</p>")
pdf.SaveAs("IronPdfHello.pdf")
Output
🔍 This simple example uses the full power of a headless Chromium engine to render HTML/CSS exactly as a browser would—something PDFsharp and iTextSharp struggle with.
IronPDF is widely regarded for its:
Accuracy: Pixel-perfect rendering using a Chromium engine for generating PDFs
Ease of Use: No need to manage page sizes, margins, or fonts manually
Speed: Fast generation with multithreading support
Benchmarks show that IronPDF can generate a complex HTML invoice with images, CSS, and JavaScript in under 2 seconds on a standard machine—far outperforming iTextSharp’s HTML add-ons or PDFsharp’s manual drawing methods.
IronPDF delivers a modern development experience, complete with key features such as:
Full HTML5, CSS3, JS, Bootstrap, and responsive design support for PDF conversion with accurate rendering
Have access to advanced features such as PDF/A, digital signatures, watermarking, merging, and splitting
Licensing suited to commercial products—no AGPL worries
Superior documentation and sample-rich support
Extract data from PDF documents with minimal effort
Whether you're building an invoice generator, report engine, or browser-based documentation system, IronPDF makes it simple and professional.
The world of C# PDF libraries is diverse, and each tool we’ve explored—PDFsharp, iTextSharp, and IronPDF—brings its own strengths, weaknesses, and ideal use cases. So which one should you choose for your .NET applications?
If you’re building a small-scale application, have basic document rendering needs, and prefer full control over PDF drawing operations, PDFsharp is a reliable starting point. Its open-source nature and low overhead make it ideal for projects where licensing and simplicity are key. However, the trade-off is manual effort: no HTML support, no modern web rendering, and limited active development.
Use PDFsharp if:
You’re looking to create PDF files programmatically with lines, text, and simple layout.
Your app doesn’t require HTML to PDF, CSS styling, or JavaScript.
iTextSharp sits at the enterprise end of the spectrum. It’s powerful, secure, and well-suited for complex PDF manipulation such as:
Filling out forms
Generating barcodes
Securing files with digital signatures
However, its AGPL license can be restrictive unless you're prepared to either open-source your code or pay for a commercial license—which isn’t cheap. Additionally, the learning curve is steeper, and HTML rendering is an add-on rather than a core feature.
Use iTextSharp if:
You're building government or regulatory systems with form filling or secure PDFs.
You need granular control over low-level PDF operations.
In contrast, IronPDF is designed to solve real-world problems with elegance and speed. It combines the familiarity of web technologies (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) with the power of Chromium rendering, enabling developers to convert complex layouts into beautiful PDFs effortlessly.
It handles:
Pixel-perfect HTML to PDF rendering
JavaScript execution (great for charts and dynamic data)
PDF merging, splitting, watermarking, signing, and other various options for PDF document manipulation
Integration with .NET 6, 7, and beyond
Most importantly, IronPDF focuses on developer experience: clean syntax, rapid rendering, rich documentation, and responsive support.
Choose IronPDF if:
You want a valuable tool for HTML-to-PDF rendering that looks like a browser print preview.
Your documents rely on web styling (Bootstrap, Flexbox, Google Fonts).
You need a commercial license with flexibility, support, and updates.
While PDFsharp is a great option for barebones use, and iTextSharp serves niche compliance-heavy industries, IronPDF stands out as the all-in-one PDF solution for modern C# developers. It strikes a perfect balance between power, simplicity, and real-world usability.
Whether you're rendering dynamic reports, generating client invoices from web templates, or exporting rich documentation, IronPDF lets you focus on your application—not the nuances of PDF rendering.
Don’t take our word for it—explore IronPDF for yourself:
With IronPDF, you're not just generating PDFs—you’re building polished, professional, production-ready documents that look exactly the way you designed them. Cut development time, eliminate rendering headaches, and ship faster.