The C# PDF Library

HTML to PDF

using IronPdf;

// Disable local disk access or cross-origin requests
Installation.EnableWebSecurity = true;

// Instantiate Renderer
var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();

// Create a PDF from a HTML string using C#
var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Hello World</h1>");

// Export to a file or Stream
pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf");

// Advanced Example with HTML Assets
// Load external html assets: Images, CSS and JavaScript.
// An optional BasePath 'C:\site\assets\' is set as the file location to load assets from
var myAdvancedPdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<img src='icons/iron.png'>", @"C:\site\assets\");
myAdvancedPdf.SaveAs("html-with-assets.pdf");

using IronPdf;

// Disable local disk access or cross-origin requests
Installation.EnableWebSecurity = true;

// Instantiate Renderer
var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();

// Create a PDF from a HTML string using C#
var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Hello World</h1>");

// Export to a file or Stream
pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf");

// Advanced Example with HTML Assets
// Load external html assets: Images, CSS and JavaScript.
// An optional BasePath 'C:\site\assets\' is set as the file location to load assets from
var myAdvancedPdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<img src='icons/iron.png'>", @"C:\site\assets\");
myAdvancedPdf.SaveAs("html-with-assets.pdf");

PM >Install-Package IronPdf

Install-Package IronPdf

MIGRATION GUIDES

How to Migrate from PeachPDF to IronPDF in C#

Curtis Chau

Updated: August 1, 2026

Migrating from PeachPDF to IronPDF provides access to enterprise-grade PDF generation with comprehensive features, active development, and professional support. This guide provides a step-by-step migration path that takes you from PeachPDF's pre-1.0 async HTML-to-PDF workflow to a fuller-featured PDF solution with Chromium rendering, security settings, and document manipulation APIs.

Why Migrate from PeachPDF to IronPDF

Understanding PeachPDF

PeachPDF is a relatively new entrant in the .NET ecosystem designed for developers who need to convert HTML to PDF. As a library, PeachPDF promises a pure .NET implementation, setting itself apart by not relying on external processes, ensuring it can be seamlessly integrated across platforms where .NET is supported. This characteristic positions PeachPDF as an appealing choice for projects looking for a lightweight, managed library solution.

Despite its potential, PeachPDF is still in development, highlighting both exciting possibilities and notable limitations. PeachPDF remains enticing because of its pure .NET core, which promises straightforward deployment in diverse environments. However, it also translates into limited adoption, with a smaller user base and community-driven support.

The Limitations of PeachPDF

PeachPDF is a single-maintainer, pre-1.0 .NET library (latest 0.7.26, October 2025) released under BSD-3-Clause by jhaygood86. It lacks the maturity, features, and support of established solutions. Key reasons to migrate:

Pre-1.0 Feature Set: PeachPDF has no built-in digital signatures, PDF/A compliance, OCR, form filling, or page-level header/footer API.
No JavaScript engine: PeachPDF is a layout renderer built on PeachPDF.PdfSharpCore, not a browser; scripts and complex Grid/Flexbox layouts do not execute.
net8.0 only: the package targets net8.0; older .NET Framework / .NET 6 projects need to upgrade or pick a different library.
Small Community: a single GitHub maintainer, limited documentation, limited examples.
No Enterprise Support: no commercial support or SLA options.

PeachPDF vs IronPDF Comparison

Feature/Characteristic	PeachPDF	IronPDF
Implementation	Pure managed .NET (on `PeachPDF.PdfSharpCore` + SixLabors)	Managed with embedded Chromium runtime
License	BSD-3-Clause	Commercial
Target Framework	`net8.0` only	.NET Framework 4.6.2+, .NET 6/7/8
User Base	Small (pre-1.0, `0.7.26` released Oct 2025)	Large
Support	Community-driven (single maintainer, `jhaygood86`)	Professional with dedicated support
HTML Rendering	HTML+CSS layout engine on PdfSharpCore	Full Chromium
CSS Support	HTML+CSS subset, web fonts, `@font-face`	Full CSS3
JavaScript	Not executed	Full ES2024
Digital Signatures	No	Yes
PDF/A Compliance	No	Yes
Documentation	Limited (single README)	Extensive
Development Status	Pre-1.0 (`0.7.26`, Oct 2025)	Mature, stable release

IronPDF stands out with broader functionality, supporting not just HTML-to-PDF conversions but also OCR, watermarking, and other advanced features. Its professional support structure offers quick resolution paths for issues developers run into.

For teams adopting modern .NET, IronPDF provides comprehensive features and active maintenance to support long-term stability across current .NET versions.

Before You Start

Prerequisites

.NET Environment: .NET Framework 4.6.2+ or .NET Core 3.1+ / .NET 5/6/7/8/9+
NuGet Access: Ability to install NuGet packages
IronPDF License: Obtain your license key from ironpdf.com

NuGet Package Changes

# Remove PeachPDF
dotnet remove package PeachPDF

# Install IronPDF
dotnet add package IronPdf

# Remove PeachPDF
dotnet remove package PeachPDF

# Install IronPDF
dotnet add package IronPdf

SHELL

License Configuration

// Add at application startup
IronPdf.License.LicenseKey = "YOUR-LICENSE-KEY";

// Add at application startup
IronPdf.License.LicenseKey = "YOUR-LICENSE-KEY";

' Add at application startup
IronPdf.License.LicenseKey = "YOUR-LICENSE-KEY"

' Add at application startup
IronPdf.License.LicenseKey = "YOUR-LICENSE-KEY"

Identify PeachPDF Usage

# Audit PeachPDF usage in codebase
grep -r "using PeachPDF" --include="*.cs" .
grep -r "PdfGenerator\|PdfGenerateConfig\|GeneratePdf" --include="*.cs" .

# Audit PeachPDF usage in codebase
grep -r "using PeachPDF" --include="*.cs" .
grep -r "PdfGenerator\|PdfGenerateConfig\|GeneratePdf" --include="*.cs" .

SHELL

Complete API Reference

Namespace Changes

// Before: PeachPDF
using PeachPDF;
using PeachPDF.PdfSharpCore;
using System.IO;
using System.Threading.Tasks;

// After: IronPDF
using IronPdf;
using IronPdf.Rendering;

// Before: PeachPDF
using PeachPDF;
using PeachPDF.PdfSharpCore;
using System.IO;
using System.Threading.Tasks;

// After: IronPDF
using IronPdf;
using IronPdf.Rendering;

Imports IronPdf
Imports IronPdf.Rendering
Imports System.IO
Imports System.Threading.Tasks

Imports IronPdf
Imports IronPdf.Rendering
Imports System.IO
Imports System.Threading.Tasks

Core API Mappings

PeachPDF	IronPDF
`new PdfGenerator()`	`new ChromePdfRenderer()`
`await generator.GeneratePdf(html, config)`	`renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html)`
`document.Save(stream)`	`pdf.SaveAs(path)`
`document.Save(memStream)` then `memStream.ToArray()`	`pdf.BinaryData`
`new PdfGenerateConfig { NetworkAdapter = new HttpClientNetworkAdapter(...) }`	`renderer.RenderUrlAsPdf(url)`
`config.PageSize`, `config.PageOrientation`	`renderer.RenderingOptions.PaperSize`, `.PaperOrientation`
Embed in source HTML (CSS `position: fixed`)	`RenderingOptions.HtmlHeader` / `HtmlFooter`
Not supported	`PdfDocument.FromFile(path)`
Not supported	`PdfDocument.Merge(pdfs)` / `pdf.AppendPdf(...)`

Code Migration Examples

Example 1: HTML String to PDF Conversion

Before (PeachPDF):

using PeachPDF;
using PeachPDF.PdfSharpCore;
using System.IO;
using System.Threading.Tasks;

class Program
{
    static async Task Main()
    {
        var html = "<html><body><h1>Hello World</h1></body></html>";

        var config = new PdfGenerateConfig
        {
            PageSize = PageSize.Letter,
            PageOrientation = PageOrientation.Portrait
        };

        var generator = new PdfGenerator();
        var document = await generator.GeneratePdf(html, config);

        using var stream = File.Create("output.pdf");
        document.Save(stream);
    }
}

using PeachPDF;
using PeachPDF.PdfSharpCore;
using System.IO;
using System.Threading.Tasks;

class Program
{
    static async Task Main()
    {
        var html = "<html><body><h1>Hello World</h1></body></html>";

        var config = new PdfGenerateConfig
        {
            PageSize = PageSize.Letter,
            PageOrientation = PageOrientation.Portrait
        };

        var generator = new PdfGenerator();
        var document = await generator.GeneratePdf(html, config);

        using var stream = File.Create("output.pdf");
        document.Save(stream);
    }
}

Imports PeachPDF
Imports PeachPDF.PdfSharpCore
Imports System.IO
Imports System.Threading.Tasks

Module Program
    Async Function Main() As Task
        Dim html As String = "<html><body><h1>Hello World</h1></body></html>"

        Dim config As New PdfGenerateConfig With {
            .PageSize = PageSize.Letter,
            .PageOrientation = PageOrientation.Portrait
        }

        Dim generator As New PdfGenerator()
        Dim document = Await generator.GeneratePdf(html, config)

        Using stream As FileStream = File.Create("output.pdf")
            document.Save(stream)
        End Using
    End Function
End Module

Imports PeachPDF
Imports PeachPDF.PdfSharpCore
Imports System.IO
Imports System.Threading.Tasks

Module Program
    Async Function Main() As Task
        Dim html As String = "<html><body><h1>Hello World</h1></body></html>"

        Dim config As New PdfGenerateConfig With {
            .PageSize = PageSize.Letter,
            .PageOrientation = PageOrientation.Portrait
        }

        Dim generator As New PdfGenerator()
        Dim document = Await generator.GeneratePdf(html, config)

        Using stream As FileStream = File.Create("output.pdf")
            document.Save(stream)
        End Using
    End Function
End Module

After (IronPDF):

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

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
        var html = "<html><body><h1>Hello World</h1></body></html>";
        var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
        pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf");
    }
}

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

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
        var html = "<html><body><h1>Hello World</h1></body></html>";
        var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
        pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf");
    }
}

Imports IronPdf
Imports System

Class Program
    Shared Sub Main()
        Dim renderer = New ChromePdfRenderer()
        Dim html = "<html><body><h1>Hello World</h1></body></html>"
        Dim pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html)
        pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf")
    End Sub
End Class

Imports IronPdf
Imports System

Class Program
    Shared Sub Main()
        Dim renderer = New ChromePdfRenderer()
        Dim html = "<html><body><h1>Hello World</h1></body></html>"
        Dim pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html)
        pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf")
    End Sub
End Class

This example shows the fundamental difference between the two libraries. PeachPDF separates a PdfGenerator (engine) from a PdfGenerateConfig (settings), exposes an async GeneratePdf method, and returns a document whose Save method writes to a Stream. IronPDF uses ChromePdfRenderer with RenderHtmlAsPdf(), which returns a PdfDocument object with a built-in SaveAs() method.

A practical advantage of IronPDF's approach: the PdfDocument object can be further manipulated (adding watermarks, merging, security settings) before saving, and SaveAs takes a file path directly without an intermediate FileStream. See the HTML to PDF documentation for further examples.

Example 2: URL to PDF Conversion

Before (PeachPDF):

// PeachPDF has no ConvertUrl-style helper; URL fetching is wired via
// HttpClientNetworkAdapter and passing null HTML so the engine fetches the page.
using PeachPDF;
using PeachPDF.Network;
using PeachPDF.PdfSharpCore;
using System;
using System.IO;
using System.Net.Http;
using System.Threading.Tasks;

class Program
{
    static async Task Main()
    {
        var http = new HttpClient();

        var config = new PdfGenerateConfig
        {
            PageSize = PageSize.Letter,
            NetworkAdapter = new HttpClientNetworkAdapter(http, new Uri("https://www.example.com"))
        };

        var generator = new PdfGenerator();
        var document = await generator.GeneratePdf(null, config);

        using var stream = File.Create("webpage.pdf");
        document.Save(stream);
    }
}

// PeachPDF has no ConvertUrl-style helper; URL fetching is wired via
// HttpClientNetworkAdapter and passing null HTML so the engine fetches the page.
using PeachPDF;
using PeachPDF.Network;
using PeachPDF.PdfSharpCore;
using System;
using System.IO;
using System.Net.Http;
using System.Threading.Tasks;

class Program
{
    static async Task Main()
    {
        var http = new HttpClient();

        var config = new PdfGenerateConfig
        {
            PageSize = PageSize.Letter,
            NetworkAdapter = new HttpClientNetworkAdapter(http, new Uri("https://www.example.com"))
        };

        var generator = new PdfGenerator();
        var document = await generator.GeneratePdf(null, config);

        using var stream = File.Create("webpage.pdf");
        document.Save(stream);
    }
}

Imports PeachPDF
Imports PeachPDF.Network
Imports PeachPDF.PdfSharpCore
Imports System
Imports System.IO
Imports System.Net.Http
Imports System.Threading.Tasks

Module Program
    Async Function Main() As Task
        Dim http As New HttpClient()

        Dim config As New PdfGenerateConfig With {
            .PageSize = PageSize.Letter,
            .NetworkAdapter = New HttpClientNetworkAdapter(http, New Uri("https://www.example.com"))
        }

        Dim generator As New PdfGenerator()
        Dim document = Await generator.GeneratePdf(Nothing, config)

        Using stream = File.Create("webpage.pdf")
            document.Save(stream)
        End Using
    End Function
End Module

Imports PeachPDF
Imports PeachPDF.Network
Imports PeachPDF.PdfSharpCore
Imports System
Imports System.IO
Imports System.Net.Http
Imports System.Threading.Tasks

Module Program
    Async Function Main() As Task
        Dim http As New HttpClient()

        Dim config As New PdfGenerateConfig With {
            .PageSize = PageSize.Letter,
            .NetworkAdapter = New HttpClientNetworkAdapter(http, New Uri("https://www.example.com"))
        }

        Dim generator As New PdfGenerator()
        Dim document = Await generator.GeneratePdf(Nothing, config)

        Using stream = File.Create("webpage.pdf")
            document.Save(stream)
        End Using
    End Function
End Module

After (IronPDF):

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

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
        var url = "https://www.example.com";
        var pdf = renderer.RenderUrlAsPdf(url);
        pdf.SaveAs("webpage.pdf");
    }
}

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

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
        var url = "https://www.example.com";
        var pdf = renderer.RenderUrlAsPdf(url);
        pdf.SaveAs("webpage.pdf");
    }
}

Imports IronPdf
Imports System

Class Program
    Shared Sub Main()
        Dim renderer = New ChromePdfRenderer()
        Dim url = "https://www.example.com"
        Dim pdf = renderer.RenderUrlAsPdf(url)
        pdf.SaveAs("webpage.pdf")
    End Sub
End Class

Imports IronPdf
Imports System

Class Program
    Shared Sub Main()
        Dim renderer = New ChromePdfRenderer()
        Dim url = "https://www.example.com"
        Dim pdf = renderer.RenderUrlAsPdf(url)
        pdf.SaveAs("webpage.pdf")
    End Sub
End Class

PeachPDF has no first-class URL-to-PDF helper; you set NetworkAdapter on the config to an HttpClientNetworkAdapter and pass null HTML so the engine fetches the page. IronPDF exposes RenderUrlAsPdf(url) directly. Because PeachPDF does not execute JavaScript, single-page apps and dynamic content typically will not render correctly via the network adapter route; IronPDF's Chromium engine handles modern CSS and JavaScript. Learn more in our tutorials.

Example 3: Adding Headers and Footers

Before (PeachPDF):

// PeachPDF v0.7.x has no header/footer API. The closest approach is
// to embed the header/footer markup directly inside the source HTML
// using CSS positioning.
using PeachPDF;
using PeachPDF.PdfSharpCore;
using System.IO;
using System.Threading.Tasks;

class Program
{
    static async Task Main()
    {
        var html = @"
            <html><head><style>
              .header { position: fixed; top: 0; left: 0; right: 0; text-align:center; }
              .footer { position: fixed; bottom: 0; left: 0; right: 0; text-align:center; }
            </style></head>
            <body>
              <div class='header'>My Header</div>
              <h1>Document Content</h1>
              <div class='footer'>Footer text</div>
            </body></html>";

        var config = new PdfGenerateConfig { PageSize = PageSize.Letter };
        var generator = new PdfGenerator();
        var document = await generator.GeneratePdf(html, config);

        using var stream = File.Create("document.pdf");
        document.Save(stream);
    }
}

// PeachPDF v0.7.x has no header/footer API. The closest approach is
// to embed the header/footer markup directly inside the source HTML
// using CSS positioning.
using PeachPDF;
using PeachPDF.PdfSharpCore;
using System.IO;
using System.Threading.Tasks;

class Program
{
    static async Task Main()
    {
        var html = @"
            <html><head><style>
              .header { position: fixed; top: 0; left: 0; right: 0; text-align:center; }
              .footer { position: fixed; bottom: 0; left: 0; right: 0; text-align:center; }
            </style></head>
            <body>
              <div class='header'>My Header</div>
              <h1>Document Content</h1>
              <div class='footer'>Footer text</div>
            </body></html>";

        var config = new PdfGenerateConfig { PageSize = PageSize.Letter };
        var generator = new PdfGenerator();
        var document = await generator.GeneratePdf(html, config);

        using var stream = File.Create("document.pdf");
        document.Save(stream);
    }
}

Imports PeachPDF
Imports PeachPDF.PdfSharpCore
Imports System.IO
Imports System.Threading.Tasks

Module Program
    Async Function Main() As Task
        Dim html As String = "
            <html><head><style>
              .header { position: fixed; top: 0; left: 0; right: 0; text-align:center; }
              .footer { position: fixed; bottom: 0; left: 0; right: 0; text-align:center; }
            </style></head>
            <body>
              <div class='header'>My Header</div>
              <h1>Document Content</h1>
              <div class='footer'>Footer text</div>
            </body></html>"

        Dim config As New PdfGenerateConfig With {.PageSize = PageSize.Letter}
        Dim generator As New PdfGenerator()
        Dim document = Await generator.GeneratePdf(html, config)

        Using stream = File.Create("document.pdf")
            document.Save(stream)
        End Using
    End Function
End Module

Imports PeachPDF
Imports PeachPDF.PdfSharpCore
Imports System.IO
Imports System.Threading.Tasks

Module Program
    Async Function Main() As Task
        Dim html As String = "
            <html><head><style>
              .header { position: fixed; top: 0; left: 0; right: 0; text-align:center; }
              .footer { position: fixed; bottom: 0; left: 0; right: 0; text-align:center; }
            </style></head>
            <body>
              <div class='header'>My Header</div>
              <h1>Document Content</h1>
              <div class='footer'>Footer text</div>
            </body></html>"

        Dim config As New PdfGenerateConfig With {.PageSize = PageSize.Letter}
        Dim generator As New PdfGenerator()
        Dim document = Await generator.GeneratePdf(html, config)

        Using stream = File.Create("document.pdf")
            document.Save(stream)
        End Using
    End Function
End Module

After (IronPDF):

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

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
        renderer.RenderingOptions.HtmlHeader = new HtmlHeaderFooter() { HtmlFragment = "<div style='text-align:center'>My Header</div>" };
        renderer.RenderingOptions.HtmlFooter = new HtmlHeaderFooter() { HtmlFragment = "<div style='text-align:center'>Page {page}</div>" };
        var html = "<html><body><h1>Document Content</h1></body></html>";
        var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
        pdf.SaveAs("document.pdf");
    }
}

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

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
        renderer.RenderingOptions.HtmlHeader = new HtmlHeaderFooter() { HtmlFragment = "<div style='text-align:center'>My Header</div>" };
        renderer.RenderingOptions.HtmlFooter = new HtmlHeaderFooter() { HtmlFragment = "<div style='text-align:center'>Page {page}</div>" };
        var html = "<html><body><h1>Document Content</h1></body></html>";
        var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
        pdf.SaveAs("document.pdf");
    }
}

Imports IronPdf
Imports IronPdf.Rendering
Imports System

Module Program
    Sub Main()
        Dim renderer As New ChromePdfRenderer()
        renderer.RenderingOptions.HtmlHeader = New HtmlHeaderFooter() With {.HtmlFragment = "<div style='text-align:center'>My Header</div>"}
        renderer.RenderingOptions.HtmlFooter = New HtmlHeaderFooter() With {.HtmlFragment = "<div style='text-align:center'>Page {page}</div>"}
        Dim html As String = "<html><body><h1>Document Content</h1></body></html>"
        Dim pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html)
        pdf.SaveAs("document.pdf")
    End Sub
End Module

Imports IronPdf
Imports IronPdf.Rendering
Imports System

Module Program
    Sub Main()
        Dim renderer As New ChromePdfRenderer()
        renderer.RenderingOptions.HtmlHeader = New HtmlHeaderFooter() With {.HtmlFragment = "<div style='text-align:center'>My Header</div>"}
        renderer.RenderingOptions.HtmlFooter = New HtmlHeaderFooter() With {.HtmlFragment = "<div style='text-align:center'>Page {page}</div>"}
        Dim html As String = "<html><body><h1>Document Content</h1></body></html>"
        Dim pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html)
        pdf.SaveAs("document.pdf")
    End Sub
End Module

This example shows a key architectural difference. PeachPDF does not expose a header/footer API on PdfGenerator or PdfGenerateConfig, so the page chrome has to live inside the source HTML using CSS positioning. IronPDF uses HtmlHeaderFooter objects assigned to RenderingOptions.HtmlHeader and RenderingOptions.HtmlFooter, separating page chrome from document content.

The IronPDF approach also exposes properties like MaxHeight for controlling header/footer size, and supports the {page} and {total-pages} placeholders for page numbering.

Note the additional namespace required for IronPDF: using IronPdf.Rendering; is needed for the HtmlHeaderFooter class.

Critical Migration Notes

Generator/Renderer Class Change

PeachPDF uses a PdfGenerator + PdfGenerateConfig pair; IronPDF uses a single ChromePdfRenderer:

// PeachPDF
var config = new PdfGenerateConfig { PageSize = PageSize.Letter };
var generator = new PdfGenerator();

// IronPDF
var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();

// PeachPDF
var config = new PdfGenerateConfig { PageSize = PageSize.Letter };
var generator = new PdfGenerator();

// IronPDF
var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();

' PeachPDF
Dim config As New PdfGenerateConfig With {.PageSize = PageSize.Letter}
Dim generator As New PdfGenerator()

' IronPDF
Dim renderer As New ChromePdfRenderer()

' PeachPDF
Dim config As New PdfGenerateConfig With {.PageSize = PageSize.Letter}
Dim generator As New PdfGenerator()

' IronPDF
Dim renderer As New ChromePdfRenderer()

Async vs Sync, and Return Type

PeachPDF's GeneratePdf is async-only and returns a document whose Save method takes a Stream. IronPDF's RenderHtmlAsPdf is synchronous (an async variant RenderHtmlAsPdfAsync is also available) and returns a PdfDocument:

// PeachPDF: async, save to a Stream
var document = await generator.GeneratePdf(html, config);
using var fs = File.Create("output.pdf");
document.Save(fs);

// IronPDF: synchronous PdfDocument object
PdfDocument pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf");
// Or get bytes: byte[] bytes = pdf.BinaryData;

// PeachPDF: async, save to a Stream
var document = await generator.GeneratePdf(html, config);
using var fs = File.Create("output.pdf");
document.Save(fs);

// IronPDF: synchronous PdfDocument object
PdfDocument pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf");
// Or get bytes: byte[] bytes = pdf.BinaryData;

Imports System.IO

' PeachPDF: async, save to a Stream
Dim document = Await generator.GeneratePdf(html, config)
Using fs As FileStream = File.Create("output.pdf")
    document.Save(fs)
End Using

' IronPDF: synchronous PdfDocument object
Dim pdf As PdfDocument = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html)
pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf")
' Or get bytes: Dim bytes As Byte() = pdf.BinaryData

Imports System.IO

' PeachPDF: async, save to a Stream
Dim document = Await generator.GeneratePdf(html, config)
Using fs As FileStream = File.Create("output.pdf")
    document.Save(fs)
End Using

' IronPDF: synchronous PdfDocument object
Dim pdf As PdfDocument = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html)
pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf")
' Or get bytes: Dim bytes As Byte() = pdf.BinaryData

Header/Footer Property Change

// PeachPDF: no header/footer API -- embed in source HTML
// (e.g. via CSS position:fixed)

// IronPDF: HtmlHeaderFooter objects
renderer.RenderingOptions.HtmlHeader = new HtmlHeaderFooter()
{
    HtmlFragment = "<div>Header</div>"
};
renderer.RenderingOptions.HtmlFooter = new HtmlHeaderFooter()
{
    HtmlFragment = "<div>Footer</div>"
};

// PeachPDF: no header/footer API -- embed in source HTML
// (e.g. via CSS position:fixed)

// IronPDF: HtmlHeaderFooter objects
renderer.RenderingOptions.HtmlHeader = new HtmlHeaderFooter()
{
    HtmlFragment = "<div>Header</div>"
};
renderer.RenderingOptions.HtmlFooter = new HtmlHeaderFooter()
{
    HtmlFragment = "<div>Footer</div>"
};

' PeachPDF: no header/footer API -- embed in source HTML
' (e.g. via CSS position:fixed)

' IronPDF: HtmlHeaderFooter objects
renderer.RenderingOptions.HtmlHeader = New HtmlHeaderFooter() With {
    .HtmlFragment = "<div>Header</div>"
}
renderer.RenderingOptions.HtmlFooter = New HtmlHeaderFooter() With {
    .HtmlFragment = "<div>Footer</div>"
}

' PeachPDF: no header/footer API -- embed in source HTML
' (e.g. via CSS position:fixed)

' IronPDF: HtmlHeaderFooter objects
renderer.RenderingOptions.HtmlHeader = New HtmlHeaderFooter() With {
    .HtmlFragment = "<div>Header</div>"
}
renderer.RenderingOptions.HtmlFooter = New HtmlHeaderFooter() With {
    .HtmlFragment = "<div>Footer</div>"
}

Method Name Changes

PeachPDF	IronPDF
`await generator.GeneratePdf(html, config)`	`renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html)`
`NetworkAdapter = new HttpClientNetworkAdapter(...)` + `GeneratePdf(null, config)`	`renderer.RenderUrlAsPdf(url)`
`document.Save(stream)`	`pdf.SaveAs(path)`

New Capabilities After Migration

After migrating to IronPDF, you gain capabilities that PeachPDF cannot provide:

PDF Merging

var pdf1 = PdfDocument.FromFile("doc1.pdf");
var pdf2 = PdfDocument.FromFile("doc2.pdf");
var merged = PdfDocument.Merge(pdf1, pdf2);
merged.SaveAs("merged.pdf");

var pdf1 = PdfDocument.FromFile("doc1.pdf");
var pdf2 = PdfDocument.FromFile("doc2.pdf");
var merged = PdfDocument.Merge(pdf1, pdf2);
merged.SaveAs("merged.pdf");

Watermarks with HTML

var pdf = PdfDocument.FromFile("document.pdf");
pdf.ApplyWatermark("<div style='color: red; font-size: 48pt;'>DRAFT</div>");
pdf.SaveAs("watermarked.pdf");

var pdf = PdfDocument.FromFile("document.pdf");
pdf.ApplyWatermark("<div style='color: red; font-size: 48pt;'>DRAFT</div>");
pdf.SaveAs("watermarked.pdf");

Dim pdf = PdfDocument.FromFile("document.pdf")
pdf.ApplyWatermark("<div style='color: red; font-size: 48pt;'>DRAFT</div>")
pdf.SaveAs("watermarked.pdf")

Dim pdf = PdfDocument.FromFile("document.pdf")
pdf.ApplyWatermark("<div style='color: red; font-size: 48pt;'>DRAFT</div>")
pdf.SaveAs("watermarked.pdf")

Password Protection

var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Confidential</h1>");

pdf.SecuritySettings.OwnerPassword = "owner123";
pdf.SecuritySettings.UserPassword = "user123";
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserCopyPasteContent = false;
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserPrinting = PdfPrintSecurity.NoPrint;

pdf.SaveAs("protected.pdf");

var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Confidential</h1>");

pdf.SecuritySettings.OwnerPassword = "owner123";
pdf.SecuritySettings.UserPassword = "user123";
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserCopyPasteContent = false;
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserPrinting = PdfPrintSecurity.NoPrint;

pdf.SaveAs("protected.pdf");

Dim renderer As New ChromePdfRenderer()
Dim pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Confidential</h1>")

pdf.SecuritySettings.OwnerPassword = "owner123"
pdf.SecuritySettings.UserPassword = "user123"
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserCopyPasteContent = False
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserPrinting = PdfPrintSecurity.NoPrint

pdf.SaveAs("protected.pdf")

Dim renderer As New ChromePdfRenderer()
Dim pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Confidential</h1>")

pdf.SecuritySettings.OwnerPassword = "owner123"
pdf.SecuritySettings.UserPassword = "user123"
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserCopyPasteContent = False
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserPrinting = PdfPrintSecurity.NoPrint

pdf.SaveAs("protected.pdf")

Digital Signatures

using IronPdf.Signing;

var pdf = PdfDocument.FromFile("document.pdf");
var signature = new PdfSignature("certificate.pfx", "password")
{
    SigningReason = "Document Approval",
    SigningLocation = "New York"
};
pdf.Sign(signature);
pdf.SaveAs("signed.pdf");

using IronPdf.Signing;

var pdf = PdfDocument.FromFile("document.pdf");
var signature = new PdfSignature("certificate.pfx", "password")
{
    SigningReason = "Document Approval",
    SigningLocation = "New York"
};
pdf.Sign(signature);
pdf.SaveAs("signed.pdf");

Imports IronPdf.Signing

Dim pdf = PdfDocument.FromFile("document.pdf")
Dim signature = New PdfSignature("certificate.pfx", "password") With {
    .SigningReason = "Document Approval",
    .SigningLocation = "New York"
}
pdf.Sign(signature)
pdf.SaveAs("signed.pdf")

Imports IronPdf.Signing

Dim pdf = PdfDocument.FromFile("document.pdf")
Dim signature = New PdfSignature("certificate.pfx", "password") With {
    .SigningReason = "Document Approval",
    .SigningLocation = "New York"
}
pdf.Sign(signature)
pdf.SaveAs("signed.pdf")

Async Operations

var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
var pdf = await renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdfAsync("<h1>Async PDF</h1>");
pdf.SaveAs("async_output.pdf");

var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
var pdf = await renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdfAsync("<h1>Async PDF</h1>");
pdf.SaveAs("async_output.pdf");

Dim renderer As New ChromePdfRenderer()
Dim pdf = Await renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdfAsync("<h1>Async PDF</h1>")
pdf.SaveAs("async_output.pdf")

Dim renderer As New ChromePdfRenderer()
Dim pdf = Await renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdfAsync("<h1>Async PDF</h1>")
pdf.SaveAs("async_output.pdf")

Feature Comparison Summary

Feature	PeachPDF	IronPDF
HTML to PDF	PdfSharpCore-based layout	Full Chromium
URL to PDF	Via `HttpClientNetworkAdapter` (no JS)	Yes
CSS Grid/Flexbox	Partial / not guaranteed	Yes
JavaScript	Not executed	Full ES2024
Merge PDFs	No (HTML->PDF only)	Yes
Split PDFs	No	Yes
Watermarks	Manual via HTML	Full HTML
Headers/Footers	Manual via HTML/CSS	Full HTML
Digital Signatures	No	Yes
PDF/A	No	Yes
Form Filling	No	Yes
Text Extraction	No	Yes
Image Extraction	No	Yes
Async Support	Async-only API	Yes
Cross-Platform	`net8.0` (Windows / Linux / macOS)	Yes

Common Migration Issues

Issue 1: Different API Pattern

Problem: PeachPDF separates PdfGenerator (engine) from PdfGenerateConfig (settings) and is async; IronPDF uses one ChromePdfRenderer that returns a PdfDocument synchronously.

Solution:

// PeachPDF pattern (async, stream-out)
var config = new PdfGenerateConfig { PageSize = PageSize.Letter };
var generator = new PdfGenerator();
var document = await generator.GeneratePdf(html, config);
using var fs = File.Create(path);
document.Save(fs);

// IronPDF pattern
var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
pdf.SaveAs(path);

// PeachPDF pattern (async, stream-out)
var config = new PdfGenerateConfig { PageSize = PageSize.Letter };
var generator = new PdfGenerator();
var document = await generator.GeneratePdf(html, config);
using var fs = File.Create(path);
document.Save(fs);

// IronPDF pattern
var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
pdf.SaveAs(path);

Imports System.IO

' PeachPDF pattern (async, stream-out)
Dim config As New PdfGenerateConfig With {.PageSize = PageSize.Letter}
Dim generator As New PdfGenerator()
Dim document = Await generator.GeneratePdf(html, config)
Using fs As FileStream = File.Create(path)
    document.Save(fs)
End Using

' IronPDF pattern
Dim renderer As New ChromePdfRenderer()
Dim pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html)
pdf.SaveAs(path)

Imports System.IO

' PeachPDF pattern (async, stream-out)
Dim config As New PdfGenerateConfig With {.PageSize = PageSize.Letter}
Dim generator As New PdfGenerator()
Dim document = Await generator.GeneratePdf(html, config)
Using fs As FileStream = File.Create(path)
    document.Save(fs)
End Using

' IronPDF pattern
Dim renderer As New ChromePdfRenderer()
Dim pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html)
pdf.SaveAs(path)

Issue 2: Save Targets a Stream, Not a Path

Problem: PeachPDF's document.Save(stream) only takes a Stream; IronPDF's pdf.SaveAs(path) takes a path string.

Solution: Use pdf.SaveAs("file.pdf") directly in IronPDF instead of opening a FileStream.

Issue 3: No Existing-PDF Operations

Problem: PeachPDF is HTML-to-PDF only; it cannot load, merge, split, or edit existing PDFs.

Solution: Replace those operations with IronPDF's PdfDocument.FromFile, PdfDocument.Merge, and pdf.AppendPdf once migrated.

Migration Checklist

Pre-Migration

Audit PeachPDF usage in codebase
Document custom configurations
Note all header/footer implementations
Obtain IronPDF license key from ironpdf.com
Test with IronPDF trial license first

Package Changes

Remove PeachPDF NuGet package
Install IronPdf NuGet package: dotnet add package IronPdf

Code Changes

Update namespace imports (using PeachPDF; → using IronPdf;)
Add using IronPdf.Rendering; for header/footer functionality
Replace PdfGenerator + PdfGenerateConfig with ChromePdfRenderer
Replace await generator.GeneratePdf(html, config) with renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html) (or RenderHtmlAsPdfAsync to stay async)
Replace HttpClientNetworkAdapter + GeneratePdf(null, config) with renderer.RenderUrlAsPdf(url)
Replace document.Save(stream) with pdf.SaveAs(path)
Replace HTML-embedded headers/footers with RenderingOptions.HtmlHeader/HtmlFooter objects
Add license initialization at application startup

Post-Migration

Test HTML rendering quality
Verify PDF output matches expectations
Test header/footer rendering with page numbers
Add new capabilities (security, watermarks, merging) as needed

Please note: PeachPDF is a registered trademark of its respective owner. This site is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by PeachPDF. 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

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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