Comparing DocRaptor and SelectPdf

DocRaptor is an HTML to PDF API focused on reliability, ease of use, and privacy. DocRaptor uses Prince, the leading commercial HTML to PDF converter, and the team behind the CSS Paged Media specifications.

SelectPdf is a commercial .NET PDF creation and editing library. It includes an HTML to PDF conversion function based on the Chromium and WebKit browsers. The converter is also available as an API.

This guide will focus on SelectPdf's HTML to PDF conversion and API. SelectPdf's native PDF creation sometimes provides deeper capabilities, but you must manually create your PDF element by element.

DocRaptor fully supports CSS Paged Media, which provides a wide variety of features useful for PDFs, such as headers, footnotes, watermarks, cross-references, page groups, and much more.

SelectPdf does not support CSS Paged Media but offers limited header and footer options with their PDF editing capability. No other CSS Paged Media functionality is provided.

DocRaptor supports PDF forms, which allow saving data within a PDF or submitting a form to a website.

SelectPdf cannot create PDF forms.

DocRaptor supports accessible PDFs, or "tagged" PDFs, which can be parsed by screen readers and other assistive devices and are required by compliance standards such as WCAG and Section 508. DocRaptor supports both automatic and manual tagging.

SelectPdf does not support creating accessible, tagged PDFs.

DocRaptor lets you add PDF annotations, including comments, highlights, and more.

SelectPdf's HTML to PDF converter or API cannot create PDF annotations, but you can add them manually with their PDF editing library.

DocRaptor's CSS Generated Content extensions let you copy or move HTML and text into other elements, such as headers and footers.

SelectPdf does not support the CSS Generated Content module.

While satisfactory for the vast majority of web pages, DocRaptor does not support the entire JavaScript ES6 specification.

While SelectPdf does not publish the exact browser versions used in their HTML to PDF conversion, they likely support all but the very latest CSS and JavaScript features.

DocRaptor allows you to control or delay PDF rendering until the JavaScript completes, which is vital for charting and external data queries.

SelectPdf allows you to delay the rendering by a number of seconds, or you can trigger the rendering action within JavaScript.

DocRaptor calls a post-rendering JavaScript function, and if the DOM is changed, rerenders the document. This enables advanced techniques such as text-fitting or line-height adjustments.

SelectPdf does not support Multi-Pass JavaScript.

Allows direct JavaScript access to the actual PDF object (the "DOM" of the PDF).

When using the .NET library, SelectPdf provides access to a limited subset of PDF objects, but it's generally more of a PDF creator than a complete PDF editing library.

DocRaptor's pipeline versioning protects your document generation process from being unintentionally affected by future DocRaptor system upgrades.

While SelectPdf supports a legacy "v1" version of its API, it does not offer version control for the browsers or conversion engines it uses. As a result, your documents may be subject to unforeseen alterations due to updates or changes in these underlying components.

DocRaptor supports asynchronous PDF generation, where the HTML to PDF process happens in the background, allowing your application to perform other tasks without waiting for the document generation to complete.

SelectPDf supports asynchronous HTML to PDF conversion.

DocRaptor provides client libraries or examples in C#, Java, JavaScript, jQuery, .NET, Node, PHP, Python, Rails, Ruby, and more. As a REST API, DocRaptor can be easily implemented in any programming language.

SelectPdf provides libraries and code samples for PHP, Python, .NET, Java, Node.js, Ruby, and Perl.

DocRaptor can optionally host your document permamently or temporarily at an unbranded URL.

SelectPDf does not offer document hosting.

DocRaptor does not support PDF Merging.

While the SelectPdf HTML to PDF API does not directly support PDF merging, SelectPdf also provides a separate Merge PDF API and the .NET library supports merging.

DocRaptor can also convert HTML into XLS and XLSX files, which is handy for one-stop reporting functionality.

SelectPdf also provides a PDF to Text API.

DocRaptor guarantees 99.99% uptime.

SelectPdf does not guarantee any particular level of service or uptime.

DocRaptor has a public status page.

SelectPdf does not have a status page that shows current or historical performance.

Email, Phone, Chat

Email only.

US-based with contact, company, and team information provided.

SelectPdf does not provide any information on their company or location.

DocRaptor provides customer references and case studies, including top technology and Fortune 500 companies.

SelectPdf does not provide any customer references.

DocRaptor's security practices passed a third-party SOC2 compliance audit.

SelectPdf is not SOC2 compliant.

DocRaptor is HIPAA compliant and can safely generate electronic protected health information documents.

SelectPdf is not HIPAA compliant.

Yes, DocRaptor is GDPR compliant.

SelectPdf is GDPR compliant with all servers located in the United Kingdom.

DocRaptor encrypts document data in transit and at rest.

SelectPdf does not provide information on their encryption or security standards.

DocRaptor regularly undergoes simulated attacks from third-party security professionals.

SelectPdf does not appear to conduct any 3rd-party security audits.

DocRaptor has a privacy policy.

SelectPdf has a privacy policy.

DocRaptor does not have input or output size limits.

SelectPdf does not list their size limits.

DocRaptor does not have rate limits and allows 30 concurrent documents, regardless of the pricing plan.

SelectPdf allows 1-16 concurrent requests, depending on your pricing level.

DocRaptor allows up to 10 minutes for asynchronously generated documents and 1 minute for synchronously generated documents.

SelectPdf does not list their time limits.

DocRaptor provides a free, public API key with no signup required and a demo page.

SelectPdf has a demo.

Yes, DocRaptor offers a free plan.

SelectPdf does not have a free plan, but they have a 7-day/200-document free trial.

DocRaptor's lowest-priced paid plan is $15/mo.

SelectPdf's lowest-priced plan is $19/month.

DocRaptor plans include unlimited, free development testing so you can perfect your document without stress or cost.

SelectPdf does not provide any free testing or development documents. Every document will count against your plan limit.

DocRaptor offers a simple pricing model regardless of output size. Each plan includes a certain number of documents with an equivalent metered price for overage documents beyond plan limits.

SelectPdf counts every 50 pages in a document as a "conversion." Obviously, this pricing model is most advantageous for users with short documents.

While it is not explicitly documented, we assume that going over your plan limit results in a conversion error.

DocRaptor's pricing ranges from 2.5¢ to 12¢ per document generated, reflecting DocRaptor's value with unique functionality and a strong emphasis on privacy, security, and reliability.

SelectPdf's pricing starts at about 1¢ per conversion. Uniquely, they claim to offer unlimited conversions for $449/month.