NReco.PdfGenerator is a commercial wrapper around the archived wkhtmltopdf engine. IronPDF renders HTML, CSS, and JavaScript with a modern Chromium engine, ships as one NuGet package with no native binary, and adds full PDF editing. Three lines of C#.
// NReco.PdfGenerator: a paid wrapper over the wkhtmltopdf binary
using NReco.PdfGenerator;
var htmlToPdf = new HtmlToPdfConverter();
// License needed for SaaS / multi-server / .NET Core (LT build)
htmlToPdf.License.SetLicenseKey("your_id", "your_license_key");
htmlToPdf.WkHtmlToPdfExeName = "wkhtmltopdf.exe"; // ship per OS
htmlToPdf.PdfToolPath = @"C:\app\wkhtmltopdf"; // deploy binary
byte[] bytes = htmlToPdf.GeneratePdf("<h1>Hello World</h1>");
File.WriteAllBytes("output.pdf", bytes);
// Rendered by Qt WebKit (frozen ~2015): no flexbox or grid.
// IronPDF: modern Chromium, no wkhtmltopdf binary to deploy
using IronPdf;
var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
PdfDocument pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Hello World</h1>");
pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf");' NReco.PdfGenerator: a paid wrapper over the wkhtmltopdf binary
Imports NReco.PdfGenerator
Dim htmlToPdf As New HtmlToPdfConverter()
' License needed for SaaS / multi-server / .NET Core (LT build)
htmlToPdf.License.SetLicenseKey("your_id", "your_license_key")
htmlToPdf.WkHtmlToPdfExeName = "wkhtmltopdf.exe" ' ship per OS
htmlToPdf.PdfToolPath = "C:\app\wkhtmltopdf" ' deploy binary
Dim bytes As Byte() = htmlToPdf.GeneratePdf("<h1>Hello World</h1>")
File.WriteAllBytes("output.pdf", bytes)
' Rendered by Qt WebKit (frozen ~2015): no flexbox or grid.
' IronPDF: modern Chromium, no wkhtmltopdf binary to deploy
Imports IronPdf
Dim renderer = New ChromePdfRenderer()
Dim pdf As PdfDocument = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Hello World</h1>")
pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf")
PM >
Install-Package IronPdf
One managed NuGet package runs on Windows, Linux, Docker, Azure, and AWS, with no per-platform wkhtmltopdf binary and no separate cross-platform build to license.
Designed for C#, F#, & VB.NET running on .NET 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, Core, Standard, or Framework
Available for .NET, Java, Node.js, and Python.
NReco.PdfGenerator is a tidy wrapper that saves you from integrating wkhtmltopdf by hand, but it renders with Qt WebKit, frozen around 2015, so modern CSS such as flexbox and grid does not render reliably. It is free only for single-server, non-SaaS use; SaaS, multi-server, and the cross-platform LT build require a paid license. IronPDF renders HTML with a modern Chromium engine, ships without a native binary, and keeps editing, merging, forms, and signing in the same library.
| NReco.PdfGenerator | IronPDF | |
|---|---|---|
| Rendering engine | wkhtmltopdf / Qt WebKit, frozen ~2015 | Modern Chromium |
| Upstream engine status | wkhtmltopdf archived Jan 2023 (0.12.6) | Actively maintained |
| Modern CSS / JS | No flexbox or grid; dated JS | Full CSS3, flexbox, grid, JavaScript |
| Deployment | wkhtmltopdf binary (LT: ship per OS) | Pure NuGet, no native binary |
| Security | Inherits unpatched wkhtmltopdf CVEs | Maintained and patched |
| License | Free only single-server non-SaaS; paid otherwise | Commercial, perpetual options |
| Cross-platform | LT build needs license and manual binary | One package, all platforms |
| PDF features | Generate only (header, footer, page numbers) | Edit, merge, sign, forms, extract |
| Support | Email / demo key | 24/5 engineers |
Built for developers who would rather pay for a modern engine than a wrapper around an archived one.
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Install-Package IronPdf
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Where in the past we might have to go out and use one plug-in or one package for OCR, and another one for PDF, having them all integrated into one low-cost package was really great for us.
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Is IronPDF a modern alternative to NReco.PdfGenerator for HTML to PDF?YES!
Can I avoid the archived wkhtmltopdf engine NReco wraps?YES!
Can I convert HTML to PDF without shipping a wkhtmltopdf binary?YES!
Does IronPDF render flexbox, grid, and modern CSS that Qt WebKit cannot?YES!
Can I use it in SaaS and multi-server deployments under one clear license?YES!
Can I edit, merge, sign, and extract from PDFs, not only generate them?YES!
Can I render pixel-perfect PDFs from complex HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript?YES!
Can I convert an HTML string to PDF in one line of C# code?YES!
Can I convert a URL to PDF with authentication, cookies, and custom headers?YES!
Can I generate a PDF from Razor, CSHTML, or ASPX views?YES!
Can I add custom headers, footers, page numbers, and watermarks during conversion?YES!
Can I run HTML to PDF conversion in Docker, Azure Functions, or AWS Lambda?YES!
Can I deploy my application using the library to Linux, macOS, or Windows, including Docker containers?YES!
Is the library thread-safe for use in highly concurrent, multi-threaded server applications and APIs?YES!
Can I set custom viewport dimensions and print media CSS to control responsive layouts?YES!
Is IronPDF compatible with Azure Functions?YES!
Can I permanently redact sensitive text and images from PDF documents?YES!
Can I generate a PDF from a URL that requires authentication via custom headers, cookies, or form logins?YES!
Can I access PDF DOM through ObjectModel property?YES!
Can I programmatically fill, read, and flatten interactive AcroForm?YES!
Does it support generating PDF/A and PDF/UA compliant documents for archiving and accessibility standards?YES!
Can I secure a document with 256-bit AES password encryption and set user permissions?YES!
Can I apply and verify digital signatures on a PDF using X.509 certificates?YES!
Can I test IronPDF in my live project for free now?YES! 
Click here to start your 30-day free trial
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