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 SelectPdf to IronPDF in C#

Curtis Chau

Updated: August 1, 2026

Migrating from SelectPdf to IronPDF moves your PDF generation workflow off a Windows-only library - whose default rendering engine is an internal WebKit and whose opt-in Blink engine ships with Chromium 124 (April 2024) - onto a current-Chromium, cross-platform library with full CSS3 and JavaScript support. This guide provides a complete, step-by-step migration path that enables deployment to Linux, Docker, Azure Functions, and other cloud platforms that SelectPdf does not support.

Why Migrate from SelectPdf to IronPDF

Understanding SelectPdf

SelectPdf is a commercial library designed to convert HTML content into PDFs using C#. The library is tailored towards developers who require seamless integration of PDF generation functionality within their applications. The strength of SelectPdf lies in its simple API, making it an appealing option for those new to PDF generation.

However, potential users must be aware of its critical limitations. Per the vendor's own documentation, SelectPdf only runs on Windows - not Linux, macOS, or Xamarin. This presents a substantial barrier when considering cloud-based deployment solutions, such as Linux Azure Functions or Docker. The Community Edition is capped at 5 pages per PDF and applies a watermark to every page until a license key is purchased. SelectPdf's default rendering engine is an internal WebKit; the optional Blink engine ships with Chromium 124 (April 2024), which lags current Chrome and can cause issues with newer CSS features such as CSS Grid and the Flexbox gap property.

Critical Limitations of SelectPdf

Issue	Impact	IronPDF Solution
Windows-only	Cannot deploy to Linux, Docker, Azure Functions	Full cross-platform support
Default WebKit engine; optional Blink ships Chromium 124 (April 2024)	Newer CSS features may fail on the default engine	Up-to-date Chromium
5-page free version limit	Per-page watermark on every page until licensed	Generous trial
.NET 10 on Windows only	No Linux/macOS/container deployment	Full .NET 10 across all platforms
Cloud deployment blocked (non-Windows)	Can't use AWS Lambda or Linux Azure Functions	Cloud-native

SelectPdf vs IronPDF Comparison

Feature	SelectPdf	IronPDF
Platform Support	Windows Only	Full cross-platform, 10+ distros
Modern Web Standards Support	WebKit by default; Blink option ships Chromium 124 (April 2024)	Full CSS3, current Chromium
Maximum Free Version Page Limit	5 pages + per-page watermark	Flexible, no hard limit
Pricing	$499 Single Developer to $1,599 Enterprise OEM	Transparent and flexible pricing
.NET 10 Support	Yes, but Windows only	Yes, all platforms
Deployment in Cloud Environments	Windows targets only	Fully supported (Windows + Linux)
CSS Grid	WebKit: limited; Blink (Chromium 124): supported	Supported
Flexbox (gap property)	WebKit: not supported; Blink: supported	Supported
CSS Variables	WebKit: not supported; Blink: supported	Supported
Docker (Linux)	Not supported	Official images
Azure Functions (Linux)	Not supported	Supported
AWS Lambda	Not supported	Supported

SelectPdf's NetCore package targets .NET Standard 2.0 and is documented as compatible with .NET 5 through .NET 10 - but only on Windows, which neutralises that compatibility for any team deploying to Linux containers, AWS Lambda, or Linux-based Azure App Service. IronPDF supports the same .NET versions and runs on Windows, Linux, macOS, and Docker.

Before You Start

Prerequisites

.NET Environment: .NET Framework 4.6.1+ or .NET Core 3.1+ / .NET 5/6/7/8/9/10+
NuGet Access: Ability to install NuGet packages
IronPDF License: Obtain your license key from ironpdf.com

NuGet Package Changes

# Remove SelectPdf (use Select.HtmlToPdf.NetCore on .NET Core / .NET 5+)
dotnet remove package Select.HtmlToPdf
# or: dotnet remove package Select.HtmlToPdf.NetCore

# Install IronPDF
dotnet add package IronPdf

# Remove SelectPdf (use Select.HtmlToPdf.NetCore on .NET Core / .NET 5+)
dotnet remove package Select.HtmlToPdf
# or: dotnet remove package Select.HtmlToPdf.NetCore

# 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"

Complete API Reference

Namespace Changes

// Before: SelectPdf
using SelectPdf;

// After: IronPDF
using IronPdf;
using IronPdf.Engines.Chrome;

// Before: SelectPdf
using SelectPdf;

// After: IronPDF
using IronPdf;
using IronPdf.Engines.Chrome;

' Before: SelectPdf
Imports SelectPdf

' After: IronPDF
Imports IronPdf
Imports IronPdf.Engines.Chrome

' Before: SelectPdf
Imports SelectPdf

' After: IronPDF
Imports IronPdf
Imports IronPdf.Engines.Chrome

Core API Mappings

SelectPdf	IronPDF	Notes
`HtmlToPdf`	`ChromePdfRenderer`	Core converter class
`converter.ConvertHtmlString(html)`	`renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html)`	HTML string conversion
`converter.ConvertUrl(url)`	`renderer.RenderUrlAsPdf(url)`	URL conversion
`doc.Save(path)`	`pdf.SaveAs(path)`	Save to file
`doc.Close()`	Not needed	IronPDF handles cleanup
`converter.Options.PdfPageSize`	`renderer.RenderingOptions.PaperSize`	Paper size
`converter.Options.PdfPageOrientation`	`renderer.RenderingOptions.PaperOrientation`	Orientation
`converter.Options.MarginTop`	`renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginTop`	Top margin
`converter.Options.MarginBottom`	`renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginBottom`	Bottom margin
`converter.Options.MarginLeft`	`renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginLeft`	Left margin
`converter.Options.MarginRight`	`renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginRight`	Right margin
`PdfPageSize.A4`	`PdfPaperSize.A4`	A4 size enum
`PdfPageOrientation.Portrait`	`PdfPaperOrientation.Portrait`	Portrait enum
`PdfPageOrientation.Landscape`	`PdfPaperOrientation.Landscape`	Landscape enum
`{page_number}`	`{page}`	Page number placeholder
`{total_pages}`	`{total-pages}`	Total pages placeholder

Code Migration Examples

Example 1: HTML String to PDF Conversion

Before (SelectPdf):

// NuGet: Install-Package Select.HtmlToPdf
using SelectPdf;
using System;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        string htmlContent = "<html><body><h1>Hello World</h1><p>This is a PDF document.</p></body></html>";
        
        HtmlToPdf converter = new HtmlToPdf();
        PdfDocument doc = converter.ConvertHtmlString(htmlContent);
        doc.Save("document.pdf");
        doc.Close();
        
        Console.WriteLine("PDF generated from HTML string");
    }
}

// NuGet: Install-Package Select.HtmlToPdf
using SelectPdf;
using System;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        string htmlContent = "<html><body><h1>Hello World</h1><p>This is a PDF document.</p></body></html>";
        
        HtmlToPdf converter = new HtmlToPdf();
        PdfDocument doc = converter.ConvertHtmlString(htmlContent);
        doc.Save("document.pdf");
        doc.Close();
        
        Console.WriteLine("PDF generated from HTML string");
    }
}

' NuGet: Install-Package Select.HtmlToPdf
Imports SelectPdf
Imports System

Module Program
    Sub Main()
        Dim htmlContent As String = "<html><body><h1>Hello World</h1><p>This is a PDF document.</p></body></html>"

        Dim converter As New HtmlToPdf()
        Dim doc As PdfDocument = converter.ConvertHtmlString(htmlContent)
        doc.Save("document.pdf")
        doc.Close()

        Console.WriteLine("PDF generated from HTML string")
    End Sub
End Module

' NuGet: Install-Package Select.HtmlToPdf
Imports SelectPdf
Imports System

Module Program
    Sub Main()
        Dim htmlContent As String = "<html><body><h1>Hello World</h1><p>This is a PDF document.</p></body></html>"

        Dim converter As New HtmlToPdf()
        Dim doc As PdfDocument = converter.ConvertHtmlString(htmlContent)
        doc.Save("document.pdf")
        doc.Close()

        Console.WriteLine("PDF generated from HTML string")
    End Sub
End Module

After (IronPDF):

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

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        string htmlContent = "<html><body><h1>Hello World</h1><p>This is a PDF document.</p></body></html>";
        
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
        var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(htmlContent);
        pdf.SaveAs("document.pdf");
        
        Console.WriteLine("PDF generated from HTML string");
    }
}

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

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        string htmlContent = "<html><body><h1>Hello World</h1><p>This is a PDF document.</p></body></html>";
        
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
        var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(htmlContent);
        pdf.SaveAs("document.pdf");
        
        Console.WriteLine("PDF generated from HTML string");
    }
}

' NuGet: Install-Package IronPdf
Imports IronPdf
Imports System

Module Program
    Sub Main()
        Dim htmlContent As String = "<html><body><h1>Hello World</h1><p>This is a PDF document.</p></body></html>"
        
        Dim renderer As New ChromePdfRenderer()
        Dim pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(htmlContent)
        pdf.SaveAs("document.pdf")
        
        Console.WriteLine("PDF generated from HTML string")
    End Sub
End Module

' NuGet: Install-Package IronPdf
Imports IronPdf
Imports System

Module Program
    Sub Main()
        Dim htmlContent As String = "<html><body><h1>Hello World</h1><p>This is a PDF document.</p></body></html>"
        
        Dim renderer As New ChromePdfRenderer()
        Dim pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(htmlContent)
        pdf.SaveAs("document.pdf")
        
        Console.WriteLine("PDF generated from HTML string")
    End Sub
End Module

This example demonstrates the core API differences. SelectPdf uses HtmlToPdf as the converter class, calling ConvertHtmlString() to create a PdfDocument, then Save() and Close() to persist and clean up.

IronPDF uses ChromePdfRenderer with RenderHtmlAsPdf(), returning a PdfDocument that's saved with SaveAs(). The Close() call is eliminated - IronPDF handles resource management automatically. See the HTML to PDF documentation for comprehensive examples.

Example 2: URL to PDF Conversion

Before (SelectPdf):

// NuGet: Install-Package Select.HtmlToPdf
using SelectPdf;
using System;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        HtmlToPdf converter = new HtmlToPdf();
        PdfDocument doc = converter.ConvertUrl("https://www.example.com");
        doc.Save("output.pdf");
        doc.Close();
        
        Console.WriteLine("PDF created successfully");
    }
}

// NuGet: Install-Package Select.HtmlToPdf
using SelectPdf;
using System;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        HtmlToPdf converter = new HtmlToPdf();
        PdfDocument doc = converter.ConvertUrl("https://www.example.com");
        doc.Save("output.pdf");
        doc.Close();
        
        Console.WriteLine("PDF created successfully");
    }
}

' NuGet: Install-Package Select.HtmlToPdf
Imports SelectPdf
Imports System

Module Program
    Sub Main()
        Dim converter As New HtmlToPdf()
        Dim doc As PdfDocument = converter.ConvertUrl("https://www.example.com")
        doc.Save("output.pdf")
        doc.Close()

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

' NuGet: Install-Package Select.HtmlToPdf
Imports SelectPdf
Imports System

Module Program
    Sub Main()
        Dim converter As New HtmlToPdf()
        Dim doc As PdfDocument = converter.ConvertUrl("https://www.example.com")
        doc.Save("output.pdf")
        doc.Close()

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

After (IronPDF):

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

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
        var pdf = renderer.RenderUrlAsPdf("https://www.example.com");
        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();
        var pdf = renderer.RenderUrlAsPdf("https://www.example.com");
        pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf");
        
        Console.WriteLine("PDF created successfully");
    }
}

' NuGet: Install-Package IronPdf
Imports IronPdf
Imports System

Module Program
    Sub Main()
        Dim renderer = New ChromePdfRenderer()
        Dim pdf = renderer.RenderUrlAsPdf("https://www.example.com")
        pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf")
        
        Console.WriteLine("PDF created successfully")
    End Sub
End Module

' NuGet: Install-Package IronPdf
Imports IronPdf
Imports System

Module Program
    Sub Main()
        Dim renderer = New ChromePdfRenderer()
        Dim pdf = renderer.RenderUrlAsPdf("https://www.example.com")
        pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf")
        
        Console.WriteLine("PDF created successfully")
    End Sub
End Module

SelectPdf's ConvertUrl() method maps directly to IronPDF's RenderUrlAsPdf(). The critical difference is in the rendering engine: SelectPdf defaults to an internal WebKit and offers an opt-in Blink engine bundled with Chromium 124 (April 2024), while IronPDF uses current stable Chromium for full CSS3 and JavaScript support. Learn more in our tutorials.

Example 3: Custom Page Settings and Margins

Before (SelectPdf):

// NuGet: Install-Package Select.HtmlToPdf
using SelectPdf;
using System;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        HtmlToPdf converter = new HtmlToPdf();
        
        converter.Options.PdfPageSize = PdfPageSize.A4;
        converter.Options.PdfPageOrientation = PdfPageOrientation.Portrait;
        converter.Options.MarginTop = 20;
        converter.Options.MarginBottom = 20;
        converter.Options.MarginLeft = 20;
        converter.Options.MarginRight = 20;
        
        string html = "<html><body><h1>Custom Page Settings</h1></body></html>";
        PdfDocument doc = converter.ConvertHtmlString(html);
        doc.Save("custom-settings.pdf");
        doc.Close();
        
        Console.WriteLine("PDF with custom settings created");
    }
}

// NuGet: Install-Package Select.HtmlToPdf
using SelectPdf;
using System;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        HtmlToPdf converter = new HtmlToPdf();
        
        converter.Options.PdfPageSize = PdfPageSize.A4;
        converter.Options.PdfPageOrientation = PdfPageOrientation.Portrait;
        converter.Options.MarginTop = 20;
        converter.Options.MarginBottom = 20;
        converter.Options.MarginLeft = 20;
        converter.Options.MarginRight = 20;
        
        string html = "<html><body><h1>Custom Page Settings</h1></body></html>";
        PdfDocument doc = converter.ConvertHtmlString(html);
        doc.Save("custom-settings.pdf");
        doc.Close();
        
        Console.WriteLine("PDF with custom settings created");
    }
}

' NuGet: Install-Package Select.HtmlToPdf
Imports SelectPdf
Imports System

Module Program
    Sub Main()
        Dim converter As New HtmlToPdf()

        converter.Options.PdfPageSize = PdfPageSize.A4
        converter.Options.PdfPageOrientation = PdfPageOrientation.Portrait
        converter.Options.MarginTop = 20
        converter.Options.MarginBottom = 20
        converter.Options.MarginLeft = 20
        converter.Options.MarginRight = 20

        Dim html As String = "<html><body><h1>Custom Page Settings</h1></body></html>"
        Dim doc As PdfDocument = converter.ConvertHtmlString(html)
        doc.Save("custom-settings.pdf")
        doc.Close()

        Console.WriteLine("PDF with custom settings created")
    End Sub
End Module

' NuGet: Install-Package Select.HtmlToPdf
Imports SelectPdf
Imports System

Module Program
    Sub Main()
        Dim converter As New HtmlToPdf()

        converter.Options.PdfPageSize = PdfPageSize.A4
        converter.Options.PdfPageOrientation = PdfPageOrientation.Portrait
        converter.Options.MarginTop = 20
        converter.Options.MarginBottom = 20
        converter.Options.MarginLeft = 20
        converter.Options.MarginRight = 20

        Dim html As String = "<html><body><h1>Custom Page Settings</h1></body></html>"
        Dim doc As PdfDocument = converter.ConvertHtmlString(html)
        doc.Save("custom-settings.pdf")
        doc.Close()

        Console.WriteLine("PDF with custom settings created")
    End Sub
End Module

After (IronPDF):

// NuGet: Install-Package IronPdf
using IronPdf;
using IronPdf.Engines.Chrome;
using System;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
        
        renderer.RenderingOptions.PaperSize = PdfPaperSize.A4;
        renderer.RenderingOptions.PaperOrientation = PdfPaperOrientation.Portrait;
        renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginTop = 20;
        renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginBottom = 20;
        renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginLeft = 20;
        renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginRight = 20;
        
        string html = "<html><body><h1>Custom Page Settings</h1></body></html>";
        var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
        pdf.SaveAs("custom-settings.pdf");
        
        Console.WriteLine("PDF with custom settings created");
    }
}

// NuGet: Install-Package IronPdf
using IronPdf;
using IronPdf.Engines.Chrome;
using System;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
        
        renderer.RenderingOptions.PaperSize = PdfPaperSize.A4;
        renderer.RenderingOptions.PaperOrientation = PdfPaperOrientation.Portrait;
        renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginTop = 20;
        renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginBottom = 20;
        renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginLeft = 20;
        renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginRight = 20;
        
        string html = "<html><body><h1>Custom Page Settings</h1></body></html>";
        var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
        pdf.SaveAs("custom-settings.pdf");
        
        Console.WriteLine("PDF with custom settings created");
    }
}

' NuGet: Install-Package IronPdf
Imports IronPdf
Imports IronPdf.Engines.Chrome
Imports System

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

        renderer.RenderingOptions.PaperSize = PdfPaperSize.A4
        renderer.RenderingOptions.PaperOrientation = PdfPaperOrientation.Portrait
        renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginTop = 20
        renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginBottom = 20
        renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginLeft = 20
        renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginRight = 20

        Dim html As String = "<html><body><h1>Custom Page Settings</h1></body></html>"
        Dim pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html)
        pdf.SaveAs("custom-settings.pdf")

        Console.WriteLine("PDF with custom settings created")
    End Sub
End Module

' NuGet: Install-Package IronPdf
Imports IronPdf
Imports IronPdf.Engines.Chrome
Imports System

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

        renderer.RenderingOptions.PaperSize = PdfPaperSize.A4
        renderer.RenderingOptions.PaperOrientation = PdfPaperOrientation.Portrait
        renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginTop = 20
        renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginBottom = 20
        renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginLeft = 20
        renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginRight = 20

        Dim html As String = "<html><body><h1>Custom Page Settings</h1></body></html>"
        Dim pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html)
        pdf.SaveAs("custom-settings.pdf")

        Console.WriteLine("PDF with custom settings created")
    End Sub
End Module

The page settings pattern is nearly identical, with straightforward property name changes:

converter.Options.PdfPageSize → renderer.RenderingOptions.PaperSize
converter.Options.PdfPageOrientation → renderer.RenderingOptions.PaperOrientation
PdfPageSize.A4 → PdfPaperSize.A4
PdfPageOrientation.Portrait → PdfPaperOrientation.Portrait

Margin properties maintain the same names and units.

The Windows-Only Problem

SelectPdf's Platform Limitation

Despite any marketing claims, SelectPdf explicitly does not support:

Linux (any distribution)
macOS
Docker containers
Azure Functions
AWS Lambda
Google Cloud Functions
Any ARM-based systems

This is a fundamental architectural limitation - SelectPdf depends on Windows-specific libraries and cannot be ported.

Platform Support Comparison

Platform	SelectPdf	IronPDF
Windows Server 2019+	✅	✅
Windows 10/11	✅	✅
Ubuntu 20.04+	❌	✅
Debian 10+	❌	✅
CentOS 7+	❌	✅
Alpine Linux	❌	✅
Amazon Linux 2	❌	✅
macOS 10.15+	❌	✅
Azure App Service (Linux)	❌	✅
Azure Functions	❌	✅
AWS Lambda	❌	✅
Docker (Linux)	❌	✅
Kubernetes	❌	✅

The Outdated Rendering Engine

CSS Feature Support Comparison

SelectPdf ships three engines (per vendor docs): an internal WebKit (the default), Blink (introduced in v19.1, bundled with Chromium 124.0.6367.201 - released April 2024), and Chromium/CEF. The default WebKit engine has not kept pace with modern web standards:

CSS Feature	SelectPdf (WebKit default)	SelectPdf (Blink, Chromium 124)	IronPDF
CSS Grid	⚠ Partial/broken	✅	✅ Full
Flexbox (basic)	✅	✅	✅
Flexbox (gap property)	❌	✅	✅
CSS Variables	❌	✅	✅
CSS calc()	⚠ Limited	✅	✅
@media print	⚠ Limited	✅	✅
@font-face	⚠ Limited	✅	✅
Web Fonts	⚠ Limited	✅	✅
SVG	⚠ Basic	✅	✅ Full
CSS Transforms	⚠ Limited	✅	✅
CSS Animations	❌	⚠ Partial	✅

New Capabilities After Migration

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

Cross-Platform Deployment

// ✅ IronPDF - Works everywhere
using IronPdf;

// Azure App Service (Linux) - WORKS
// Docker container - WORKS
// AWS Lambda - WORKS
// GitHub Actions on ubuntu-latest - WORKS
// macOS development - WORKS

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

// ✅ IronPDF - Works everywhere
using IronPdf;

// Azure App Service (Linux) - WORKS
// Docker container - WORKS
// AWS Lambda - WORKS
// GitHub Actions on ubuntu-latest - WORKS
// macOS development - WORKS

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

' ✅ IronPDF - Works everywhere
Imports IronPdf

' Azure App Service (Linux) - WORKS
' Docker container - WORKS
' AWS Lambda - WORKS
' GitHub Actions on ubuntu-latest - WORKS
' macOS development - WORKS

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

' ✅ IronPDF - Works everywhere
Imports IronPdf

' Azure App Service (Linux) - WORKS
' Docker container - WORKS
' AWS Lambda - WORKS
' GitHub Actions on ubuntu-latest - WORKS
' macOS development - WORKS

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

Modern CSS Support

// ✅ IronPDF - Uses latest stable Chromium
var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();

var html = @"
<style>
    :root { --primary: #007bff; --gap: 20px; }
    .grid { display: grid; grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fit, minmax(200px, 1fr)); gap: var(--gap); }
</style>
<div class='grid'>
    <div style='background: var(--primary); color: white; padding: 1rem;'>Item 1</div>
    <div style='background: var(--primary); color: white; padding: 1rem;'>Item 2</div>
    <div style='background: var(--primary); color: white; padding: 1rem;'>Item 3</div>
</div>";

var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
// All modern CSS features render correctly!

// ✅ IronPDF - Uses latest stable Chromium
var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();

var html = @"
<style>
    :root { --primary: #007bff; --gap: 20px; }
    .grid { display: grid; grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fit, minmax(200px, 1fr)); gap: var(--gap); }
</style>
<div class='grid'>
    <div style='background: var(--primary); color: white; padding: 1rem;'>Item 1</div>
    <div style='background: var(--primary); color: white; padding: 1rem;'>Item 2</div>
    <div style='background: var(--primary); color: white; padding: 1rem;'>Item 3</div>
</div>";

var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
// All modern CSS features render correctly!

' ✅ IronPDF - Uses latest stable Chromium
Dim renderer As New ChromePdfRenderer()

Dim html As String = "
<style>
    :root { --primary: #007bff; --gap: 20px; }
    .grid { display: grid; grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fit, minmax(200px, 1fr)); gap: var(--gap); }
</style>
<div class='grid'>
    <div style='background: var(--primary); color: white; padding: 1rem;'>Item 1</div>
    <div style='background: var(--primary); color: white; padding: 1rem;'>Item 2</div>
    <div style='background: var(--primary); color: white; padding: 1rem;'>Item 3</div>
</div>"

Dim pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html)
' All modern CSS features render correctly!

' ✅ IronPDF - Uses latest stable Chromium
Dim renderer As New ChromePdfRenderer()

Dim html As String = "
<style>
    :root { --primary: #007bff; --gap: 20px; }
    .grid { display: grid; grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fit, minmax(200px, 1fr)); gap: var(--gap); }
</style>
<div class='grid'>
    <div style='background: var(--primary); color: white; padding: 1rem;'>Item 1</div>
    <div style='background: var(--primary); color: white; padding: 1rem;'>Item 2</div>
    <div style='background: var(--primary); color: white; padding: 1rem;'>Item 3</div>
</div>"

Dim pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html)
' All modern CSS features render correctly!

No Close() Required

IronPDF handles resource management automatically:

// Option 1: Let garbage collection handle it
var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf");
// No Close() needed

// Option 2: Explicit disposal
using (var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html))
{
    pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf");
}

// Option 1: Let garbage collection handle it
var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf");
// No Close() needed

// Option 2: Explicit disposal
using (var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html))
{
    pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf");
}

' Option 1: Let garbage collection handle it
Dim pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html)
pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf")
' No Close() needed

' Option 2: Explicit disposal
Using pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html)
    pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf")
End Using

' Option 1: Let garbage collection handle it
Dim pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html)
pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf")
' No Close() needed

' Option 2: Explicit disposal
Using pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html)
    pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf")
End Using

Migration Checklist

Pre-Migration

Audit all SelectPdf usages in codebase
Document current converter options for mapping
Identify header/footer implementations
Check page number placeholder syntax ({page_number} → {page})
Note base URL handling patterns
Verify target deployment platforms
Obtain IronPDF license key from ironpdf.com

Code Updates

Remove Select.HtmlToPdf NuGet package
Install IronPdf NuGet package
Update namespace imports (using SelectPdf; → using IronPdf;)
Replace HtmlToPdf with ChromePdfRenderer
Replace ConvertHtmlString() with RenderHtmlAsPdf()
Replace ConvertUrl() with RenderUrlAsPdf()
Update option property names (Options.PdfPageSize → RenderingOptions.PaperSize)
Convert PdfPageSize to PdfPaperSize
Convert PdfPageOrientation to PdfPaperOrientation
Replace doc.Save() with pdf.SaveAs()
Remove all doc.Close() calls
Fix page number placeholders ({page_number} → {page}, {total_pages} → {total-pages})
Add license initialization at application startup

Post-Migration

Run all unit tests
Verify CSS rendering (especially Grid/Flexbox)
Test JavaScript execution
Verify header/footer page numbers
Test on target platforms (Linux, Docker, etc.)
Performance test
Compare PDF output quality
Update CI/CD pipelines
Test cloud deployments (if applicable)

Please note: SelectPDF is a registered trademark of its respective owner. This site is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Outside Software SRL or SelectPdf. 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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