Create PDF From Byte Array C# iTextSharp (vs IronPDF)

iText 7 is the official successor to iTextSharp and offers a completely redesigned architecture. It’s a powerful, extensible library suitable for creating, editing, and validating PDFs in compliance-heavy industries like legal, finance, and government. The iText 7 suite includes support for PDF/A, PDF/UA, digital signatures, redaction, and form creation.

While it’s still open source under the AGPL license, commercial licensing is available for proprietary projects.

iText 7 Key Features

• Modern API, replacing iTextSharp’s older structure
• Modular support: HTML to PDF, PDF/A, forms, redaction, digital signatures
• High performance for enterprise applications
• Great for PDF/A, accessibility, compliance

Installation (NuGet)

To download iText 7's core package for PDF generation:

Install-Package itext7

You can also install iText 7 via the Package Manager for Solution screen. To do this, you first need to go to the Tools drop-down menu, then find "NuGet Package Manager > Manage NuGet Packages for Solution".

Then, simply search for iText 7, and click "Install".

Code Example: Create PDF documents from Byte Array using iText 7

using System.IO;
using iText.Kernel.Pdf;
using iText.Layout;
using iText.Layout.Element;

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        var pdfGenerator = new PdfGenerator();
        byte[] pdfBytes = pdfGenerator.GeneratePdfWithIText7();
        // Save the PDF to a file
        File.WriteAllBytes("output.pdf", pdfBytes);
    }
}

class PdfGenerator
{
    public byte[] GeneratePdfWithIText7()
    {
        using (var ms = new MemoryStream())
        {
            var writer = new PdfWriter(ms);
            var pdf = new iText.Kernel.Pdf.PdfDocument(writer);
            var doc = new Document(pdf);

            doc.Add(new Paragraph("Hello from iText 7 for .NET!"));

            doc.Close(); // Always close the document to finalize content  
            return ms.ToArray();
        }
    }
}

using System.IO;
using iText.Kernel.Pdf;
using iText.Layout;
using iText.Layout.Element;

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        var pdfGenerator = new PdfGenerator();
        byte[] pdfBytes = pdfGenerator.GeneratePdfWithIText7();
        // Save the PDF to a file
        File.WriteAllBytes("output.pdf", pdfBytes);
    }
}

class PdfGenerator
{
    public byte[] GeneratePdfWithIText7()
    {
        using (var ms = new MemoryStream())
        {
            var writer = new PdfWriter(ms);
            var pdf = new iText.Kernel.Pdf.PdfDocument(writer);
            var doc = new Document(pdf);

            doc.Add(new Paragraph("Hello from iText 7 for .NET!"));

            doc.Close(); // Always close the document to finalize content  
            return ms.ToArray();
        }
    }
}

Output PDF file

Explanation

• PdfWriter writes the content to a MemoryStream.
• PdfDocument manages the internal structure of the PDF.
• Document is used to add high-level content (text, images, tables).
• After calling doc.Close(), the PDF content is fully written and ready to be returned as a byte array.

This example showcases iText 7’s more modular and readable API compared to iTextSharp. However, it still lacks native support for rendering HTML/CSS unless you include pdfhtml, which is licensed separately.

Pros and Cons of iText 7

Pros:

• Comprehensive PDF Control\ iText 7 provides complete control over PDF elements, such as tables, forms, and digital signatures. This makes it ideal for compliance-heavy applications that require specific PDF standards, such as PDF/A or PDF/UA.

• Modular and Scalable\ iText 7 is modular, meaning you can install only the specific modules you need (e.g., pdfhtml for HTML to PDF conversion). This allows for a more lightweight implementation if you're not using all features.

• Supports Complex PDF Standards\ iText 7 supports ISO standards such as PDF/A (archiving), PDF/UA (accessibility), and PDF/X (printing), making it suitable for professional and legal environments where compliance is crucial.

• Rich Documentation & Support\ iText 7 has comprehensive documentation and a large community. The company also offers professional support, ensuring that developers can get assistance when needed.

• Free Version Available (AGPL)\ Developers can use iText 7 for free under the AGPL license, which is ideal for open-source projects or personal use.

Cons:

• AGPL License for Commercial Use\ While iText 7 offers a free version, commercial users must comply with the AGPL license, which requires releasing the source code of any software that uses iText 7 or paying for a commercial license.

• Steep Learning Curve\ iText 7's API is more complex and feature-rich, which can result in a steeper learning curve compared to simpler libraries like IronPDF. Developers need to become familiar with its low-level document structure and module-based architecture.

• Heavyweight for Simple Tasks\ iText 7 can feel cumbersome for basic PDF tasks, such as simple document creation or basic HTML to PDF conversion, especially when compared to libraries like IronPDF, which streamline the process.

• Requires External Modules for HTML to PDF\ The HTML to PDF conversion in iText 7 is only available through the additional pdfhtml module, which requires a separate installation and may not handle modern web content as seamlessly as IronPDF.

IronPDF is a high-level .NET library designed to simplify PDF document generation with a focus on developer productivity. It is particularly effective for rendering HTML content and styling, making it ideal for modern web-to-PDF workflows.

Key Features:

• Create PDF files from byte arrays and work with PDF documents without needing to install Adobe Reader
• Direct HTML to PDF rendering using the full Chromium engine to create PDF documents from HTML content
• Works with MVC Views, Razor Pages, and local/remote URLs
• Supports image files, JavaScript, CSS, and responsive layouts out-of-the-box
• Easy-to-use syntax and minimal setup required
• Perpetual licensing and no AGPL constraints

IronPDF can be installed via NuGet as well, by running the following command in the NuGet Package Manager Console:

Install-Package IronPdf

Alternatively, you can install it via the NuGet package manager for Solution screen. To do this, navigate to "Tools > NuGet Package Manager > Manage NuGet Packages for Solution".

Then, search for IronPDF, and click "Install".

After installation, you can start rendering full HTML pages to PDF in seconds—no extra modules required. It supports modern CSS, JavaScript, and even interactive web content without additional configuration.

Code Example: Create PDF documents from a Byte Array with IronPDF

using IronPdf;
using System.IO;

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        var pdfGenerator = new PdfGenerator();
        byte[] pdfBytes = pdfGenerator.GeneratePdfWithIronPdf();
        // Save the PDF to a file
        File.WriteAllBytes("output.pdf", pdfBytes);
    }
}

class PdfGenerator
{
    public byte[] GeneratePdfWithIronPdf()
    {
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
        var pdfDoc = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Hello from IronPDF!</h1>");
        return pdfDoc.BinaryData;
    }
}

using IronPdf;
using System.IO;

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        var pdfGenerator = new PdfGenerator();
        byte[] pdfBytes = pdfGenerator.GeneratePdfWithIronPdf();
        // Save the PDF to a file
        File.WriteAllBytes("output.pdf", pdfBytes);
    }
}

class PdfGenerator
{
    public byte[] GeneratePdfWithIronPdf()
    {
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
        var pdfDoc = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Hello from IronPDF!</h1>");
        return pdfDoc.BinaryData;
    }
}

Output PDF file

Explanation

• The using IronPdf statement imports the IronPDF library for access to all PDF-related classes.
• var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer() creates a new HTML-to-PDF renderer powered by a headless Chromium engine.
• renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(...) converts the given HTML string into a PDF document. You can also pass in file paths or URLs.
• pdfDoc.BinaryData returns the final PDF as a byte array, ready for saving, streaming, or database storage.

Pros and Cons of IronPDF

Pros:

• Effortless HTML to PDF Rendering\ Render HTML, CSS, and JavaScript content straight into PDFs with full styling, including Bootstrap and custom fonts—no need for complex layout code or extra modules.

• Quick Start & Intuitive API\ Create PDF files that are fully styled in just a few lines of code, with clean syntax and full .NET Core and .NET Framework compatibility.

• Comprehensive Support for Web Technologies\ IronPDF supports JavaScript, modern CSS, SVGs, and media queries—something most libraries struggle with unless they use headless browsers like Chromium (which IronPDF does internally).

• Built-in Image & Asset Handling\ Easily include images, local files, or even pull assets from remote URLs without additional configuration.

• Perpetual Licensing & No AGPL\ Unlike iText 7, IronPDF offers flexible commercial licensing without the restrictions of open-source AGPL obligations.

• Excellent for MVC & Razor Views\ Seamlessly converts .cshtml Razor Views in ASP.NET applications into printable PDFs.

Cons:

• Commercial Use Requires License\ While there’s a free trial, IronPDF is not open source. Projects with tight budgets may need to evaluate licensing costs.

• Larger Initial Package Size\ Since it bundles a headless Chromium engine, the NuGet package is heavier than some alternatives.

IronPDF

using IronPdf;
using System.IO;

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        var pdfGenerator = new PdfGenerator();
        byte[] pdfBytes = pdfGenerator.GeneratePdfFromUrlWithIronPdf();

        // Save the PDF to a file
        File.WriteAllBytes("ironpdf-from-url.pdf", pdfBytes);
    }
}

class PdfGenerator
{
    public byte[] GeneratePdfFromUrlWithIronPdf()
    {
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
        renderer.RenderingOptions.EnableJavaScript = true;
        renderer.RenderingOptions.WaitForJavaScript(5000);
        renderer.RenderingOptions.CssMediaType = IronPdf.Rendering.PdfCssMediaType.Print;

        var pdf = renderer.RenderUrlAsPdf("https://www.apple.com");
        return pdf.BinaryData;
    }
}

using IronPdf;
using System.IO;

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        var pdfGenerator = new PdfGenerator();
        byte[] pdfBytes = pdfGenerator.GeneratePdfFromUrlWithIronPdf();

        // Save the PDF to a file
        File.WriteAllBytes("ironpdf-from-url.pdf", pdfBytes);
    }
}

class PdfGenerator
{
    public byte[] GeneratePdfFromUrlWithIronPdf()
    {
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
        renderer.RenderingOptions.EnableJavaScript = true;
        renderer.RenderingOptions.WaitForJavaScript(5000);
        renderer.RenderingOptions.CssMediaType = IronPdf.Rendering.PdfCssMediaType.Print;

        var pdf = renderer.RenderUrlAsPdf("https://www.apple.com");
        return pdf.BinaryData;
    }
}

Output PDF

IronPDF uses a headless Chromium engine for pixel-perfect rendering of webpages with full JavaScript and CSS support.

iText 7

using iText.Kernel.Pdf;
using iText.Layout;
using iText.Layout.Element;
using System.Net.Http;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using iText.Html2pdf;
using System.IO;

class Program
{
    static async Task Main(string[] args)
    {
        var pdfGenerator = new PdfGenerator();
        byte[] pdfBytes = await pdfGenerator.GeneratePdfFromUrlWithIText7Async();

        // Save the PDF to a file
        File.WriteAllBytes("itext7-from-url.pdf", pdfBytes);
    }
}

class PdfGenerator
{
    public async Task<byte[]> GeneratePdfFromUrlWithIText7Async()
    {
        using var httpClient = new HttpClient();
        string html = await httpClient.GetStringAsync("https://www.apple.com");

        using var stream = new MemoryStream();
        HtmlConverter.ConvertToPdf(html, stream);
        return stream.ToArray();
    }
}

using iText.Kernel.Pdf;
using iText.Layout;
using iText.Layout.Element;
using System.Net.Http;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using iText.Html2pdf;
using System.IO;

class Program
{
    static async Task Main(string[] args)
    {
        var pdfGenerator = new PdfGenerator();
        byte[] pdfBytes = await pdfGenerator.GeneratePdfFromUrlWithIText7Async();

        // Save the PDF to a file
        File.WriteAllBytes("itext7-from-url.pdf", pdfBytes);
    }
}

class PdfGenerator
{
    public async Task<byte[]> GeneratePdfFromUrlWithIText7Async()
    {
        using var httpClient = new HttpClient();
        string html = await httpClient.GetStringAsync("https://www.apple.com");

        using var stream = new MemoryStream();
        HtmlConverter.ConvertToPdf(html, stream);
        return stream.ToArray();
    }
}

Output

iText 7 fetches raw HTML with the HttpClient and renders it using HtmlConverter, but it does not support JavaScript execution (as confirmed by iText's official documentation, which recommends using Selenium or similar browser automation for JavaScript preprocessing) and has limited CSS styling. While iText7 added partial flexbox support in version 7.1.15 (2021), many CSS3 properties remain unsupported, particularly for complex modern layouts.

IronPDF

using IronPdf;
using System.IO;

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        var pdfGenerator = new PdfGenerator();
        byte[] pdfBytes = pdfGenerator.CreatePdfWithImage();

        // Save the PDF to a file
        File.WriteAllBytes("ironpdf-with-image.pdf", pdfBytes);
    }
}

class PdfGenerator
{
    public byte[] CreatePdfWithImage()
    {
        var pdf = ImageToPdfConverter.ImageToPdf("example.png");
        return pdf.BinaryData;
    }
}

using IronPdf;
using System.IO;

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        var pdfGenerator = new PdfGenerator();
        byte[] pdfBytes = pdfGenerator.CreatePdfWithImage();

        // Save the PDF to a file
        File.WriteAllBytes("ironpdf-with-image.pdf", pdfBytes);
    }
}

class PdfGenerator
{
    public byte[] CreatePdfWithImage()
    {
        var pdf = ImageToPdfConverter.ImageToPdf("example.png");
        return pdf.BinaryData;
    }
}

Output

Easy image to PDF generation with IronPDF's ImageToPdfConverter tool. With this, you can easily create PDF files from images such as PNG files or JPGs.

iText 7

using iText.Kernel.Pdf;
using iText.Layout;
using iText.IO.Image;
using iText.Layout.Element;
using System.IO;

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        var pdfGenerator = new PdfGenerator();
        byte[] pdfBytes = pdfGenerator.CreatePdfWithImage();

        // Save the PDF to a file
        File.WriteAllBytes("iText-with-image.pdf", pdfBytes);
    }
}

class PdfGenerator
{
    public byte[] CreatePdfWithImage()
    {
        using var ms = new MemoryStream();
        using var writer = new PdfWriter(ms);
        using var pdfDoc = new iText.Kernel.Pdf.PdfDocument(writer);
        var document = new Document(pdfDoc);

        var img = new Image(ImageDataFactory.Create("https://itextpdf.com/sites/default/files/2018-11/iText%207%20Product%20software%20-%20webimages_509x339px_V2_iText%207%20Core.png"));
        document.Add(img);
        document.Close();

        return ms.ToArray();
    }
}

using iText.Kernel.Pdf;
using iText.Layout;
using iText.IO.Image;
using iText.Layout.Element;
using System.IO;

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        var pdfGenerator = new PdfGenerator();
        byte[] pdfBytes = pdfGenerator.CreatePdfWithImage();

        // Save the PDF to a file
        File.WriteAllBytes("iText-with-image.pdf", pdfBytes);
    }
}

class PdfGenerator
{
    public byte[] CreatePdfWithImage()
    {
        using var ms = new MemoryStream();
        using var writer = new PdfWriter(ms);
        using var pdfDoc = new iText.Kernel.Pdf.PdfDocument(writer);
        var document = new Document(pdfDoc);

        var img = new Image(ImageDataFactory.Create("https://itextpdf.com/sites/default/files/2018-11/iText%207%20Product%20software%20-%20webimages_509x339px_V2_iText%207%20Core.png"));
        document.Add(img);
        document.Close();

        return ms.ToArray();
    }
}

Output

Manual creation of document layout and explicit image insertion using ImageDataFactory.

IronPDF

using IronPdf;
using System.IO;

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        var pdfGenerator = new PdfGenerator();
        byte[] pdfBytes = pdfGenerator.CreateStyledPdf();

        // Save the PDF to a file
        File.WriteAllBytes("ironpdf-styled-html.pdf", pdfBytes);
    }
}

class PdfGenerator
{
    public byte[] CreateStyledPdf()
    {
        string html = @"
        <html>
            <head>
                <style>
                    body { 
                        background-color: #f0f0f0; 
                        margin: 20px; 
                        padding: 20px; 
                        border-radius: 5px; 
                        box-shadow: 0 0 10px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);
                    }
                    h1 { 
                        color: navy;
                        font-size: 32px;   
                        text-align: center;
                       }
                    p { 
                        font-size: 16px; 
                        font-weight: bold;
                      }
                </style>
            </head>
            <body>
                <h1>Welcome to IronPDF</h1>
                <p>This is a simple PDF document generated using IronPDF.</p>
            </body>
        </html>";

        var pdf = new ChromePdfRenderer().RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
        return pdf.BinaryData;
    }
}

using IronPdf;
using System.IO;

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        var pdfGenerator = new PdfGenerator();
        byte[] pdfBytes = pdfGenerator.CreateStyledPdf();

        // Save the PDF to a file
        File.WriteAllBytes("ironpdf-styled-html.pdf", pdfBytes);
    }
}

class PdfGenerator
{
    public byte[] CreateStyledPdf()
    {
        string html = @"
        <html>
            <head>
                <style>
                    body { 
                        background-color: #f0f0f0; 
                        margin: 20px; 
                        padding: 20px; 
                        border-radius: 5px; 
                        box-shadow: 0 0 10px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);
                    }
                    h1 { 
                        color: navy;
                        font-size: 32px;   
                        text-align: center;
                       }
                    p { 
                        font-size: 16px; 
                        font-weight: bold;
                      }
                </style>
            </head>
            <body>
                <h1>Welcome to IronPDF</h1>
                <p>This is a simple PDF document generated using IronPDF.</p>
            </body>
        </html>";

        var pdf = new ChromePdfRenderer().RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
        return pdf.BinaryData;
    }
}

Output

IronPDF fully supports CSS in tags or external stylesheets thanks to its Chromium engine.

iText 7 + pdfHTML

using iText.Kernel.Pdf;
using iText.Html2pdf;
using System.IO;

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        var pdfGenerator = new PdfGenerator();
        byte[] pdfBytes = pdfGenerator.CreateStyledPdf();

        // Save the new document to the specified file location
        File.WriteAllBytes("iText-styled-html.pdf", pdfBytes);
    }
}

class PdfGenerator
{
    public byte[] CreateStyledPdf()
    {
        string html = @"
        <html>
            <head>
                <style>
                    body { 
                        background-color: #f0f0f0; 
                        margin: 20px; 
                        padding: 20px; 
                        border-radius: 5px; 
                        box-shadow: 0 0 10px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);
                    }
                    h1 { 
                        color: navy;
                        font-size: 32px;   
                        text-align: center;
                       }
                    p { 
                        font-size: 16px; 
                        font-weight: bold;
                      }
                </style>
            </head>
            <body>
                <h1>Welcome to iText 7</h1>
                <p>This is a simple PDF document generated using iText 7 and pdfHTML.</p>
            </body>
        </html>";

        using var ms = new MemoryStream();
        ConverterProperties properties = new ConverterProperties();
        HtmlConverter.ConvertToPdf(new MemoryStream(System.Text.Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(html)), ms, properties);
        return ms.ToArray();
    }
}

using iText.Kernel.Pdf;
using iText.Html2pdf;
using System.IO;

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        var pdfGenerator = new PdfGenerator();
        byte[] pdfBytes = pdfGenerator.CreateStyledPdf();

        // Save the new document to the specified file location
        File.WriteAllBytes("iText-styled-html.pdf", pdfBytes);
    }
}

class PdfGenerator
{
    public byte[] CreateStyledPdf()
    {
        string html = @"
        <html>
            <head>
                <style>
                    body { 
                        background-color: #f0f0f0; 
                        margin: 20px; 
                        padding: 20px; 
                        border-radius: 5px; 
                        box-shadow: 0 0 10px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);
                    }
                    h1 { 
                        color: navy;
                        font-size: 32px;   
                        text-align: center;
                       }
                    p { 
                        font-size: 16px; 
                        font-weight: bold;
                      }
                </style>
            </head>
            <body>
                <h1>Welcome to iText 7</h1>
                <p>This is a simple PDF document generated using iText 7 and pdfHTML.</p>
            </body>
        </html>";

        using var ms = new MemoryStream();
        ConverterProperties properties = new ConverterProperties();
        HtmlConverter.ConvertToPdf(new MemoryStream(System.Text.Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(html)), ms, properties);
        return ms.ToArray();
    }
}

Output

Requires the installation of the paid add-on pdfHTML in order to handle HTML conversion tasks.