PDFsharp vs QuestPDF (C# PDF Library In-depth Comparison)

When working with PDF documents in .NET, developers often find themselves comparing various libraries to determine which one best suits their project requirements. Three popular choices in the .NET ecosystem are PDFsharp, QuestPDF, and IronPDF. Each library caters to different use cases and offers unique strengths and weaknesses. In this article, we will provide an in-depth comparison of these libraries and how they handle basic PDF generation using this URL to help you make an informed decision.

What Is PDFsharp?

PDFsharp is an open-source library designed to create, edit, and render PDF documents. With a focus on simplicity and core PDF functionality, PDFsharp has been a reliable tool for developers looking for straightforward PDF manipulation capabilities.

Key Features of PDFsharp

• PDF Creation and Editing: Generate new PDFs or modify existing ones.
• Graphics Drawing: Includes support for drawing shapes, text, and images.
• Open Source: Licensed under MIT, making it free to use and modify.

Installation

Through the use of the NuGet Package Manager, it is easy to install PDFsharp into your projects. Simply run the following line into the NuGet Package Manager Console:

Install-Package PDFsharp

PDFsharp Code Example

Now, let's take a look at how PDFsharp might handle creating a new PDF document from a given URL. As PDFsharp on its own cannot handle HTML or URL to PDF conversion, we will need to integrate a web rendering engine such as HtmlRenderer.PdfSharp. Additionally, we will use HttpClient to retrieve the HTML content from the given URL.

using System;
using System.Net.Http;
using System.Text;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using PdfSharp.Pdf;
using TheArtOfDev.HtmlRenderer.PdfSharp;

public class Program
{
    static async Task Main(string[] args)
    {
        // Ensure proper encoding support
        Encoding.RegisterProvider(CodePagesEncodingProvider.Instance);

        string url = "https://www.apple.com";

        // Fetch HTML content from the URL
        using (HttpClient client = new HttpClient())
        {
            string htmlContent = await client.GetStringAsync(url);

            // Generate PDF from the fetched HTML content
            var pdf = PdfGenerator.GeneratePdf(htmlContent, PdfSharp.PageSize.A4);
            pdf.Save("output.pdf");

            Console.WriteLine("PDF created successfully as 'output.pdf'.");
        }
    }
}

using System;
using System.Net.Http;
using System.Text;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using PdfSharp.Pdf;
using TheArtOfDev.HtmlRenderer.PdfSharp;

public class Program
{
    static async Task Main(string[] args)
    {
        // Ensure proper encoding support
        Encoding.RegisterProvider(CodePagesEncodingProvider.Instance);

        string url = "https://www.apple.com";

        // Fetch HTML content from the URL
        using (HttpClient client = new HttpClient())
        {
            string htmlContent = await client.GetStringAsync(url);

            // Generate PDF from the fetched HTML content
            var pdf = PdfGenerator.GeneratePdf(htmlContent, PdfSharp.PageSize.A4);
            pdf.Save("output.pdf");

            Console.WriteLine("PDF created successfully as 'output.pdf'.");
        }
    }
}

Imports System
Imports System.Net.Http
Imports System.Text
Imports System.Threading.Tasks
Imports PdfSharp.Pdf
Imports TheArtOfDev.HtmlRenderer.PdfSharp

Public Class Program
	Shared Async Function Main(ByVal args() As String) As Task
		' Ensure proper encoding support
		Encoding.RegisterProvider(CodePagesEncodingProvider.Instance)

		Dim url As String = "https://www.apple.com"

		' Fetch HTML content from the URL
		Using client As New HttpClient()
			Dim htmlContent As String = Await client.GetStringAsync(url)

			' Generate PDF from the fetched HTML content
			Dim pdf = PdfGenerator.GeneratePdf(htmlContent, PdfSharp.PageSize.A4)
			pdf.Save("output.pdf")

			Console.WriteLine("PDF created successfully as 'output.pdf'.")
		End Using
	End Function
End Class

Output PDF File

As you can see, while PDFsharp can be used to convert HTML content and web pages to PDF files, it needs the help of additional libraries and is unable to keep any of the CSS and formatting seen on the original website. While a great free PDF developer's library, it does lack some of the more advanced features seen in paid libraries such as IronPDF.

What Is QuestPDF?

QuestPDF is a modern, open-source library focused on generating visually appealing PDFs using a fluent API. Its innovative approach to document layout and rendering makes it a strong contender for applications requiring dynamic and complex designs.

Key Features of QuestPDF

• Fluent API: Offers a declarative approach to define document layouts.
• Modern Layout System: Inspired by CSS, it supports grids, components, and flexible layout structures.
• High Performance: Optimized for rendering large and complex documents quickly.

Installation

Thanks to this library being available to install as a NuGet package, installing it is a straightforward process, requiring just one line to be run within the NuGet Console:

Install-Package QuestPDF

QuestPDF Code Example

Now it's time to look at how QuestPDF will handle converting our example URL to PDF format. While QuestPDF does not natively support URL-to-PDF conversion, you can use an HTTP client to fetch the HTML content and render it into a PDF using QuestPDF's fluent API.

using System;
using System.Net.Http;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using HtmlAgilityPack;
using QuestPDF.Fluent;
using QuestPDF.Helpers;
using QuestPDF.Infrastructure;

public class Program
{
    static async Task Main(string[] args)
    {
        // Configure QuestPDF to use the community license
        QuestPDF.Settings.License = LicenseType.Community;

        string url = "https://www.apple.com";

        // Fetch HTML content from the URL
        using (HttpClient client = new HttpClient())
        {
            string htmlContent = await client.GetStringAsync(url);

            // Parse the HTML content using HtmlAgilityPack
            var htmlDoc = new HtmlDocument();
            htmlDoc.LoadHtml(htmlContent);

            // Extract meaningful content (e.g., text inside <body>)
            var bodyContent = htmlDoc.DocumentNode.SelectSingleNode("//body")?.InnerText ?? "No content found";

            // Generate PDF using QuestPDF
            Document.Create(container =>
            {
                container.Page(page =>
                {
                    page.Size(PageSizes.A4);
                    page.Margin(20);
                    page.Content().Text(bodyContent);
                });
            }).GeneratePdf("output.pdf");

            Console.WriteLine("PDF created successfully as 'output.pdf'.");
        }
    }
}

using System;
using System.Net.Http;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using HtmlAgilityPack;
using QuestPDF.Fluent;
using QuestPDF.Helpers;
using QuestPDF.Infrastructure;

public class Program
{
    static async Task Main(string[] args)
    {
        // Configure QuestPDF to use the community license
        QuestPDF.Settings.License = LicenseType.Community;

        string url = "https://www.apple.com";

        // Fetch HTML content from the URL
        using (HttpClient client = new HttpClient())
        {
            string htmlContent = await client.GetStringAsync(url);

            // Parse the HTML content using HtmlAgilityPack
            var htmlDoc = new HtmlDocument();
            htmlDoc.LoadHtml(htmlContent);

            // Extract meaningful content (e.g., text inside <body>)
            var bodyContent = htmlDoc.DocumentNode.SelectSingleNode("//body")?.InnerText ?? "No content found";

            // Generate PDF using QuestPDF
            Document.Create(container =>
            {
                container.Page(page =>
                {
                    page.Size(PageSizes.A4);
                    page.Margin(20);
                    page.Content().Text(bodyContent);
                });
            }).GeneratePdf("output.pdf");

            Console.WriteLine("PDF created successfully as 'output.pdf'.");
        }
    }
}

Imports System
Imports System.Net.Http
Imports System.Threading.Tasks
Imports HtmlAgilityPack
Imports QuestPDF.Fluent
Imports QuestPDF.Helpers
Imports QuestPDF.Infrastructure

Public Class Program
	Shared Async Function Main(ByVal args() As String) As Task
		' Configure QuestPDF to use the community license
		QuestPDF.Settings.License = LicenseType.Community

		Dim url As String = "https://www.apple.com"

		' Fetch HTML content from the URL
		Using client As New HttpClient()
			Dim htmlContent As String = Await client.GetStringAsync(url)

			' Parse the HTML content using HtmlAgilityPack
			Dim htmlDoc = New HtmlDocument()
			htmlDoc.LoadHtml(htmlContent)

			' Extract meaningful content (e.g., text inside <body>)
			Dim bodyContent = If(htmlDoc.DocumentNode.SelectSingleNode("//body")?.InnerText, "No content found")

			' Generate PDF using QuestPDF
			Document.Create(Sub(container)
				container.Page(Sub(page)
					page.Size(PageSizes.A4)
					page.Margin(20)
					page.Content().Text(bodyContent)
				End Sub)
			End Sub).GeneratePdf("output.pdf")

			Console.WriteLine("PDF created successfully as 'output.pdf'.")
		End Using
	End Function
End Class

Output PDF File

Much like with PDFSharp, while QuestPDF can be utilized to convert HTML content to PDF with the help of external libraries such as HtmlAgilityPack, it is unable to maintain any of the CSS styling and formatting. While QuestPDF is a great choice for anyone wanting to create PDF documents from scratch, HTML to PDF conversion is not a strong point for this library.

IronPDF: A Powerful PDF Library

IronPDF is a robust PDF library designed for .NET developers who need advanced and comprehensive PDF capabilities. Its focus on HTML-to-PDF rendering, combined with additional features like advanced options for manipulating PDF documents, encryption, and PDF/A compliance, makes it a powerful choice for enterprise-grade applications.

Key Features of IronPDF

• HTML to PDF: Easily render full webpages or HTML strings as PDFs.
• PDF/A Compliance: Generate documents that adhere to long-term archiving standards.
• Advanced Security: Supports encryption, password protection, and digital signatures.
• Editing PDFs: Modify, merge, and split existing PDF files.
• Cross-Platform: Fully compatible with .NET Framework, .NET Core, and .NET 5+.

Installation

To install IronPDF, use the NuGet Package Manager in Visual Studio:

Using the NuGet Package Manager:

1. Open your project in Visual Studio.
2. Right-click on the project in the Solution Explorer and select "Manage NuGet Packages."
3. Search for "IronPDF" and click "Install."

Using the NuGet Package Manager Console:

Install-Package IronPdf

Example: Convert URL to PDF Using IronPDF

IronPDF provides a simple and direct API for converting URLs to PDFs. Here's an example:

using IronPdf;

public class PdfConverter
{
    public static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        // Create a renderer with IronPdf
        ChromePdfRenderer renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();

        // Render the URL as a PDF
        PdfDocument pdf = renderer.RenderUrlAsPdf("https://www.apple.com");

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

using IronPdf;

public class PdfConverter
{
    public static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        // Create a renderer with IronPdf
        ChromePdfRenderer renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();

        // Render the URL as a PDF
        PdfDocument pdf = renderer.RenderUrlAsPdf("https://www.apple.com");

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

Imports IronPdf

Public Class PdfConverter
	Public Shared Sub Main(ByVal args() As String)
		' Create a renderer with IronPdf
		Dim renderer As New ChromePdfRenderer()

		' Render the URL as a PDF
		Dim pdf As PdfDocument = renderer.RenderUrlAsPdf("https://www.apple.com")

		' Save the PDF
		pdf.SaveAs("url.pdf")
	End Sub
End Class

Output PDF File

The above code example demonstrates how IronPDF can easily convert URL content to PDF with just a couple of lines of code. As you can see, not only has it converted the HTML, but it has also converted the CSS styling and layouts, ensuring the output PDF stays true to the original formatting. Through the use of the ChromePdfRenderer rendering engine, IronPDF produces pixel-perfect PDF documents that don't lose any of the content's original quality in the conversion process.

As seen here, IronPDF is a strong choice for HTML to PDF conversion, along with the conversion of other document types to PDF. It handles high-quality conversion jobs in a concise, easy-to-implement block of code.

Detailed Analysis

Ease of Use

PDFsharp is straightforward and easy to use, making it an excellent choice for beginners or developers with basic PDF needs. Its procedural approach allows quick setup and implementation for tasks like adding text, shapes, or images to a PDF. However, it does require an external library in order to handle HTML and URL to PDF conversion tasks.

QuestPDF, on the other hand, offers a more modern approach with its fluent API. Developers with experience in web or UI design will find it intuitive, but newcomers may face a slight learning curve as they get accustomed to the layout-centric design philosophy. Again, it lacks the built-in tools to handle HTML to PDF conversions.

IronPDF provides the easiest experience for HTML to PDF conversion and advanced PDF features. Its intuitive API reduces the time to implement and offers robust documentation and examples. IronPDF can handle the conversion of many different document types to PDF, such as the URL to PDF example we looked at in this article, all without any loss of document quality.

Performance

Performance is a critical factor, especially for applications that need to generate PDFs dynamically. PDFsharp is adequate for small and simple documents but struggles with large-scale or complex layouts.

QuestPDF excels in rendering dynamic and visually appealing documents. It is optimized for handling structured layouts with high efficiency.

IronPDF balances performance and functionality exceptionally well, especially for applications requiring HTML rendering, CSS, and JavaScript support. It is also highly capable of handling enterprise-grade PDF tasks with ease.

Comparison Summary

• PDFsharp is a lightweight and open-source library best suited for basic PDF creation and editing tasks. It is ideal for small projects but lacks support for modern layouts and advanced features.
• QuestPDF shines in generating dynamic, complex, and visually appealing PDFs using its fluent API. However, it focuses exclusively on PDF generation and does not support editing existing documents.
• IronPDF offers the most comprehensive feature set, including built-in HTML-to-PDF conversion, OCR, and advanced security options. While it requires a commercial license, its functionality makes it a top choice for enterprise and professional applications.

Conclusion

Choosing the right PDF library for your .NET project depends on your specific requirements. If you need a lightweight, open-source tool for basic PDF tasks, PDFsharp is a solid option. For creating dynamic, visually appealing documents, QuestPDF stands out with its modern approach.

However, if you require advanced features, seamless HTML-to-PDF conversion, and enterprise-grade capabilities, check out what IronPDF has to offer.

By understanding the strengths and limitations of each library, you can make an informed decision that aligns with your project's needs.