How to Migrate from CraftMyPDF to IronPDF in C#
Why Migrate from CraftMyPDF to IronPDF?
Cloud-based PDF APIs like CraftMyPDF introduce fundamental issues that make them unsuitable for many production environments.
The Problem with Cloud-Based PDF APIs
-
Your Data Leaves Your System: Every HTML template and JSON data payload is transmitted to CraftMyPDF's servers. For invoices, contracts, medical records, or any sensitive business data, this creates HIPAA, GDPR, and SOC2 compliance risks.
-
Network Latency: Each PDF generation involves a network round-trip plus queue and render time (typically seconds). IronPDF generates locally in milliseconds.
-
Per-PDF Costs Add Up: Credit-based pricing accumulates with volume — high-throughput workloads create significant recurring costs versus a one-time perpetual license.
-
Print-Optimized Output: Cloud APIs often optimize for print—reducing backgrounds and simplifying colors to save "ink." The result never looks like your HTML on screen.
- Template Lock-In: CraftMyPDF requires their proprietary drag-and-drop editor. You cannot use standard HTML/CSS freely.
Architecture Comparison
| Aspect | CraftMyPDF | IronPDF |
|---|---|---|
| Data Location | Cloud (your data leaves your system) | On-premise (data never leaves) |
| Latency | Network round-trip + render (typically seconds) | Milliseconds |
| Pricing | Credit-based subscription | One-time perpetual license |
| Template System | Proprietary drag-and-drop only | Any HTML/CSS/JavaScript |
| Output Quality | Print-optimized | Pixel-perfect screen rendering |
| Works Offline | No (requires internet) | Yes |
| Compliance | Data leaves organization | SOC2/HIPAA friendly |
Feature Comparison
| Feature | CraftMyPDF | IronPDF |
|---|---|---|
| HTML to PDF | Via API templates | ✅ Native |
| URL to PDF | Via API | ✅ Native |
| Custom templates | Proprietary editor only | ✅ Any HTML |
| CSS3 support | Limited | ✅ Full |
| JavaScript rendering | Limited | ✅ Full |
| Merge/Split PDFs | Via API | ✅ Native |
| Watermarks | Via API | ✅ Native |
| Works offline | ❌ | ✅ |
| Self-hosted | ❌ | ✅ |
Pre-Migration Preparation
Prerequisites
Ensure your environment meets these requirements:
- .NET Framework 4.6.2+ or .NET Core 3.1 / .NET 5-9
- Visual Studio 2019+ or VS Code with C# extension
- NuGet Package Manager access
- IronPDF license key (free trial available at ironpdf.com)
Audit CraftMyPDF Usage
Run these commands in your solution directory to identify all CraftMyPDF references:
# Find all CraftMyPDF usages in your codebase
grep -r "CraftMyPdf\|craftmypdf\|api.craftmypdf.com" --include="*.cs" .
grep -r "X-API-KEY" --include="*.cs" .
# Find API key references
grep -r "your-api-key\|template-id\|template_id" --include="*.cs" .
# Find NuGet package references
grep -r "CraftMyPdf\|RestSharp" --include="*.csproj" .
# Find all CraftMyPDF usages in your codebase
grep -r "CraftMyPdf\|craftmypdf\|api.craftmypdf.com" --include="*.cs" .
grep -r "X-API-KEY" --include="*.cs" .
# Find API key references
grep -r "your-api-key\|template-id\|template_id" --include="*.cs" .
# Find NuGet package references
grep -r "CraftMyPdf\|RestSharp" --include="*.csproj" .
Breaking Changes to Anticipate
| Change | CraftMyPDF | IronPDF | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Cloud REST API | Local .NET library | Remove HTTP calls |
| Templates | Proprietary editor | Standard HTML | Convert templates to HTML |
| API Key | Required for every call | License at startup | Remove API key handling |
| Async pattern | Required (HTTP) | Optional | Remove await if preferred |
| Error handling | HTTP status codes | Exceptions | Change try/catch patterns |
| Data binding | JSON templates | String interpolation | Simplify data binding |
Step-by-Step Migration Process
Step 1: Update NuGet Packages
Remove the HTTP client library and install IronPDF:
# Remove RestSharp HTTP client
dotnet remove package RestSharp
# Install IronPDF
dotnet add package IronPdf
# Remove RestSharp HTTP client
dotnet remove package RestSharp
# Install IronPDF
dotnet add package IronPdf
Step 2: Update Namespace References
Replace HTTP client namespaces with IronPDF:
// Remove these
using RestSharp;
using System.IO;
// Add this
using IronPdf;
// Remove these
using RestSharp;
using System.IO;
// Add this
using IronPdf;
Imports IronPdf
Step 3: Configure License (Once at Startup)
Replace per-request API key headers with a single license configuration:
// Add at application startup (Program.cs or Global.asax)
// This replaces all X-API-KEY headers
IronPdf.License.LicenseKey = "YOUR-LICENSE-KEY";
// Add at application startup (Program.cs or Global.asax)
// This replaces all X-API-KEY headers
IronPdf.License.LicenseKey = "YOUR-LICENSE-KEY";
' Add at application startup (Program.vb or Global.asax)
' This replaces all X-API-KEY headers
IronPdf.License.LicenseKey = "YOUR-LICENSE-KEY"
Complete API Migration Reference
API Endpoint Mapping
| CraftMyPDF | IronPDF |
|---|---|
POST /v1/create |
renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html) |
X-API-KEY header |
License.LicenseKey = "..." |
template_id |
Standard HTML string |
{%name%} placeholders |
$"{name}" C# interpolation |
POST /v1/merge |
PdfDocument.Merge(pdfs) |
POST /v1/add-watermark |
pdf.ApplyWatermark(html) |
| Webhook callbacks | Not needed |
| Rate limiting | Not applicable |
Configuration Mapping
| CraftMyPDF Option | IronPDF Equivalent |
|---|---|
template_id |
HTML string |
data JSON |
C# interpolation |
page_size: "A4" |
PaperSize = PdfPaperSize.A4 |
orientation: "landscape" |
PaperOrientation = Landscape |
margin_top: 20 |
MarginTop = 20 |
header |
HtmlHeader |
footer |
HtmlFooter |
Code Migration Examples
HTML to PDF Conversion
The most common operation demonstrates the fundamental architecture shift from cloud API to local rendering.
CraftMyPDF Implementation:
// NuGet: Install-Package RestSharp
using System;
using RestSharp;
using System.IO;
class Program
{
static void Main()
{
var client = new RestClient("https://api.craftmypdf.com/v1/create");
var request = new RestRequest(Method.POST);
request.AddHeader("X-API-KEY", "your-api-key");
request.AddJsonBody(new
{
template_id = "your-template-id",
data = new
{
html = "<h1>Hello World</h1><p>This is a PDF from HTML</p>"
}
});
var response = client.Execute(request);
File.WriteAllBytes("output.pdf", response.RawBytes);
}
}
// NuGet: Install-Package RestSharp
using System;
using RestSharp;
using System.IO;
class Program
{
static void Main()
{
var client = new RestClient("https://api.craftmypdf.com/v1/create");
var request = new RestRequest(Method.POST);
request.AddHeader("X-API-KEY", "your-api-key");
request.AddJsonBody(new
{
template_id = "your-template-id",
data = new
{
html = "<h1>Hello World</h1><p>This is a PDF from HTML</p>"
}
});
var response = client.Execute(request);
File.WriteAllBytes("output.pdf", response.RawBytes);
}
}
Imports System
Imports RestSharp
Imports System.IO
Module Program
Sub Main()
Dim client As New RestClient("https://api.craftmypdf.com/v1/create")
Dim request As New RestRequest(Method.POST)
request.AddHeader("X-API-KEY", "your-api-key")
request.AddJsonBody(New With {
.template_id = "your-template-id",
.data = New With {
.html = "<h1>Hello World</h1><p>This is a PDF from HTML</p>"
}
})
Dim response = client.Execute(request)
File.WriteAllBytes("output.pdf", response.RawBytes)
End Sub
End Module
IronPDF Implementation:
// NuGet: Install-Package IronPdf
using System;
using IronPdf;
class Program
{
static void Main()
{
var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Hello World</h1><p>This is a PDF from HTML</p>");
pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf");
}
}
// NuGet: Install-Package IronPdf
using System;
using IronPdf;
class Program
{
static void Main()
{
var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Hello World</h1><p>This is a PDF from HTML</p>");
pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf");
}
}
Imports System
Imports IronPdf
Class Program
Shared Sub Main()
Dim renderer = New ChromePdfRenderer()
Dim pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Hello World</h1><p>This is a PDF from HTML</p>")
pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf")
End Sub
End Class
IronPDF eliminates the RestClient setup, API key headers, template IDs, and HTTP response handling—reducing a 15-line cloud operation to 4 lines of local code. For more options, see the HTML to PDF documentation.
URL to PDF Conversion
CraftMyPDF Implementation:
// NuGet: Install-Package RestSharp
using System;
using RestSharp;
using System.IO;
class Program
{
static void Main()
{
var client = new RestClient("https://api.craftmypdf.com/v1/create");
var request = new RestRequest(Method.POST);
request.AddHeader("X-API-KEY", "your-api-key");
request.AddJsonBody(new
{
template_id = "your-template-id",
data = new
{
url = "https://example.com"
},
export_type = "file" // "file" returns binary PDF; "json" returns a CDN URL
});
var response = client.Execute(request);
File.WriteAllBytes("webpage.pdf", response.RawBytes);
}
}
// NuGet: Install-Package RestSharp
using System;
using RestSharp;
using System.IO;
class Program
{
static void Main()
{
var client = new RestClient("https://api.craftmypdf.com/v1/create");
var request = new RestRequest(Method.POST);
request.AddHeader("X-API-KEY", "your-api-key");
request.AddJsonBody(new
{
template_id = "your-template-id",
data = new
{
url = "https://example.com"
},
export_type = "file" // "file" returns binary PDF; "json" returns a CDN URL
});
var response = client.Execute(request);
File.WriteAllBytes("webpage.pdf", response.RawBytes);
}
}
Imports System
Imports RestSharp
Imports System.IO
Module Program
Sub Main()
Dim client As New RestClient("https://api.craftmypdf.com/v1/create")
Dim request As New RestRequest(Method.POST)
request.AddHeader("X-API-KEY", "your-api-key")
request.AddJsonBody(New With {
.template_id = "your-template-id",
.data = New With {
.url = "https://example.com"
},
.export_type = "file" ' "file" returns binary PDF; "json" returns a CDN URL
})
Dim response = client.Execute(request)
File.WriteAllBytes("webpage.pdf", response.RawBytes)
End Sub
End Module
IronPDF Implementation:
// NuGet: Install-Package IronPdf
using System;
using IronPdf;
class Program
{
static void Main()
{
var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
var pdf = renderer.RenderUrlAsPdf("https://example.com");
pdf.SaveAs("webpage.pdf");
}
}
// NuGet: Install-Package IronPdf
using System;
using IronPdf;
class Program
{
static void Main()
{
var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
var pdf = renderer.RenderUrlAsPdf("https://example.com");
pdf.SaveAs("webpage.pdf");
}
}
Imports System
Imports IronPdf
Class Program
Shared Sub Main()
Dim renderer = New ChromePdfRenderer()
Dim pdf = renderer.RenderUrlAsPdf("https://example.com")
pdf.SaveAs("webpage.pdf")
End Sub
End Class
IronPDF's RenderUrlAsPdf method captures the complete webpage including JavaScript-rendered content. For more options, see the URL to PDF documentation.
Headers and Footers
CraftMyPDF Implementation:
// NuGet: Install-Package RestSharp
using System;
using RestSharp;
using System.IO;
class Program
{
static void Main()
{
var client = new RestClient("https://api.craftmypdf.com/v1/create");
var request = new RestRequest(Method.POST);
request.AddHeader("X-API-KEY", "your-api-key");
request.AddJsonBody(new
{
template_id = "your-template-id",
data = new
{
html = "<h1>Document Content</h1>",
header = "<div>Page Header</div>",
footer = "<div>Page {page} of {total_pages}</div>"
}
});
var response = client.Execute(request);
File.WriteAllBytes("document.pdf", response.RawBytes);
}
}
// NuGet: Install-Package RestSharp
using System;
using RestSharp;
using System.IO;
class Program
{
static void Main()
{
var client = new RestClient("https://api.craftmypdf.com/v1/create");
var request = new RestRequest(Method.POST);
request.AddHeader("X-API-KEY", "your-api-key");
request.AddJsonBody(new
{
template_id = "your-template-id",
data = new
{
html = "<h1>Document Content</h1>",
header = "<div>Page Header</div>",
footer = "<div>Page {page} of {total_pages}</div>"
}
});
var response = client.Execute(request);
File.WriteAllBytes("document.pdf", response.RawBytes);
}
}
Imports System
Imports RestSharp
Imports System.IO
Module Program
Sub Main()
Dim client As New RestClient("https://api.craftmypdf.com/v1/create")
Dim request As New RestRequest(Method.POST)
request.AddHeader("X-API-KEY", "your-api-key")
request.AddJsonBody(New With {
.template_id = "your-template-id",
.data = New With {
.html = "<h1>Document Content</h1>",
.header = "<div>Page Header</div>",
.footer = "<div>Page {page} of {total_pages}</div>"
}
})
Dim response = client.Execute(request)
File.WriteAllBytes("document.pdf", response.RawBytes)
End Sub
End Module
IronPDF Implementation:
// NuGet: Install-Package IronPdf
using System;
using IronPdf;
using IronPdf.Rendering;
class Program
{
static void Main()
{
var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
renderer.RenderingOptions.TextHeader = new TextHeaderFooter()
{
CenterText = "Page Header"
};
renderer.RenderingOptions.TextFooter = new TextHeaderFooter()
{
CenterText = "Page {page} of {total-pages}"
};
var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Document Content</h1>");
pdf.SaveAs("document.pdf");
}
}
// NuGet: Install-Package IronPdf
using System;
using IronPdf;
using IronPdf.Rendering;
class Program
{
static void Main()
{
var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
renderer.RenderingOptions.TextHeader = new TextHeaderFooter()
{
CenterText = "Page Header"
};
renderer.RenderingOptions.TextFooter = new TextHeaderFooter()
{
CenterText = "Page {page} of {total-pages}"
};
var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Document Content</h1>");
pdf.SaveAs("document.pdf");
}
}
Imports System
Imports IronPdf
Imports IronPdf.Rendering
Module Program
Sub Main()
Dim renderer = New ChromePdfRenderer()
renderer.RenderingOptions.TextHeader = New TextHeaderFooter() With {
.CenterText = "Page Header"
}
renderer.RenderingOptions.TextFooter = New TextHeaderFooter() With {
.CenterText = "Page {page} of {total-pages}"
}
Dim pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Document Content</h1>")
pdf.SaveAs("document.pdf")
End Sub
End Module
IronPDF supports placeholder tokens like {page} and {total-pages} for dynamic page numbering. For more options, see the headers and footers documentation.
Template Variable Conversion
CraftMyPDF uses proprietary template placeholders that must be converted to C# string interpolation:
CraftMyPDF Pattern:
// CraftMyPDF template variables
request.AddJsonBody(new
{
template_id = "invoice-template",
data = new
{
customer = "John Doe",
amount = "$1,000",
items = invoiceItems
}
});
// CraftMyPDF template variables
request.AddJsonBody(new
{
template_id = "invoice-template",
data = new
{
customer = "John Doe",
amount = "$1,000",
items = invoiceItems
}
});
IronPDF Pattern:
// C# string interpolation
var html = $@"
<html>
<body>
<h1>Invoice</h1>
<p>Customer: {customerName}</p>
<p>Amount: {amount}</p>
{GenerateItemsTable(invoiceItems)}
</body>
</html>";
var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
// C# string interpolation
var html = $@"
<html>
<body>
<h1>Invoice</h1>
<p>Customer: {customerName}</p>
<p>Amount: {amount}</p>
{GenerateItemsTable(invoiceItems)}
</body>
</html>";
var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
Dim html As String = $"
<html>
<body>
<h1>Invoice</h1>
<p>Customer: {customerName}</p>
<p>Amount: {amount}</p>
{GenerateItemsTable(invoiceItems)}
</body>
</html>"
Dim pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html)
Critical Migration Notes
Remove All HTTP Code
The most significant change is eliminating network dependencies. IronPDF runs locally—no RestClient, no API calls, no response handling:
// CraftMyPDF - HTTP required
var client = new RestClient("https://api.craftmypdf.com/v1/create");
var request = new RestRequest(Method.POST);
request.AddHeader("X-API-KEY", "your-api-key");
var response = await client.ExecuteAsync(request);
// IronPDF - no HTTP
var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
// CraftMyPDF - HTTP required
var client = new RestClient("https://api.craftmypdf.com/v1/create");
var request = new RestRequest(Method.POST);
request.AddHeader("X-API-KEY", "your-api-key");
var response = await client.ExecuteAsync(request);
// IronPDF - no HTTP
var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
Remove Rate Limiting Code
CraftMyPDF imposes API rate limits requiring retry logic. IronPDF has no limits:
// CraftMyPDF - needed to avoid 429 errors
await Task.Delay(100);
if (response.StatusCode == TooManyRequests) { /* retry */ }
// IronPDF - no limits, just generate
var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
// Remove all rate limit code!
// CraftMyPDF - needed to avoid 429 errors
await Task.Delay(100);
if (response.StatusCode == TooManyRequests) { /* retry */ }
// IronPDF - no limits, just generate
var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
// Remove all rate limit code!
Remove Webhook Handlers
CraftMyPDF uses async webhooks for PDF completion. IronPDF is synchronous—the PDF is ready immediately:
// CraftMyPDF - webhook callback required
// POST with webhook_url, wait for callback
// IronPDF - PDF ready immediately
var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf");
// No callback needed!
// CraftMyPDF - webhook callback required
// POST with webhook_url, wait for callback
// IronPDF - PDF ready immediately
var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf");
// No callback needed!
Sync by Default
Remove async/await patterns if they were only needed for HTTP calls:
// CraftMyPDF - async required
var response = await client.ExecuteAsync(request);
// IronPDF - sync by default (async available if needed)
var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
// CraftMyPDF - async required
var response = await client.ExecuteAsync(request);
// IronPDF - sync by default (async available if needed)
var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
Post-Migration Checklist
After completing the code migration, verify the following:
- Run all PDF generation tests
- Compare output quality (IronPDF's Chromium engine renders pixel-perfect)
- Measure performance improvement (milliseconds vs. seconds)
- Verify all templates converted correctly
- Test batch processing without rate limits
- Test in all target environments
- Update CI/CD pipelines
- Cancel CraftMyPDF subscription
- Remove API key from secrets/config
Additional Resources
Migrating from CraftMyPDF to IronPDF eliminates cloud dependencies, network latency, per-PDF costs, and template lock-in while delivering pixel-perfect Chromium rendering that runs offline. The transition from REST API calls to local method invocations simplifies your codebase and keeps sensitive document data within your infrastructure.

