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MIGRATION GUIDES

Migrate from ActivePDF to IronPDF: (.NET Guide)

Curtis Chau
Curtis Chau
Updated:

ActivePDF has been a dependable PDF toolkit for .NET developers. Since PDFTron acquired it in June 2020 and rebranded to Apryse in February 2023, ActivePDF now sits as one of several brands inside the broader Apryse portfolio. This guide offers a thorough, step-by-step migration path from ActivePDF to IronPDF—a modern, actively maintained .NET PDF library supporting .NET Framework 4.6.2 through .NET 9.

Why Consider Moving Away from ActivePDF?

ActivePDF still ships and the ActivePDF.Toolkit NuGet package continues to receive updates under Apryse, but several aspects of its design and packaging can prompt teams to evaluate alternatives.

Brand and Roadmap Considerations

ActivePDF is now one brand inside Apryse, alongside the flagship Apryse SDK. Teams that picked ActivePDF specifically for its server-side automation focus may want to weigh whether to stay on the ActivePDF SKUs or move to the broader Apryse SDK over time.

Licensing Model

ActivePDF's traditional per-server/per-core licensing can introduce friction in cloud and containerized environments where applications scale dynamically across infrastructure.

Legacy Architecture Patterns

ActivePDF's API surface reflects its COM/native origins. The OpenOutputFile/CloseOutputFile workflow and integer return codes (0 for success) require explicit lifecycle management that doesn't always align with modern C# idioms like using, exceptions, and async.

Multi-SKU Product Layout

HTML/URL-to-PDF rendering lives in the separate ActivePDF.WebGrabber product, while PDF manipulation lives in ActivePDF.Toolkit. Starting with Toolkit 10, the native libraries are no longer auto-copied to the system folder, so the constructor often needs an explicit CoreLibPath argument—a pattern that can complicate Docker, CI, and installer-less deployments.

ActivePDF vs. IronPDF: Key Differences

Before starting the migration process, understanding the fundamental differences between ActivePDF and IronPDF helps set expectations for the code changes required.

Aspect ActivePDF IronPDF
Vendor Apryse (formerly PDFTron, acquired ActivePDF June 2020) Iron Software, independent
Product Layout Multiple SKUs (Toolkit, WebGrabber, DocConverter, Server, Meridian) Single IronPdf NuGet package
Installation NuGet package + native runtime path (CoreLibPath since v10) Single NuGet package; natives bundled
API Pattern Stateful (OpenOutputFile/CloseOutputFile), COM-derived Fluent, functional API
License Model Per-server / per-core Code-based key
.NET Support .NET Framework 4.5+ / .NET Standard 1.0+ / .NET Core Framework 4.6.2 to .NET 9
Error Handling Integer return codes (0 = success) Standard .NET exceptions
Async Support Not native Full async/await support

Pre-Migration Preparation

Audit Your Codebase

Before beginning migration, identify all ActivePDF usage across your solution. The real namespaces are APToolkitNET (Toolkit) and APWebGrabber (WebGrabber); a few legacy projects also reference ActivePDF.Toolkit via the COM interop assembly. Run these commands in your solution directory:

grep -r "using APToolkitNET" --include="*.cs" .
grep -r "using APWebGrabber" --include="*.cs" .
grep -r "ActivePDF" --include="*.csproj" .
grep -r "using APToolkitNET" --include="*.cs" .
grep -r "using APWebGrabber" --include="*.cs" .
grep -r "ActivePDF" --include="*.csproj" .
SHELL

Document Breaking Changes

Understanding the fundamental API differences helps plan your migration strategy:

Category ActivePDF Behavior IronPDF Behavior Migration Action
Product Split Toolkit (manipulation) + WebGrabber (HTML rendering) sold separately Single IronPdf package Collapse both into one library
Object Model APToolkitNET.Toolkit for PDFs, APWebGrabber.WebGrabber for HTML ChromePdfRenderer + PdfDocument Separate concerns
File Operations OpenOutputFile()/CloseOutputFile() Direct SaveAs() Remove open/close calls
Native Runtime CoreLibPath argument since v10 NuGet ships natives Remove path configuration
Page Creation NewPage() method Automatic from HTML Remove page creation calls
Return Values Integer error codes Exceptions Implement try/catch
Page Size Units Points (612x792 = Letter) Enums or millimeters Update measurements

Prerequisites

Ensure your environment meets these requirements:

  • .NET Framework 4.6.2+ or .NET Core 3.1 / .NET 5-9
  • Visual Studio 2019+ or JetBrains Rider
  • NuGet Package Manager access
  • IronPDF license key (free trial available at ironpdf.com)

Step-by-Step Migration Process

Step 1: Update NuGet Packages

The package on nuget.org is ActivePDF.Toolkit (current version 11.4.4, published December 2025). HTML rendering ships separately as ActivePDF.WebGrabber. Remove the ActivePDF SKUs and install IronPDF:

# Remove ActivePDF packages
dotnet remove package ActivePDF.Toolkit
dotnet remove package ActivePDF.WebGrabber

# Install IronPDF
dotnet add package IronPdf
# Remove ActivePDF packages
dotnet remove package ActivePDF.Toolkit
dotnet remove package ActivePDF.WebGrabber

# Install IronPDF
dotnet add package IronPdf
SHELL

Alternatively, via the Visual Studio Package Manager Console:

Uninstall-Package ActivePDF.Toolkit
Uninstall-Package ActivePDF.WebGrabber
Install-Package IronPdf

For projects with manual DLL references, remove the reference from your .csproj file:


<Reference Include="APToolkitNET">
    <HintPath>path\to\APToolkitNET.dll</HintPath>
</Reference>

<Reference Include="APToolkitNET">
    <HintPath>path\to\APToolkitNET.dll</HintPath>
</Reference>
XML

Step 2: Configure the License Key

Add the IronPDF license key at application startup, before any PDF operations:

// Add at application startup (Program.cs or Startup.cs)
IronPdf.License.LicenseKey = "YOUR-LICENSE-KEY";

// Verify license status
bool isLicensed = IronPdf.License.IsLicensed;
// Add at application startup (Program.cs or Startup.cs)
IronPdf.License.LicenseKey = "YOUR-LICENSE-KEY";

// Verify license status
bool isLicensed = IronPdf.License.IsLicensed;
' Add at application startup (Program.vb or Startup.vb)
IronPdf.License.LicenseKey = "YOUR-LICENSE-KEY"

' Verify license status
Dim isLicensed As Boolean = IronPdf.License.IsLicensed
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

Step 3: Update Namespace References

Perform a global find-and-replace across your solution:

Find Replace With
using APToolkitNET; using IronPdf;
using APWebGrabber; using IronPdf;
APToolkitNET.Toolkit ChromePdfRenderer (rendering) / PdfDocument (manipulation)
APWebGrabber.WebGrabber ChromePdfRenderer

Complete API Migration Reference

Document Creation Methods

ActivePDF Method IronPDF Equivalent Notes
new APToolkitNET.Toolkit() new ChromePdfRenderer() / new PdfDocument(...) IronPDF separates rendering from manipulation
new Toolkit(CoreLibPath: path) new ChromePdfRenderer() NuGet ships natives—no CoreLibPath
toolkit.OpenOutputFile(path) No equivalent needed Just call SaveAs at end
toolkit.CloseOutputFile() No equivalent needed using handles cleanup
webGrabber.URL = html; webGrabber.ConvertToPDF() renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html) WebGrabber, not Toolkit
webGrabber.URL = url; webGrabber.ConvertToPDF() renderer.RenderUrlAsPdf(url) WebGrabber, not Toolkit

File Operations

ActivePDF Method IronPDF Equivalent Notes
toolkit.OpenInputFile(path) PdfDocument.FromFile(path) Load existing PDF
toolkit.MergeFile(path, startPage, endPage) PdfDocument.Merge(pdfs) ActivePDF merges into the open output file in-place; IronPDF returns a new merged document
toolkit.NumPages (property) pdf.PageCount Page count
toolkit.GetPageText(page, 0) pdf.Pages[i].Text / pdf.ExtractAllText() Text extraction

Page Configuration

ActivePDF Method IronPDF Equivalent
toolkit.SetPageSize(612, 792) RenderingOptions.PaperSize = PdfPaperSize.Letter
toolkit.SetOrientation("Landscape") RenderingOptions.PaperOrientation = PdfPaperOrientation.Landscape
toolkit.SetMargins(t, b, l, r) RenderingOptions.MarginTop/Bottom/Left/Right

Security Methods

ActivePDF Method IronPDF Equivalent
toolkit.SetEncryption(user, owner, 128, 0) pdf.SecuritySettings.OwnerPassword / UserPassword
toolkit.SetPermissions(flags) pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserXxx
toolkit.PrintText(x, y, text) (per-page watermark) pdf.ApplyWatermark(html)

Code Migration Examples

HTML to PDF Conversion

Converting HTML strings to PDF documents represents one of the most common PDF generation scenarios. Note that in ActivePDF, HTML rendering lives in the separately-licensed WebGrabber product, not Toolkit, and WebGrabber renders from a URL or file path rather than an in-memory string.

ActivePDF Implementation (WebGrabber):

// NuGet: Install-Package ActivePDF.WebGrabber
using APWebGrabber;
using System;
using System.IO;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        WebGrabber wg = new WebGrabber();

        string htmlContent = "<html><body><h1>Hello World</h1></body></html>";
        string tempHtml = Path.Combine(Path.GetTempPath(), "input.html");
        File.WriteAllText(tempHtml, htmlContent);

        wg.URL = tempHtml;
        wg.OutputDirectory = Directory.GetCurrentDirectory();
        wg.OutputFilename = "output.pdf";

        if (wg.ConvertToPDF() == 0)
        {
            Console.WriteLine("PDF created successfully");
        }
    }
}
// NuGet: Install-Package ActivePDF.WebGrabber
using APWebGrabber;
using System;
using System.IO;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        WebGrabber wg = new WebGrabber();

        string htmlContent = "<html><body><h1>Hello World</h1></body></html>";
        string tempHtml = Path.Combine(Path.GetTempPath(), "input.html");
        File.WriteAllText(tempHtml, htmlContent);

        wg.URL = tempHtml;
        wg.OutputDirectory = Directory.GetCurrentDirectory();
        wg.OutputFilename = "output.pdf";

        if (wg.ConvertToPDF() == 0)
        {
            Console.WriteLine("PDF created successfully");
        }
    }
}
Imports APWebGrabber
Imports System
Imports System.IO

Module Program
    Sub Main()
        Dim wg As New WebGrabber()

        Dim htmlContent As String = "<html><body><h1>Hello World</h1></body></html>"
        Dim tempHtml As String = Path.Combine(Path.GetTempPath(), "input.html")
        File.WriteAllText(tempHtml, htmlContent)

        wg.URL = tempHtml
        wg.OutputDirectory = Directory.GetCurrentDirectory()
        wg.OutputFilename = "output.pdf"

        If wg.ConvertToPDF() = 0 Then
            Console.WriteLine("PDF created successfully")
        End If
    End Sub
End Module
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

IronPDF Implementation:

// NuGet: Install-Package IronPdf
using IronPdf;
using System;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();

        string htmlContent = "<html><body><h1>Hello World</h1></body></html>";

        var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(htmlContent);
        pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf");

        Console.WriteLine("PDF created successfully");
    }
}
// NuGet: Install-Package IronPdf
using IronPdf;
using System;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();

        string htmlContent = "<html><body><h1>Hello World</h1></body></html>";

        var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(htmlContent);
        pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf");

        Console.WriteLine("PDF created successfully");
    }
}
Imports IronPdf
Imports System

Module Program
    Sub Main()
        Dim renderer As New ChromePdfRenderer()

        Dim htmlContent As String = "<html><body><h1>Hello World</h1></body></html>"

        Dim pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(htmlContent)
        pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf")

        Console.WriteLine("PDF created successfully")
    End Sub
End Module
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

The IronPDF approach eliminates the explicit file handle management while providing cleaner, more readable code. For advanced HTML to PDF scenarios, IronPDF's ChromePdfRenderer uses a Chromium-based rendering engine for pixel-perfect CSS and JavaScript support.

URL to PDF Conversion

Capturing web pages as PDF documents also lives in WebGrabber, not Toolkit.

ActivePDF Implementation (WebGrabber):

// NuGet: Install-Package ActivePDF.WebGrabber
using APWebGrabber;
using System;
using System.IO;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        WebGrabber wg = new WebGrabber();

        wg.URL = "https://www.example.com";
        wg.OutputDirectory = Directory.GetCurrentDirectory();
        wg.OutputFilename = "webpage.pdf";

        if (wg.ConvertToPDF() == 0)
        {
            Console.WriteLine("PDF from URL created successfully");
        }
    }
}
// NuGet: Install-Package ActivePDF.WebGrabber
using APWebGrabber;
using System;
using System.IO;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        WebGrabber wg = new WebGrabber();

        wg.URL = "https://www.example.com";
        wg.OutputDirectory = Directory.GetCurrentDirectory();
        wg.OutputFilename = "webpage.pdf";

        if (wg.ConvertToPDF() == 0)
        {
            Console.WriteLine("PDF from URL created successfully");
        }
    }
}
Imports APWebGrabber
Imports System
Imports System.IO

Module Program
    Sub Main()
        Dim wg As New WebGrabber()

        wg.URL = "https://www.example.com"
        wg.OutputDirectory = Directory.GetCurrentDirectory()
        wg.OutputFilename = "webpage.pdf"

        If wg.ConvertToPDF() = 0 Then
            Console.WriteLine("PDF from URL created successfully")
        End If
    End Sub
End Module
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

IronPDF Implementation:

using IronPdf;
using System;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();

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

        var pdf = renderer.RenderUrlAsPdf(url);
        pdf.SaveAs("webpage.pdf");

        Console.WriteLine("PDF from URL created successfully");
    }
}
using IronPdf;
using System;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();

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

        var pdf = renderer.RenderUrlAsPdf(url);
        pdf.SaveAs("webpage.pdf");

        Console.WriteLine("PDF from URL created successfully");
    }
}
Imports IronPdf
Imports System

Class Program
    Shared Sub Main()
        Dim renderer = New ChromePdfRenderer()

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

        Dim pdf = renderer.RenderUrlAsPdf(url)
        pdf.SaveAs("webpage.pdf")

        Console.WriteLine("PDF from URL created successfully")
    End Sub
End Class
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

Merging Multiple PDFs

Combining multiple PDF documents into a single file demonstrates IronPDF's functional approach to document manipulation.

ActivePDF Implementation (Toolkit):

// NuGet: Install-Package ActivePDF.Toolkit
using APToolkitNET;
using System;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        using (Toolkit toolkit = new Toolkit())
        {
            if (toolkit.OpenOutputFile("merged.pdf") == 0)
            {
                // MergeFile(FileName, StartPage, EndPage); -1 = end of file
                toolkit.MergeFile("document1.pdf", 1, -1);
                toolkit.MergeFile("document2.pdf", 1, -1);
                toolkit.CloseOutputFile();
                Console.WriteLine("PDFs merged successfully");
            }
        }
    }
}
// NuGet: Install-Package ActivePDF.Toolkit
using APToolkitNET;
using System;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        using (Toolkit toolkit = new Toolkit())
        {
            if (toolkit.OpenOutputFile("merged.pdf") == 0)
            {
                // MergeFile(FileName, StartPage, EndPage); -1 = end of file
                toolkit.MergeFile("document1.pdf", 1, -1);
                toolkit.MergeFile("document2.pdf", 1, -1);
                toolkit.CloseOutputFile();
                Console.WriteLine("PDFs merged successfully");
            }
        }
    }
}
Imports APToolkitNET
Imports System

Module Program
    Sub Main()
        Using toolkit As New Toolkit()
            If toolkit.OpenOutputFile("merged.pdf") = 0 Then
                ' MergeFile(FileName, StartPage, EndPage); -1 = end of file
                toolkit.MergeFile("document1.pdf", 1, -1)
                toolkit.MergeFile("document2.pdf", 1, -1)
                toolkit.CloseOutputFile()
                Console.WriteLine("PDFs merged successfully")
            End If
        End Using
    End Sub
End Module
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

IronPDF Implementation:

using IronPdf;
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var pdf1 = PdfDocument.FromFile("document1.pdf");
        var pdf2 = PdfDocument.FromFile("document2.pdf");

        var merged = PdfDocument.Merge(pdf1, pdf2);
        merged.SaveAs("merged.pdf");

        Console.WriteLine("PDFs merged successfully");
    }
}
using IronPdf;
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var pdf1 = PdfDocument.FromFile("document1.pdf");
        var pdf2 = PdfDocument.FromFile("document2.pdf");

        var merged = PdfDocument.Merge(pdf1, pdf2);
        merged.SaveAs("merged.pdf");

        Console.WriteLine("PDFs merged successfully");
    }
}
Imports IronPdf
Imports System
Imports System.Collections.Generic

Module Program
    Sub Main()
        Dim pdf1 = PdfDocument.FromFile("document1.pdf")
        Dim pdf2 = PdfDocument.FromFile("document2.pdf")

        Dim merged = PdfDocument.Merge(pdf1, pdf2)
        merged.SaveAs("merged.pdf")

        Console.WriteLine("PDFs merged successfully")
    End Sub
End Module
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

For more advanced merging scenarios including selective page extraction, see the PDF merging documentation.

Adding Headers and Footers

ActivePDF Implementation (WebGrabber):

using APWebGrabber;
using System.IO;

public void CreatePdfWithHeaderFooter(string html, string outputPath)
{
    var wg = new WebGrabber();
    string tempHtml = Path.Combine(Path.GetTempPath(), "input.html");
    File.WriteAllText(tempHtml, html);

    wg.URL = tempHtml;
    wg.HeaderText = "My Document";
    wg.FooterText = "Page [page] of [pages]";
    wg.OutputDirectory = Path.GetDirectoryName(outputPath);
    wg.OutputFilename = Path.GetFileName(outputPath);
    wg.ConvertToPDF();
}
using APWebGrabber;
using System.IO;

public void CreatePdfWithHeaderFooter(string html, string outputPath)
{
    var wg = new WebGrabber();
    string tempHtml = Path.Combine(Path.GetTempPath(), "input.html");
    File.WriteAllText(tempHtml, html);

    wg.URL = tempHtml;
    wg.HeaderText = "My Document";
    wg.FooterText = "Page [page] of [pages]";
    wg.OutputDirectory = Path.GetDirectoryName(outputPath);
    wg.OutputFilename = Path.GetFileName(outputPath);
    wg.ConvertToPDF();
}
Imports APWebGrabber
Imports System.IO

Public Sub CreatePdfWithHeaderFooter(html As String, outputPath As String)
    Dim wg As New WebGrabber()
    Dim tempHtml As String = Path.Combine(Path.GetTempPath(), "input.html")
    File.WriteAllText(tempHtml, html)

    wg.URL = tempHtml
    wg.HeaderText = "My Document"
    wg.FooterText = "Page [page] of [pages]"
    wg.OutputDirectory = Path.GetDirectoryName(outputPath)
    wg.OutputFilename = Path.GetFileName(outputPath)
    wg.ConvertToPDF()
End Sub
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

IronPDF Implementation:

using IronPdf;

public void CreatePdfWithHeaderFooter(string html, string outputPath)
{
    var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();

    renderer.RenderingOptions.TextHeader = new TextHeaderFooter
    {
        CenterText = "My Document",
        FontSize = 12,
        FontFamily = "Arial"
    };

    renderer.RenderingOptions.TextFooter = new TextHeaderFooter
    {
        CenterText = "Page {page} of {total-pages}",
        FontSize = 10,
        FontFamily = "Arial"
    };

    using var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
    pdf.SaveAs(outputPath);
}
using IronPdf;

public void CreatePdfWithHeaderFooter(string html, string outputPath)
{
    var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();

    renderer.RenderingOptions.TextHeader = new TextHeaderFooter
    {
        CenterText = "My Document",
        FontSize = 12,
        FontFamily = "Arial"
    };

    renderer.RenderingOptions.TextFooter = new TextHeaderFooter
    {
        CenterText = "Page {page} of {total-pages}",
        FontSize = 10,
        FontFamily = "Arial"
    };

    using var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
    pdf.SaveAs(outputPath);
}
Imports IronPdf

Public Sub CreatePdfWithHeaderFooter(html As String, outputPath As String)
    Dim renderer = New ChromePdfRenderer()

    renderer.RenderingOptions.TextHeader = New TextHeaderFooter With {
        .CenterText = "My Document",
        .FontSize = 12,
        .FontFamily = "Arial"
    }

    renderer.RenderingOptions.TextFooter = New TextHeaderFooter With {
        .CenterText = "Page {page} of {total-pages}",
        .FontSize = 10,
        .FontFamily = "Arial"
    }

    Using pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html)
        pdf.SaveAs(outputPath)
    End Using
End Sub
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

IronPDF supports both text-based and HTML headers and footers, providing complete design flexibility.

Password Protection and Security

ActivePDF Implementation (Toolkit):

using APToolkitNET;

public void ProtectPdf(string inputPath, string outputPath, string password)
{
    using (Toolkit toolkit = new Toolkit())
    {
        if (toolkit.OpenOutputFile(outputPath) == 0
            && toolkit.OpenInputFile(inputPath) == 0)
        {
            toolkit.SetEncryption(password, password, 128, 0);
            toolkit.CopyForm(0, 0);
            toolkit.CloseInputFile();
            toolkit.CloseOutputFile();
        }
    }
}
using APToolkitNET;

public void ProtectPdf(string inputPath, string outputPath, string password)
{
    using (Toolkit toolkit = new Toolkit())
    {
        if (toolkit.OpenOutputFile(outputPath) == 0
            && toolkit.OpenInputFile(inputPath) == 0)
        {
            toolkit.SetEncryption(password, password, 128, 0);
            toolkit.CopyForm(0, 0);
            toolkit.CloseInputFile();
            toolkit.CloseOutputFile();
        }
    }
}
Imports APToolkitNET

Public Sub ProtectPdf(inputPath As String, outputPath As String, password As String)
    Using toolkit As New Toolkit()
        If toolkit.OpenOutputFile(outputPath) = 0 AndAlso toolkit.OpenInputFile(inputPath) = 0 Then
            toolkit.SetEncryption(password, password, 128, 0)
            toolkit.CopyForm(0, 0)
            toolkit.CloseInputFile()
            toolkit.CloseOutputFile()
        End If
    End Using
End Sub
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

IronPDF Implementation:

using IronPdf;

public void ProtectPdf(string inputPath, string outputPath, string password)
{
    using var pdf = PdfDocument.FromFile(inputPath);

    pdf.SecuritySettings.OwnerPassword = password;
    pdf.SecuritySettings.UserPassword = password;
    pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserPrinting = PdfPrintSecurity.FullPrintRights;
    pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserCopyPasteContent = false;
    pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserEdits = PdfEditSecurity.NoEdit;

    pdf.SaveAs(outputPath);
}
using IronPdf;

public void ProtectPdf(string inputPath, string outputPath, string password)
{
    using var pdf = PdfDocument.FromFile(inputPath);

    pdf.SecuritySettings.OwnerPassword = password;
    pdf.SecuritySettings.UserPassword = password;
    pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserPrinting = PdfPrintSecurity.FullPrintRights;
    pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserCopyPasteContent = false;
    pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserEdits = PdfEditSecurity.NoEdit;

    pdf.SaveAs(outputPath);
}
Imports IronPdf

Public Sub ProtectPdf(inputPath As String, outputPath As String, password As String)
    Using pdf = PdfDocument.FromFile(inputPath)
        pdf.SecuritySettings.OwnerPassword = password
        pdf.SecuritySettings.UserPassword = password
        pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserPrinting = PdfPrintSecurity.FullPrintRights
        pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserCopyPasteContent = False
        pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserEdits = PdfEditSecurity.NoEdit

        pdf.SaveAs(outputPath)
    End Using
End Sub
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

IronPDF's security settings API provides granular control over document permissions with strongly-typed enums instead of integer flags.

Text Extraction

ActivePDF Implementation (Toolkit):

using APToolkitNET;
using System.Text;

public string ExtractText(string pdfPath)
{
    var sb = new StringBuilder();

    using (Toolkit toolkit = new Toolkit())
    {
        if (toolkit.OpenInputFile(pdfPath) == 0)
        {
            int pageCount = toolkit.NumPages;
            for (int i = 1; i <= pageCount; i++)
            {
                sb.AppendLine(toolkit.GetPageText(i, 0));
            }
            toolkit.CloseInputFile();
        }
    }

    return sb.ToString();
}
using APToolkitNET;
using System.Text;

public string ExtractText(string pdfPath)
{
    var sb = new StringBuilder();

    using (Toolkit toolkit = new Toolkit())
    {
        if (toolkit.OpenInputFile(pdfPath) == 0)
        {
            int pageCount = toolkit.NumPages;
            for (int i = 1; i <= pageCount; i++)
            {
                sb.AppendLine(toolkit.GetPageText(i, 0));
            }
            toolkit.CloseInputFile();
        }
    }

    return sb.ToString();
}
Imports APToolkitNET
Imports System.Text

Public Function ExtractText(pdfPath As String) As String
    Dim sb As New StringBuilder()

    Using toolkit As New Toolkit()
        If toolkit.OpenInputFile(pdfPath) = 0 Then
            Dim pageCount As Integer = toolkit.NumPages
            For i As Integer = 1 To pageCount
                sb.AppendLine(toolkit.GetPageText(i, 0))
            Next
            toolkit.CloseInputFile()
        End If
    End Using

    Return sb.ToString()
End Function
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

IronPDF Implementation:

using IronPdf;

public string ExtractText(string pdfPath)
{
    using var pdf = PdfDocument.FromFile(pdfPath);
    return pdf.ExtractAllText();
}
using IronPdf;

public string ExtractText(string pdfPath)
{
    using var pdf = PdfDocument.FromFile(pdfPath);
    return pdf.ExtractAllText();
}
Imports IronPdf

Public Function ExtractText(pdfPath As String) As String
    Using pdf = PdfDocument.FromFile(pdfPath)
        Return pdf.ExtractAllText()
    End Using
End Function
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

The IronPDF implementation reduces text extraction from multiple lines to a single method call.

Adding Watermarks

ActivePDF Implementation (Toolkit — drawn as page text per page):

using APToolkitNET;

public void AddWatermark(string inputPath, string outputPath, string watermarkText)
{
    using (Toolkit toolkit = new Toolkit())
    {
        if (toolkit.OpenOutputFile(outputPath) == 0
            && toolkit.OpenInputFile(inputPath) == 0)
        {
            int pageCount = toolkit.NumPages;
            for (int i = 1; i <= pageCount; i++)
            {
                toolkit.CopyForm(i, 0);
                toolkit.SetFont("Helvetica", 72);
                toolkit.SetTextColor(200, 200, 200);
                toolkit.PrintText(150, 400, watermarkText);
            }
            toolkit.CloseInputFile();
            toolkit.CloseOutputFile();
        }
    }
}
using APToolkitNET;

public void AddWatermark(string inputPath, string outputPath, string watermarkText)
{
    using (Toolkit toolkit = new Toolkit())
    {
        if (toolkit.OpenOutputFile(outputPath) == 0
            && toolkit.OpenInputFile(inputPath) == 0)
        {
            int pageCount = toolkit.NumPages;
            for (int i = 1; i <= pageCount; i++)
            {
                toolkit.CopyForm(i, 0);
                toolkit.SetFont("Helvetica", 72);
                toolkit.SetTextColor(200, 200, 200);
                toolkit.PrintText(150, 400, watermarkText);
            }
            toolkit.CloseInputFile();
            toolkit.CloseOutputFile();
        }
    }
}
Imports APToolkitNET

Public Sub AddWatermark(inputPath As String, outputPath As String, watermarkText As String)
    Using toolkit As New Toolkit()
        If toolkit.OpenOutputFile(outputPath) = 0 AndAlso toolkit.OpenInputFile(inputPath) = 0 Then
            Dim pageCount As Integer = toolkit.NumPages
            For i As Integer = 1 To pageCount
                toolkit.CopyForm(i, 0)
                toolkit.SetFont("Helvetica", 72)
                toolkit.SetTextColor(200, 200, 200)
                toolkit.PrintText(150, 400, watermarkText)
            Next
            toolkit.CloseInputFile()
            toolkit.CloseOutputFile()
        End If
    End Using
End Sub
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

IronPDF Implementation:

using IronPdf;

public void AddWatermark(string inputPath, string outputPath, string watermarkText)
{
    using var pdf = PdfDocument.FromFile(inputPath);

    pdf.ApplyWatermark(
        $"<h1 style='color:lightgray;font-size:72px;'>{watermarkText}</h1>",
        rotation: 45,
        opacity: 50);

    pdf.SaveAs(outputPath);
}
using IronPdf;

public void AddWatermark(string inputPath, string outputPath, string watermarkText)
{
    using var pdf = PdfDocument.FromFile(inputPath);

    pdf.ApplyWatermark(
        $"<h1 style='color:lightgray;font-size:72px;'>{watermarkText}</h1>",
        rotation: 45,
        opacity: 50);

    pdf.SaveAs(outputPath);
}
Imports IronPdf

Public Sub AddWatermark(inputPath As String, outputPath As String, watermarkText As String)
    Using pdf = PdfDocument.FromFile(inputPath)
        pdf.ApplyWatermark(
            $"<h1 style='color:lightgray;font-size:72px;'>{watermarkText}</h1>",
            rotation:=45,
            opacity:=50)

        pdf.SaveAs(outputPath)
    End Using
End Sub
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

IronPDF's HTML-based watermarking enables CSS styling for complete design control without page-by-page iteration.

ASP.NET Core Integration

Modern web applications benefit significantly from IronPDF's cleaner integration patterns.

ActivePDF Pattern (WebGrabber):

[HttpPost]
public IActionResult GeneratePdf([FromBody] ReportRequest request)
{
    var wg = new APWebGrabber.WebGrabber();
    string tempHtml = Path.Combine(Path.GetTempPath(), Guid.NewGuid() + ".html");
    System.IO.File.WriteAllText(tempHtml, request.Html);

    wg.URL = tempHtml;
    wg.OutputDirectory = Path.GetTempPath();
    wg.OutputFilename = "temp.pdf";

    if (wg.ConvertToPDF() == 0)
    {
        byte[] bytes = System.IO.File.ReadAllBytes(Path.Combine(Path.GetTempPath(), "temp.pdf"));
        return File(bytes, "application/pdf", "report.pdf");
    }

    return BadRequest("PDF generation failed");
}
[HttpPost]
public IActionResult GeneratePdf([FromBody] ReportRequest request)
{
    var wg = new APWebGrabber.WebGrabber();
    string tempHtml = Path.Combine(Path.GetTempPath(), Guid.NewGuid() + ".html");
    System.IO.File.WriteAllText(tempHtml, request.Html);

    wg.URL = tempHtml;
    wg.OutputDirectory = Path.GetTempPath();
    wg.OutputFilename = "temp.pdf";

    if (wg.ConvertToPDF() == 0)
    {
        byte[] bytes = System.IO.File.ReadAllBytes(Path.Combine(Path.GetTempPath(), "temp.pdf"));
        return File(bytes, "application/pdf", "report.pdf");
    }

    return BadRequest("PDF generation failed");
}
Imports System
Imports System.IO
Imports Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc

<HttpPost>
Public Function GeneratePdf(<FromBody> request As ReportRequest) As IActionResult
    Dim wg As New APWebGrabber.WebGrabber()
    Dim tempHtml As String = Path.Combine(Path.GetTempPath(), Guid.NewGuid().ToString() & ".html")
    System.IO.File.WriteAllText(tempHtml, request.Html)

    wg.URL = tempHtml
    wg.OutputDirectory = Path.GetTempPath()
    wg.OutputFilename = "temp.pdf"

    If wg.ConvertToPDF() = 0 Then
        Dim bytes As Byte() = System.IO.File.ReadAllBytes(Path.Combine(Path.GetTempPath(), "temp.pdf"))
        Return File(bytes, "application/pdf", "report.pdf")
    End If

    Return BadRequest("PDF generation failed")
End Function
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

IronPDF Pattern:

[HttpPost]
public IActionResult GeneratePdf([FromBody] ReportRequest request)
{
    var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
    using var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(request.Html);

    return File(pdf.BinaryData, "application/pdf", "report.pdf");
}
[HttpPost]
public IActionResult GeneratePdf([FromBody] ReportRequest request)
{
    var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
    using var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(request.Html);

    return File(pdf.BinaryData, "application/pdf", "report.pdf");
}
<HttpPost>
Public Function GeneratePdf(<FromBody> request As ReportRequest) As IActionResult
    Dim renderer As New ChromePdfRenderer()
    Using pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(request.Html)
        Return File(pdf.BinaryData, "application/pdf", "report.pdf")
    End Using
End Function
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

IronPDF eliminates the need for temporary files, returning the PDF binary data directly from memory.

Async Support for Web Applications

ActivePDF lacks native async support. IronPDF provides full async/await capabilities essential for scalable web applications:

using IronPdf;

public async Task<byte[]> GeneratePdfAsync(string html)
{
    var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
    using var pdf = await renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdfAsync(html);
    return pdf.BinaryData;
}
using IronPdf;

public async Task<byte[]> GeneratePdfAsync(string html)
{
    var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
    using var pdf = await renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdfAsync(html);
    return pdf.BinaryData;
}
Imports IronPdf

Public Async Function GeneratePdfAsync(html As String) As Task(Of Byte())
    Dim renderer As New ChromePdfRenderer()
    Using pdf = Await renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdfAsync(html)
        Return pdf.BinaryData
    End Using
End Function
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

Dependency Injection Configuration

For .NET 6+ applications, register IronPDF services in your DI container:

// Program.cs (.NET 6+)
builder.Services.AddSingleton<ChromePdfRenderer>();

// Service wrapper
public interface IPdfService
{
    Task<byte[]> GeneratePdfAsync(string html);
    Task<byte[]> GeneratePdfFromUrlAsync(string url);
}

public class IronPdfService : IPdfService
{
    private readonly ChromePdfRenderer _renderer;

    public IronPdfService()
    {
        _renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
        _renderer.RenderingOptions.PaperSize = PdfPaperSize.A4;
    }

    public async Task<byte[]> GeneratePdfAsync(string html)
    {
        using var pdf = await _renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdfAsync(html);
        return pdf.BinaryData;
    }

    public async Task<byte[]> GeneratePdfFromUrlAsync(string url)
    {
        using var pdf = await _renderer.RenderUrlAsPdfAsync(url);
        return pdf.BinaryData;
    }
}
// Program.cs (.NET 6+)
builder.Services.AddSingleton<ChromePdfRenderer>();

// Service wrapper
public interface IPdfService
{
    Task<byte[]> GeneratePdfAsync(string html);
    Task<byte[]> GeneratePdfFromUrlAsync(string url);
}

public class IronPdfService : IPdfService
{
    private readonly ChromePdfRenderer _renderer;

    public IronPdfService()
    {
        _renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
        _renderer.RenderingOptions.PaperSize = PdfPaperSize.A4;
    }

    public async Task<byte[]> GeneratePdfAsync(string html)
    {
        using var pdf = await _renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdfAsync(html);
        return pdf.BinaryData;
    }

    public async Task<byte[]> GeneratePdfFromUrlAsync(string url)
    {
        using var pdf = await _renderer.RenderUrlAsPdfAsync(url);
        return pdf.BinaryData;
    }
}
Imports Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection
Imports System.Threading.Tasks

' Program.vb (.NET 6+)
builder.Services.AddSingleton(Of ChromePdfRenderer)()

' Service wrapper
Public Interface IPdfService
    Function GeneratePdfAsync(html As String) As Task(Of Byte())
    Function GeneratePdfFromUrlAsync(url As String) As Task(Of Byte())
End Interface

Public Class IronPdfService
    Implements IPdfService

    Private ReadOnly _renderer As ChromePdfRenderer

    Public Sub New()
        _renderer = New ChromePdfRenderer()
        _renderer.RenderingOptions.PaperSize = PdfPaperSize.A4
    End Sub

    Public Async Function GeneratePdfAsync(html As String) As Task(Of Byte()) Implements IPdfService.GeneratePdfAsync
        Using pdf = Await _renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdfAsync(html)
            Return pdf.BinaryData
        End Using
    End Function

    Public Async Function GeneratePdfFromUrlAsync(url As String) As Task(Of Byte()) Implements IPdfService.GeneratePdfFromUrlAsync
        Using pdf = Await _renderer.RenderUrlAsPdfAsync(url)
            Return pdf.BinaryData
        End Using
    End Function
End Class
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

Error Handling Migration

ActivePDF uses integer return codes requiring lookup tables. IronPDF uses modern exception handling:

ActivePDF Error Handling:

using APToolkitNET;

using (var toolkit = new Toolkit())
{
    int result = toolkit.OpenOutputFile(path);

    if (result != 0)
    {
        // Error - look up the code in "Toolkit Return Results and Error Codes"
        Console.WriteLine($"Error code: {result}");
    }
}
using APToolkitNET;

using (var toolkit = new Toolkit())
{
    int result = toolkit.OpenOutputFile(path);

    if (result != 0)
    {
        // Error - look up the code in "Toolkit Return Results and Error Codes"
        Console.WriteLine($"Error code: {result}");
    }
}
Imports APToolkitNET

Using toolkit As New Toolkit()
    Dim result As Integer = toolkit.OpenOutputFile(path)

    If result <> 0 Then
        ' Error - look up the code in "Toolkit Return Results and Error Codes"
        Console.WriteLine($"Error code: {result}")
    End If
End Using
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

IronPDF Error Handling:

try
{
    var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
    using var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
    pdf.SaveAs(path);
}
catch (IronPdf.Exceptions.IronPdfProductException ex)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"IronPDF Error: {ex.Message}");
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"General Error: {ex.Message}");
}
try
{
    var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
    using var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
    pdf.SaveAs(path);
}
catch (IronPdf.Exceptions.IronPdfProductException ex)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"IronPDF Error: {ex.Message}");
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"General Error: {ex.Message}");
}
Imports IronPdf.Exceptions

Try
    Dim renderer = New ChromePdfRenderer()
    Using pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html)
        pdf.SaveAs(path)
    End Using
Catch ex As IronPdfProductException
    Console.WriteLine($"IronPDF Error: {ex.Message}")
Catch ex As Exception
    Console.WriteLine($"General Error: {ex.Message}")
End Try
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

Performance Optimization Tips

Reuse the Renderer Instance

Creating a new ChromePdfRenderer has initialization overhead. For batch operations, reuse a single instance:

var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
foreach (var html in htmlList)
{
    using var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
    pdf.SaveAs($"output_{i}.pdf");
}
var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
foreach (var html in htmlList)
{
    using var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
    pdf.SaveAs($"output_{i}.pdf");
}
Imports IronPdf

Dim renderer As New ChromePdfRenderer()
For Each html In htmlList
    Using pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html)
        pdf.SaveAs($"output_{i}.pdf")
    End Using
Next
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

Use Async in Web Applications

For ASP.NET Core applications, async PDF generation improves throughput:

public async Task<IActionResult> GenerateReport()
{
    var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
    using var pdf = await renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdfAsync(html);
    return File(pdf.BinaryData, "application/pdf");
}
public async Task<IActionResult> GenerateReport()
{
    var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
    using var pdf = await renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdfAsync(html);
    return File(pdf.BinaryData, "application/pdf");
}
Imports System.Threading.Tasks
Imports Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc

Public Class ReportController
    Inherits Controller

    Public Async Function GenerateReport() As Task(Of IActionResult)
        Dim renderer As New ChromePdfRenderer()
        Using pdf = Await renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdfAsync(html)
            Return File(pdf.BinaryData, "application/pdf")
        End Using
    End Function
End Class
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

Proper Resource Disposal

Always use using statements to ensure proper cleanup:

using var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
return pdf.BinaryData;
using var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
return pdf.BinaryData;
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

Image Compression

Reduce output file sizes with image compression:

using var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
pdf.CompressImages(85); // 85% quality
pdf.SaveAs("compressed.pdf");
using var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
pdf.CompressImages(85); // 85% quality
pdf.SaveAs("compressed.pdf");
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

Troubleshooting Common Migration Issues

Issue: Page Size Differences

ActivePDF WebGrabber uses points (612x792 = Letter), while IronPDF uses enums or millimeters:

// ActivePDF WebGrabber: Points
wg.PageWidth = 612;
wg.PageHeight = 792;

// IronPDF: Use enum
renderer.RenderingOptions.PaperSize = PdfPaperSize.Letter;
// Or custom in mm:
renderer.RenderingOptions.SetCustomPaperSizeInMillimeters(215.9, 279.4);
// ActivePDF WebGrabber: Points
wg.PageWidth = 612;
wg.PageHeight = 792;

// IronPDF: Use enum
renderer.RenderingOptions.PaperSize = PdfPaperSize.Letter;
// Or custom in mm:
renderer.RenderingOptions.SetCustomPaperSizeInMillimeters(215.9, 279.4);
' ActivePDF WebGrabber: Points
wg.PageWidth = 612
wg.PageHeight = 792

' IronPDF: Use enum
renderer.RenderingOptions.PaperSize = PdfPaperSize.Letter
' Or custom in mm:
renderer.RenderingOptions.SetCustomPaperSizeInMillimeters(215.9, 279.4)
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

Issue: Missing CloseOutputFile Equivalent

IronPDF uses a modern paradigm without explicit file handle management:

// ActivePDF Toolkit
toolkit.OpenOutputFile(path);
// ... operations ...
toolkit.CloseOutputFile(); // Required!

// IronPDF - no open/close needed
using var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
pdf.SaveAs(path); // 'using' handles cleanup
// ActivePDF Toolkit
toolkit.OpenOutputFile(path);
// ... operations ...
toolkit.CloseOutputFile(); // Required!

// IronPDF - no open/close needed
using var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
pdf.SaveAs(path); // 'using' handles cleanup
Imports ActivePDF
Imports IronPdf

' ActivePDF Toolkit
toolkit.OpenOutputFile(path)
' ... operations ...
toolkit.CloseOutputFile() ' Required!

' IronPDF - no open/close needed
Using pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html)
    pdf.SaveAs(path) ' 'Using' handles cleanup
End Using
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

Issue: PDF Renders Blank

If JavaScript-dependent content renders blank, configure render delays:

var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
renderer.RenderingOptions.WaitFor.RenderDelay(2000);
// Or wait for element:
renderer.RenderingOptions.WaitFor.HtmlElementById("content-loaded");
var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
renderer.RenderingOptions.WaitFor.RenderDelay(2000);
// Or wait for element:
renderer.RenderingOptions.WaitFor.HtmlElementById("content-loaded");
Dim renderer = New ChromePdfRenderer()
renderer.RenderingOptions.WaitFor.RenderDelay(2000)
' Or wait for element:
renderer.RenderingOptions.WaitFor.HtmlElementById("content-loaded")
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

Issue: CSS/Images Not Loading

Configure the base URL for relative path resolution:

renderer.RenderingOptions.BaseUrl = new Uri("https://yourdomain.com/assets/");
renderer.RenderingOptions.BaseUrl = new Uri("https://yourdomain.com/assets/");
renderer.RenderingOptions.BaseUrl = New Uri("https://yourdomain.com/assets/")
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

Post-Migration Checklist

After completing the code migration, verify the following:

  • Run all existing unit and integration tests
  • Compare PDF outputs visually against previous versions
  • Test all PDF workflows in a staging environment
  • Verify licensing works correctly (IronPdf.License.IsLicensed)
  • Benchmark performance against previous implementation
  • Remove old ActivePDF installation files and DLL references
  • Update CI/CD pipeline dependencies
  • Document IronPDF patterns for your development team

Additional Resources

Migrating from ActivePDF to IronPDF modernizes your PDF generation infrastructure with cleaner APIs, better .NET integration, and active long-term support. The investment in migration pays dividends through improved code maintainability, async capabilities, and confidence in your PDF library's continued development.

Please noteActivePDF and Apryse are registered trademarks of their respective owners. This site is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by ActivePDF or Apryse. All product names, logos, and brands are property of their respective owners. Comparisons are for informational purposes only and reflect publicly available information at the time of writing.

Curtis Chau
Curtis Chau
  Chat with engineering team now
Technical Writer

Curtis Chau holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science (Carleton University) and specializes in front-end development with expertise in Node.js, TypeScript, JavaScript, and React. Passionate about crafting intuitive and aesthetically pleasing user interfaces, Curtis enjoys working with modern frameworks and creating well-structured, visually appealing manuals.

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